CALF FEEDING.

Northern Advocate, 18 December 1911, Page 3

CALF FEEDING.

INTERESTING- AMERICAN VIEWS.

The following extract is taken ; from an address given by F. H. S&ribner, Wisconsin, before the eighteenth annual meeting of the Washington State Dairymen's Association: — "Nature has provided something in the first milk, that is very essential in getting the calf's digestive machinery started and I think it should be permitted to have it. We usually leave the calf with the cow a couple of days until it is nicely straightened up, then comes the most important time in the life of the calf ,when we take upon ourselves its feed and care; and here i& where we want to exercise a lot of kindness and gentleness, for if you are impatient and rough in your treat ment with them they will distrust and fear, you, and the chances are they never will forget those first lessons and impressions. A cow never, will do her best unless she has perfect I confidence in you.

"It is an old saying. that you can catch more pies with molasses than with vinegar; so you can do more by coaxing than driving. "When teaching the calf to drink, don't push its head into the pail; wet your fingers in the milk and let it suck, and coak its head into the pail, and usually the second or third time ii will drink of its own accord. "These are three essentials at this time: The quantity of milk, the temperature, arid Quality. Calves are in jured more by not observing carefully these rules for the first few weeks of their lives than any other way. At this age their little stomachs are not strong, and a little care exercised at this time often means the difference between an unprofitable and profitable animal. "The amount of feed at this time will depend largely on the calf and somewhat on the nature of the milk. t This amount must be determined by the feeder, but this precaution is always advisable—better to begin carefully and work up- to what they can handle, rather than to begin with a large amount and get them off their feet and then have to commence all over again. "The amount to be fed should not

be determined by guesswork, but by actual weighing or measuring, for I find it so easy to over-estimate.

"No artificial heating of milk is so good as the natural animal heat, which is about one hundred degrees, and try to retain this temperature as near as possible. The mother "also furnishes the milk in a sanitary condition, and we should try to follow her example in this respect and see that the pails are kept in a cleanly

condition,

"We also notice that quite early in life the calf will' begin chewing on something, possibly a straw or piece of hay. Now is the time to educate i + . to eat oats ? and a few minutes in getting its head into a basin or box is time well spent. '.Oats are nourishing and invigorating, and the chewing process has a tendency to start the saliva, which, when mixed with the gastric juices of the stomach, makes the digestion easier and more complete. A little nice clover hay should be reserved for them, and when they are nicely started on these, then skim milk can be substituted for whole milk; but when changing over, make the change gradually, by taking out a little whole milk and substituting skim in its place till the whole milk has been changed over, possibly requiring a week's time."