ILJJINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 117 



FEEDING CALVES FOR MILK OR BEEF. 



PROF. T. L. HAECKER. 



What little I have to say in regard to the rearing of 

 calves will have reference to my work previous to station work 

 done during the last five years. As some of you know, I have 

 been making the rearing of dairy calves my business for about 

 fifteen years, and therefore have had some little experience 

 on this subject. The bulk of that time I devoted to pedi- 

 greed stock and those that have reared thoroughbred dairy 

 calves have found that it is rather a difficult thing to 

 always bring them through safely. During the last ten years 

 I do not remember losing but one calf, and that was while the 

 boys and I were away at the fair with our herd. The calf 

 was taken with the scours, and was so far gone at the time 

 we returned, that we could not save it. But, for the last 

 few years, we have no difficulty when directions in de- 

 tail are carried out. Last winter we raised some thirty-five 

 calves; this winter we are raising about twenty- five, and the 

 method is so simple that it will take but a few moments to 

 explain. When the cow is in ordinary condition, we let the 

 calf suck but once; we do this so that it may get the colostrum, 

 which is necessary to get .the little bowels in good working 

 condition. We then remove the calf from the cow and skip 

 one feeding period. When the second comes, the calf will 

 be very hungry and takes the milk without the finger, of 

 course; we will then give it from three to five pounds of milk 

 according to its size and capacity. For some calves three 

 pounds is as big a feed as five pounds is to others; you must, 

 therefore, use judgment. We feed in the morning and even- 

 ing immediately after the cow is milked. The first week we 

 feed the mother's milk, from three to five pounds at a feed. 



Mr. Hostetter: Do you use a calf feeder? 



Prof. Haecker : No, sir. We did not give the finger to 

 one of the thirty odd calves we raised last winter, and none of 

 them refused to drink. After they have skipped one meal, 

 they won't be very particular as to whether they have the 

 finger or not. After the first week we give the calf half 



