THE BEEF CALF: ITS GROWTH AND 

 DEVELOPMENT. 



E. W. Sheets, 

 Animal Hushaiidnj Division. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Page. 



When to select the calf 



The kind of calf to select 



Selecting the calf 



Equipment needed for growing the calf- 

 Keeping the calf healthy 



Feeds for the calf 



3 

 4 

 G 

 8 

 11 

 14 



Feeding the calf to weaning time 15 



Feeding from weaning to maturitj'__^- 17 



Preparing for show or sale 19 



Marketing or breeding — which? 29 



Feed and care of the breeding heifer 30 



Feed and care of the bull .__ 32 



WHEN TO SELECT A CALF. 



HE best time to select a calf is at a few months of age, when it 



J- may be seen with its mother, or, at any rate, before it is 

 Aveaned. Observe the calf's mother. If she is a wide, deep-bodied 

 cow with plenty of size and is giving a liberal supply of milk, you 

 ma}^ be reasonably sure that the calf, if sired by a good bull and 

 properly cared for, will grow into a useful breeding animal. An- 

 other advantage of selecting the calf at this time is that it may 

 be taught to eat grain before it is weaned. However, since it is 

 difficult sometimes to obtain a calf at this age, it may be necessary 

 to select it at weaning time or even after it is weaned, but the best 

 time, as stated, is before weaning. 



Calves are frequently classified at fairs and calf shows as " senior 

 and "junior" calves, depending upon the time of year they were 

 dropped. A calf, for instance, that was dropped between September 

 1 and December 31 the year previous to the show would be classed 

 as a " senior " calf, and one dropped between January 1 and August 

 31 previous to the show, a " junior " calf. As a rule, a fall or senior 

 calf, on account of its age at the usual time of holding the show, is 

 to be preferred, although there are advantages in selecting a spring 

 or junior calf, especially one dropped in January or not later than 

 February. This, however, depends upon the rules of the contest 

 at which the calf is to l:>e shown and upon the facilities at hand for 

 feeding and caring for it. 



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