RAISING BULL CALVES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 567, 23 July 1909, Page 8

RAISING BULL CALVES.

DOES IT PAY? ! It is hard to convince New Zealand dairy farmers that it pays to rear tho bull calves; and perhaps their view is justified, in tho light of the low prices and limited market which seem to'await them. Probably tho prico realised will pay full money for all tho milk consumed, but tho doubtful question is whether it pays for all tho troublo as well. An experiment last season with Now Zealand veal on tho English market was not encouraging, tho appoaranco of tho thawed veal being unattractive. But there aro other outlets than this for tho male offspring of tho dairy cow. . What tho limited local veal market does not need may, perhaps, bo turned into beef, with a small margin of profit. It depends very largely on tho farmer's range _of grazing, and on tho other conveniences which his premises or his staff of workers can furnish. So'far a3 tho prico of milk ia concerned, the rearing of tho calves'in New Zealand ought to pay; for it pay's with dearer milk in America. In New Zealand, a prevalent opinion is that tho farmer can get most out of the. calf by killing it when newly born, soiling the skin to tho doalors, and using tho carcass for chickens and pigs. A Wisconsin farmer, however, has reared a grado Jorsey bull calf for veal profitably on whole milk, where butter fat is worth Is. 3d. , por pound. His 1 experiment was conducted with a calf which was very small at birth'. Ho fod it on unskimmed milk of a 3. test—from tho poorest cow in the herd— and gave tho following, quantities, which were all that tho calf conld seein to take:— Four days, 121b. per day; three days, 141b. per day; four days, 161b. por'day; five days, 181b; per day;, five days, -201b. per day; two days, 2211j, per, day., At the end of h month the calf had 3381b. of milk, testing 3. per cent. ,of butter'fat—total bul> ter fat, 11.61b. At 30 cents per pound this was worth a total of 3 dollars 48 cents. The calf was then, sold for. 5 dollars 95 cents— a profit '■ over 'Cost of food of 2 dollars - 47 cents; Both the selling price of tho calf and the valtio of tho butter fat arc, however, above New Zealand levels. The danger; of : heifer calves, of. good breeding being, slaughtered; at. tho .dairy farms is, now not very great in New Zealand, for prices for good dairy stock-are now up' to a more satisfactory level than, has been known for-some years past.' ''