FEEDING CALVES

Northern Advocate, 8 December 1936, Page 2

FEEDING CALVES

The Costs Reviewed

(By D. G. Morrison)

Now that rearing and judging is over in most schools a few words on the cost of rearing may be of interest. The first thing we will consider is grazing. Three pence per week has

been suggested, but I think this is too high. The first month costs practically nothing and the second month very little, so if we take the five months up to the end of November at 2d per week this will cover the cost. Next we will consider the whole milk. On the present butterfat prices, allowing for milk testing a little over 4 per cent, this will be worth 6d per gallon. If your milk is testing much ever 4 per cent you will probably be watering it down, so I think the price of 6d per gallon is pretty near the mark. The value of skim milk is the most difficult to arrive at. One penny per gallon and even more has been quoted, but I believe such values to be absurd. The usual way to arrive at such a figure is to take the gross returns from pigs on a farm, deduct the cost of meals, and divide this figure by the estimated number of gallons. This makes no allowance for labour, interest on land, stock and fixtures, nor depreciation. Butter milk is a very similar food both by analysis and by the results shown at feeding trials. This food has an established commercial value since most dairy factories in New Zealand sell their output by public tender. The average price for a large number of factories runs out at about one fortieth of a penny per gallon. I propose to multiply this by 10 making one farthing per gallon the value of skim milk. It is certainly over valued but it will serve our purpose. As for the various meals, oils, etc., their value or cost can be obtained from any merchant. To work out the cost of feeding a calf as an example we cannot do better than to take last year’s winning calf, reared by Victor Taylor, of Glenbervie School. This calf, born August 18, was at the time of weaning or judging 16 weeks old. so that for grazing we have 16 weeks at 2d 2/8 Of whole milk (omitting first week on colostrum) a small amount was given up to end of first month, a total of 7 gallons at 6d 3/6 Skim milk amounting to 210 gallons, 3 quarts, 1 pint at id .. 4/43 Linseed meal—2lbs. 6ozs. at 13/6 per lOOlbs 4d Crushed oats —Ijlbs., at 4/6 a bushel of 361bs 2d This calf was also given four doses of turpentine apparently as a precaution against worm trouble. A wise precaution and only a srnall cost. I think Id would cover this Id This makes a total of 11/13 On these figures perhaps many children can work out the cost of their own calves and see how they compare with the cost of rearing last year’s winner.