400 



Fattening Calves for Veal. 



[OCT., 



supply for the calf, milk from another cow or a milk substitute can 

 be added ; (4) after the ninth or tenth week, or when the veal calf 

 has been sold, the cow will, if required, be far more likely to 

 adopt a new calf than if she had been nursing her own offspring. 

 The arguments in favour of allowing the calf to suck the cow 

 may be summed up as follows : — (1) The best veal is always 

 made by the calf which gets its milk in the natural way ; (2) 

 the calf feeds little and often, the milk is always fresh and of the 

 right temperature ; (3) only a small amount of labour is required ; 

 (4) should the calf for some reason not be wanted for veal, it 

 will have had a better start than if brought up by hand. Which- 

 ever way of feeding be carried out, the colostrum, or milk yielded 

 by the cow for the first few days after calving, is necessary for 

 the newly born calf. The only really satisfactory calf to feed 

 is one that is dropped full of natural flesh, for it is almost 

 useless to try and fatten those animals so often seen in the 

 market in a semi-starved condition. Not much exercise is 

 required for veal calves, but the very close quarters sometimes 

 seen on old-fashioned homesteads are to be avoided. The 

 calf should have plenty of room to turn round and lie down, 

 and it is better alone than penned up with others. A dry 

 bed is essential to success. Regularity in feeding is most 

 important, otherwise too much may be taken at a meal, or the 

 food too quickly swallowed, thus causing indigestion or 

 diarrhoea. Hand-fed calves should be given their milk at least 

 three times a day. In all cases it should be brought up to 

 its natural heat, care being taken to scald the pails out both 

 before and after use. The extra trouble involved in carrying 

 out these precautions will be well repaid. A lump of chalk 

 for the calf to lick is frequently placed in the manger, the idea 

 being that this will correct the acidity of the stomach. 



Calves, like cows, vary enormously in their aptitude for 

 putting on flesh, and also in their capacity for taking milk, 

 according to their growth, breed and individuality. Assuming 

 that a calf would drink on an average z\ gallons of milk 

 per day for nine weeks the total consumption in that time 

 will be 157^ gallons, and at 3J gallons per day 220 gallons 

 will be consumed in the same period. Some figure between 

 these two will be a fair average to take. If we assume that 

 185 gallons represents the quantity of milk required to 



