THE TREATMENT OF HEIFERS FROM WEANING TO CALVING.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1260, 23 April 1896, Page 5

THE TREATMENT OF HEIFERS FROM WEANING TO CALVING.

The treatment of young heifers from weaning time, when they commence to subsist on solid food, until they drop their first calf, deserves a good deal more attention than it often gets. When the young animals first begin to feed wholly upon solid foed, their digestive organs are delicate, and have not yet become accustomed to deal with ordinary diet, wherefore the feed needs to be easy of digestion and quite nutritious Furthermore, upon the proper management of the young heifer depends the dairy cow of the future. From six to twelve months old heifers should, if the season be winter, get a roomy yard with open sheds to run under at will, or lie provided with large aiiy covered sheds, ft is not desirable to coddle them up too much, yet due protection must bo given against unpropitious weather. If they are kept in closed sheds there should be good ventilation and fresh air given without draught passing upon them. The best way to provide [Hire air is to give ventilation through the roof or ceiling. The next important matter is to provide good bedding. It ought to consist of sweet wheat straw. Barley straw encourages lice, and oat straw is generally too valuable. The provender should consist of prime hay, given ad lib. three or four times a day in such small quantities as are cleared up, concentrated food, such as crushed oats, linseed cake, and barley, wheaten or pea-meal served out in well-regulated quantities, and, by way of roots, either carrots, parsnips, or swedes. Water must be constantly near, so that the animals can help themselves at will, then excessive quantities will not be taken through long abstinence. As regards the hay diet, it needs to be of special quality, it shoul 1 bear that pleasant aroma described as the meadow smell, and then it comes out of the stock about the same, colour as it mas;

in—namely, of a pale green shade. A little may be chopped to go with the roots and extra diet, but further than that it is much better served unchoppel. The first article of solid food the calf takes is a few bents of sweet hay, which appears to be more easy of digestion than any other diet. As to the concentrated food above mentioned, a calf of eight or nine months old, of average size, might have daily, four

ounces of linseed cake and a quart of split oats. Or the same quantity of cake and three half-pints of barley, wheat, and pea-meal mixed. Boots should always bo regulated according to their action on the bowels. Carrots or parsnips are much better than swedes. All vcots are better pulped and mixed with chaff a day or two before used, as then a little fermentation is set up, which makes the food all the more toothsome and digestible To chalf, all hay, or a major part, is a practice to be strongly condemned, although too often carried out. Bain water should be provided wherever practicable to get it pure, as it is far more wholesome for the delicate stomachs of young cattle than hard spring water.

I am not in favour ol letting the youngsters run to grass the first summer when they are winter reared, especially if they are not dropped before the new year comes in. A roomy yard, with a little green-meat given with the dry diet, answers much better than letting the herd run to pasture. Black leg, boose, and scour, the three diseases which stock-raisers most dread, are thus in a great measure prevented, while the c ill’s flesh is not lost, but a robust constitution established, which stands the animals in good stead ever after. If, however, the youngsters run to grass the first summer, they should he kept in the yards until latter end of May, and be brought back early in autumn, before lioo.se worms appear on the herbage. From twelve to eighteen months obi they need but comparatively little ordinary diet, and can be fed at small outlay. Assuming the time to be winter, a warm yard, hay and straw chaff to go with plenty of roots, and a little long hay night and morning constitute fair feed. Of course, it must be the object now, as at all times, to keep a gentle thriving condition, and, if roots rim short, one pound of linseed

cake or double the weight of meal may fic required per head daily, hut 1 have generally kept my calves in good condition without the extra diet. In summer all that the animals require is a fruitful pasture. From eighteen to twenty-four months old, the winter diet may consist chiefly of sweet oat or barley straw and roots, with a little second-rate hay. A pound or two of cake daily, or a little meal might lie required, but at this age the youngster ought to be strong, and fit to take the common diet of store cattle. And, if ic be summer time, they will do in a very secondrate pasture, so long as the ground is not overstocked.

From twenty-four to thirty months old, there needs a little change in the management. At the beginning of this period comes the all-imuortant time of mating, so that first calves be dropped when the heifers are about two years and nine months old, It is better that a young sire run with the held, and he should bo carefully selected. It is known that milking qualities are transmitted to the progeny more freely through the sire than the dam, so, if it is determined to rear the calves to come into the dairy here), there is all the more necessity to select a sire of good milking family. Tho last three months before calving, heifers need especial care. If it be winter time, liberty in a roomy yard answers best, with a run out for an hour morning and night, or an hour or two at mid-day to give flint exercise which is essential to all breeding animals The best of all feed I have found is prime hay, served a 1 lib. With a pasture to browse over a few hours a day, no roots are needed, but, if there be no pastoral food, a few roots are needed, say six gallons pei day for each heifer, served in chaff consisting of equal parts of hay and straw. Chopped food, further than what little is given with the roots, should not be given to pregnant heifers. These rations can be continued until parturition. The heifer ought to be in good condition when calving to ensure a good milkflow, but a fat state must lie guarded against lest there be trouble in calv-

A few days before the heifer calves in winter lime, she should fie removed from the herd to a large loose box, or what would fie better, to a small wellsheltered yard. In the latter quarters an aged cow might bear her company, as heifers are often very restless when moved from their companions, and thus oftentimes more harm than good is done by changing their quarters. If, however, the animal be ol quiet disposition, she may take to a comfortable loose box kindly enough. Otherwise, as before intimated, she would probably

settle down with an aged dairy cow. In summer, a paddock with two or three companions is the best place for several days before and when calving. Of course, the herdsman must keep a sharp lookout in any case, and give necessary assi.-t nice. The calf and mother should be kept in a roomy loose box for a few days, during which time the latter may be allowed a free run to the udder. The heifer's udder is often very inflamed, and only the calf is capable of reducing it properly. She should bo fed on sweet bran mash, a little greenmeat, or a few roots. Bock salt may bo advantageously placed within reach of every herd from oalfhood onwards, and salt should be given in no other way. When it lies fer the animals to lick at will, they take just what is good for them; but when common salt is mixed.with the rations, it is apt not to be dealt out in proper quantities. Finally, throughout the whole rearing perio l, heifio's should be fed on rather light, wholesome diet than on heavy ilesh-making feed, as it is their business in later days to give a good milk supply of good quality. If roared on too rich diet there is too great a tendency to make flesh in the future to the disadvantage of the dairy. Still, a gentle thriving and growing state ought to be promoted, even when the days of gestation draw towards a close, as there is the foetus to support. Somo dairymen are in favour of bringing their heifers down with the first calf to a little over two years old. Tho result ef this is not to reduce the value of the animals as dairy cows, but it checks growth, and the first calf is apt to be but und' : r sized and weakly. And heifers that calve down too early in life are often somewhat stunted, and make but a middling price when sold, which all have to be, sooner or later.— “ Agricola,” in Farm and Fi:U.