1905.] 



Calf-Rearing. 



709 



therefore, be made in considerable quantity; one pint of this gruel 

 should be added to four pints of separated milk. 



(2) Ground Linseed. — Obtain the unground linseed to ensure 

 having the whole of the oil, and have it ground by ordinary 

 millstones. It will be necessary to add one part of Indian meal 

 to seven of the linseed to prevent it clogging the mill. Scald 

 and stir with boiling water at the rate of one quart of the meal 

 to one gallon of water. This makes a porridge of much nicer 

 consistency than the boiled linseed, and is more quickly and 

 easily prepared ; use one pint of this porridge to four pints of 

 separated milk. People frequently use linseed cake meal for 

 making a calf porridge to add to skimmed or separated milk, 

 but, although a wholesome food, it must not be imagined that 

 it enriches the milk with fat as linseed itself does, for linseed 

 cake would not have more than 12 per cent, of oil, whereas 

 linseed contains 32 per cent. 



(3) Cod-Liver Oil. — The genuine article answers admirably, 

 and gives practically no trouble ; and when it can be bought 

 at 4s. 6d. per gallon it is a cheap cream substitute. A table- 

 spoonful is measured into a calf bucket, and the warm separated 

 milk for one meal poured on to it, and the mixture poured into 

 another bucket to well mix or emulsify the oil, and it is at once 

 served to the calf. A calf thus gets three tablespoonfuls a day, 

 or half this quantity during the second fortnight, while having 

 part new and part separated milk. But, latterly, cod-liver oil 

 has been very dear, and much that has been sold as genuine is 

 so impure and has such a vile smell that it awakens the suspicion 

 that it consists largely of crude fish oil, which is certainly unfit 

 for calves. 



All things considered the use of (2) — the scalded ground 

 linseed — seems preferable, which at is. oxl. a stone will scarcely 

 cost 3d. a week, or is. 6d. altogether for each calf. 



New milk is discontinued at the end of the first month, and 

 for the next month the allowance of separated milk for each of 

 the three meals is three quarts with cream substitute. If the 

 calf is intended for veal a pint more milk than this is given, and 

 the fattening is hastened by a further addition of boiled flour or 

 oatmeal to the milk, or even a good dessert -spoonful of sugar. 

 Calves not intended for veal .have sweet meadow hay supplied 



