Calf Rearing. 



527 



and another young calf is given to each, which in turn is taken 

 away six weeks before the heifers are again due to calve. Each 

 of the cows, on having her second calf, is given another, so that 

 each cow has to suckle two calves at the same time. These, like 

 the heifer's calves, are taken from the cows at four months, and 

 each cow is given other two young calves, which are removed in 

 time to let the cow rest and pick up before calving again. This 

 system is carried on each year, so that each heifer with her first 

 calf brings up two, and each cow brings up four, calves per 

 annum. The calves required to make up the number are pur- 

 chased from cow dealers at about a week old. 



The cows are kept in byres, tied by the neck, from October till 

 May, and are hand-fed on turnips, oat-straw, and a little home- 

 grown grain or other bulky good food. When a cow is due to 

 calve, a young calf is purchased, and as soon as she has calved 

 it is put up beside her, and her own calf is put at the wall 

 behind her, and out of her sight. At first the calves are put to 

 the cow four times a day, and, after about fourteen days, only 

 three times a day, and are taught to suckle both from one side, 

 the cow's own calf being nearest her head. She is generally 

 quite satisfied if she sees and can lick her own calf when suck- 

 ling, and does not often notice or object to the strange calf, 

 especially when she is tied. 



After about three weeks or a month, according to the state of 

 weather, the cow and her two calves are put into a loose box, 

 all untied. If the cow shows much preference for her own calf, 

 and the stranger is not getting its share of the milk, the calves 

 are fastened together by two straps round the neck, joined by 

 a chain two feet long. The cow's own calf must thus take the 

 other calf with it when it goes to drink, and in almost every 

 case this arrangement is completely satisfactory. After a time 

 two cows and their four calves are put into a larger box, and so 

 on till a number of them are going together, and ready to go to 

 the fields in the spring whenever there is sufficient grass for 

 them. 



The cows are served as soon as they come in season, and the 

 bulls are allowed to run with them when at grass, as the 

 great aim is to get them all calved before April, so that the first 

 lot of calves may be weaned and a new lot put on by the end ot 



