THE COWS OF THE FUTURE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 986, 29 November 1910, Page 8

THE COWS OF THE FUTURE.

THE}CAEE OF THE 'CALVES.

iv ; i ;! Dairying in': New"Zealand-.is-', at _. a . ; ':. r Btag« at present.when'sbjmuch attention; 1 '•', : is' paid '. to squeezing the last ounce out J -i cow'and the last farthing out of j ':'-" .the English'market that 'an important as- j .V'-jpect ofTthe' industry -is being neglected i ":—an "aspect which is .of vital concern to 1 .': the future..of dairying in the Dominion. . •V- The-reference' is to .the ,seant care re- 1 :. 'the ,coivs.- off?, to-morrow—the \ ■'-calves'of,,toMlay. > --:tV-.';'■•'/■ ■".„■ - ■';.', , 6 ' .-'.-••"■; Several 'recent years, have, been notable •] ;; -in'; the,dairying-sphere for the wholesale 'of 'calvjes/; but j there' comes a... : . eeasbn >very now and-.:then when; the: "'".':'- : liiiferi calves' are' almost "all saved. And : ' low,are .'those heifer calves.fed? •Onso .. '■'': jnucji'. 'skimmed, ! milk; as they- can gulp. for tKeir 'snare out vof ', the, common -trough!--: Not.-'all calves, '■' perhaps, but . '..most-s'jpf them! ..' ••"'. ; ' : " .When' it-is-realised that it is not ■';■ merely :the calf, but the futuie dairy ,oow,- too,;.which is .being, so treated, the ieriousness of'the. situation becomes ap- :"'.: parent.-.sf.:weare-'to improve our herds -the individual animals must ' ( ■'■-. Teceiveievery-attention' and.receive that ; "■■• attention. thfotigh • d\' stages of their ex- i ■■" istence,. particularly the period of. their < v.; development."; The' fir?t : thing to do : is V, 'to,'ascert'ain'and' procure the right stock -j "-'':' from'."which to breed.'.ln that way a . .sood'calf: : is'obtained, but what is the ob- : , : V : 3ebt':o'fi.b'reedihg{a good calf, if it isnbt '•.:t» ; b'e' : devel'ope'd'.to its;,utmdst?:. Hence, ■'-'S'tHevsecond :«sseiitial',isvtp.:rear the calf '' ; to-thergreitesfadyantage." .', .."We have ; all, sea'n,"calves- which were; ■-.-.•:' •hejjthy...and.promising..before.they were ;.'• taken .from tljeir.Vmother's go right back. '.■' through the ■'poverty .of ..the feed which ':■';' "was given. them. ■ 'There is no question. '■'''.- of- the' superiority;: of,the' well-nourished .; -calf. -It becomes a -better heifer, a more '/■ ■■ prolific-.milker, and 'an -animal of much ■i"' /fetter-constitution.; TJnless a calf is well ;.' ; .\nqurisbedvit:JSi-impossible'for:it to build ':'-'up;;a. strong constitution., ' ."i ■;'/, ..Some: £iine' : ago'' experiments were car- ■';' '- riedfout : 'at the'State,farm at Wereroa. -.■< J&ticularsiofc-.the.,tests made and the .''":•: results deducted are ..-as'follow:—: ■■ ,:-'•' '! '• 1 >- ; .:'-: ; <v , ,.'":«V,:. ■ .Cost :v : -'Calf:-.:.■... ;-". '■:.'■ -'Faod.^',;■;•'•'.'■;;. : per week. ,: :A No. i. • 'Whole milk, Mb'.;- each' meal 3-6 ■'.'-.'' N0."2.'-*lblb.'skimmed milk,,starting- .- ~; - with a-dessertspoonful, up - -' ' : -' : '>'to i cii'p'-'linseed, jelly ~i,.....' 1: 6 • V. No.- 3. -101b. skimme'd.; 'milk, start- - : .;- ~r-.y -.'ing :. with-''a dessertspoonful -- .. '■' -'''"•' '';■-.-: v"\\p of ' ' : "r '' '■'-';tii1ruthca1f!:f00dv......:......... 1 7 No. 4.-'.'Calf bil' : eniulgent,:pne des- i , ].:<:■; - scrtspdbhful-;' ■"...};.*£....:.■.:..... — % ~: '.-... Not-1 was-the-'best- calf., -Nos. 2 , and ■' ; -: 3:, were ' about, equal'iv. No.. 2 showed, a :-'- ; good glossy -skin. No.'iwas.'a failure.'. ./' AlthougE started, with;a teaspoonful up, ,;.... to'■: a" dessertspoonful theVcalf scoured very "badly, and became very weak. The cmul- ■'--.:■ gent was stopped,, and w-hole milk feed- -■■' ing-.commenced. ;'The ; ' calf 'then gradually : '-.'^improved..-'.". '': '■■••! ! ''' ".S.';V : V.The'.'ovßiseer'..of the farm, who con- .■■-■: ducted,the,experiments,-recommends per- "'■ '"■',, ions;, rearing heifer; calves.with the. ob- '-.'•" ject ,of.;building : up their, herds to feed " ":'■: them -'on riot, less, than' half whole milk,- ~:'. with certain :ad(Utiohs of .calf.ifood. ■i-\..--'.- .The.eipeSments: showed that the success,'.of! the uscpf" substitutes if or milk'/.depends r to a,.great extent 'on ""the care '.'•'. :-'an(l.attention' of the calf during the first ■ '■..•'.'! two-weeks of.its life. vFor the first week it •■'should have, its'-m'other's milk, aud :■•■-; th'e.:change to other food should be".grad- ' . nally brought about. • > .