CALF REARING

Hawera Star, Volume L, 25 October 1930, Page 11

CALF REARING

HINTS FOR CLUB COMPETITORS

(By Live-Stock Division, Department of Agriculture, Hawera.)

The artificial feeding and rearing of calves is, and always has been, a difficult matter. Before the advent of the dairy industry the majority of calves were reared under natural conditions, but now with this great industry established, it rests with man to provide an artificial substitute for the whole milk intended by nature for the rearing of the cow’s progeny, so that- the highest possible standard of development and production may be maintained. It therefore follows that a good start in life i.s of great importance to young animals which will later form the dairy herds of our country. If a sound constitution is built up from the very commencement of the life of the calf, it will, when it becomes a. cow, be able to stand the strain of producing large quantities of milk year after year. To lay the foundation for the desired constitution it is essential that the calf should be fed regularly with nourishing foods in the right quantities, and strict attention should be paid to such important matters as shelter, cleanliness, etc. More loss of life and general profitableness amongst young cattle are caused directly by keeping calves on foul old pastures and generally under unclean conditions than from any other form of neglect. The calf should he allowed to run with its mother from 24 to 315 hours after birth to enable it to partake of the boastings or colostral milk, which is essential if the calf is to become a. thriving and healthy animaV 'Give the calf new milk for at least two weeks and gradually change to skim-milk by reducing the new milk and adding the equivalent of skimmilk. Feed the. calf three times daily it possible with not more than 2.V to 31bs at each feed for the first ten to fourteen days.

The milk should always be fed as near blood heat as possible, this is an important point, especially in young calves. The allowance of milk should be gradually increased as the calf grows until it receives 16 to 201 bs daily. Care should be taken not to over-feed. Benefit results from adding to the allowance of milk about 10 per cent, of lime water, with addition of about a teaspoonful of salt twice a week. The lime water serves to render the curd more digestible.

CHANGE IN DIET. When the change from whole milk to skim-milk is made give the calf a little concentrated food in the form of three parts of crushed oats, two of brail and two of linseed meal. Take a handful of this mixture and put it in the bucket when the milk is finished and increase the amount to about- lib when the calf is from 7 to S weeks old. The feeding of the crushed oats, etc., tends to prevent the objectionable habit of sucking each other. ? There are many proprietary meals and foods on the market and almost every farmer has his own fancy, and in many instances good results have been attained by the users of the various compounds.

in cheese supply distrits meat meal is acknowledged as a valuable supplement. to whey, a suitable ration being 3ozs. twice daily for calves three to five weeks old, increasing the meat meal as they get older up to about sozs. per feed twice daily up to 12 weeks old. The meat meal should he mixed with the whey in very small quantities to commence with, increasing the amount as the calf acquires the taste for the meal

Calves should always have the run of a good, young grass paddock and should not be kept too long on the same 'pasture. They should have access to clean fresh water and also good shelter and a nice clean bed of hay or straw.

The feeding utensils should be kept quite clean and at frequent- intervals washed out with boiling water. Calves should not be fed in troughs ; each calf should have a separate feediii.r utensil.

AI LMENTS. I. Scours or Diarrhoea.—An infectious disease of this type exists and may attack calves within the first forty-eight hours after birth, but it is doubtful if this exists in New Zealand, and the trouble is usually met with in calves between two and three weeks and up to two months old. The animal purges freely, the dung being whitish or greenish, depending on the amount of grass being eaten. Tlie calf rapidly looses condition, becomes weak and sunken-eyed, and is indifferent about feeding. in severe cases blood may appear in the droppings. The cause is primarly indigestion, which may he set up by dirty feed tins, milk too rich, in too great quantity, or given cold; or in older calves, by too much soft green grass. For treatment of this trouble all milk should be stopped for twenty-four hours allowing only boiled water with teasroonfnl of salt. If necessary a small dose may be given—say, four tablespoonfuls of raw linseed-oil with a teaspoonful of turpentine and two of baking-soda. Usually this is all that is required, and the calf may be gradually brought back to milk well diluted with lime water. In more severe cases a teaspoonful of clilorodyne may be given in water, and frequent dessertspoonful doses of a powder containing equal parts of bakingsoda and bismuth carbonate. With older calves, where- grass is 100- long, it should be eaten down by older stock or the calves moved to barer pastures. The calves should lie nursed according to tin* weather, and not hustled about unduly in their weak state.

2. Acute Indigestion or Staggers.— Occasionally a big thriving rail' may suddenly develop an attack of rushing about, bellowing, possibly falling down in a lit, and may die suddenly. Post-mortem examination usually reveals nothing beyond a mass of very tone h curd in the stomach. Treatment- by a small (lose of Kip so in salts and baking-soda ii'nav bo tried, but frecpiontl.v fails. However, this trouble should be avoided by diluting the milk as previously recoin mended. Tledwater. —This has teen seen in calves from three weeks to as many months. The first symptom, the passage of dark-red urine, may he overlooked. and the calf soon becomes

weak, refuses food, anti dies in fortyeight hours or loss. On post-mortem examination the carcase is pale and bloodless, and the liver dark, becoming orange on exposure. Any urine in the bladder is dark red. I'snally a number of calves are affected. The cause is apparently dietetic. for prevention the best results seem to he from well diluting the milk with lime water aml adding a little salt—say. a teaspoonfill per call' daily. In treatment, a. teaspoon fill of common salt plus 10 grains of sulphate of iron, in .1-pint of milk, together with a dessertspoonful of turpentine, is recommended. The calf should he- gently handled and taught to lead at an early age, because a well mannered en'd' that will lead without any difficulty .and stand sriunrelv on its feet will nearly always catch the judges’ eye. Above all, he kind to your calf, make n pel of it and call it by name, and in due course it will develop confidence in you and will follow you almost anywhere without being led.