REARING CALVES FOR THE DAIRY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3334, 6 February 1918, Page 11

REARING CALVES FOR THE DAIRY.

On account of beef prices ruling high many useful dairy cows have been and aro at present being slaughtered beforo their time, and there is every probability that it would pay handsomely to give more and more attention to rearing of calves intended for the .dairy. A writer in tho" Mark Lane Express says, inter alia, in this connection recently, and his remarks are not inapplicable to New Zealand:—" The autumn is undoubtedly tho best time for calf-rearing in England, for if they are wintered with care they will usually be strong enough to turn out to grass in May. Milk will, of course, be neoessary for a time, but the youngsters wilKsoon get to an age when they can do equally well on cream substitutes and separated milk. Roots need not be supplied for a few months, and the only extra nourishment that will bo required may consist of a littlo good hay, some linseed cake,*"— bran, and crushed oats. The policy of halfstarving a batch of calves during winter and then expecting 'them to shape well in the spring, and go ahead with vigour and certainty of growth is, of course, a foolish One. It pays to winter calves well, and give them a liberal but not excessive share of nourishment. When the root clamps are low and the hayrick small, 'the question of wintering a large number of calves becomes somewhat more difficult to solve, for milk will certainly bo a dear food for the youngsters, since it is customary to gauge the cost of milk-feeding by the price of the cow yielding the milk. At present cows of all descriptions arc exceedingly dear; consequently, milk food for _ calves in winter must necessarily bo obtainable only at a comparatively high cost. A greater proportion of cream substitutes and separated milk must 'therefore be fed, and, no doubt, with some of the cream "equivalents" now on the market, perfectly satisfactory results can bo secured at a very moderate cost of food. Ono of the very important points connected with the wintering of young weaners and store' cattle is the necessity which always exists for providing such stock with suitable shelter against the rough, inclement winter weather. Weaners, in particular, very quickly fall off in condition when kept on rough, sloppy autumn grass, and given no nourishment to eke out this scanty and altogther inadequate food supply. One often sees deplorable-looking stores at spring sales, with a half-starved appearance, pot-bellied, and bones almost projecting through the skin. Store cattle of this description are no credit to their owner; the fact is that they have not only had just sufficient food to keep them a little moro than alive, but they have also baen exposed i to all the storm 3 and fierce, • searching winds of winter. No wonder then that thev present such a pitiable appearance in the spring. Calves and young stock alwayssnocd a dry lair in winter, as well as some form of protection overhead. A covered shed provides plenty of shelter for young calves and store stock, but it is of littlo use if the ground underneath is knee-deep in mire and filth. When a shed of this description is erected it always ought to bo put in a high and dry situation, whero there is no fear of 'the j ground becoming like a quagmire, and where tho drainage has been properly attended to. Little difficulty need be experienced in wintering calves so long as they are sufficiently sheltered. It is, no doubt, a great advantage if they aro

allowed access to the farmstead, for here they can. get plenty of good oat straw and hay. For the purpose of forcing them along into first-class condition, a little mixed cake or meal may be fed along with pulped roots or sliced roots; but great care should always be exercised in introducing a rich diet to young weaners that have just come off wet, succulent grass and are inclined to be somewhat 'tight-ekinned,' as it is termed. When first feeding dry food of any description to such stock it should always be given in moderate quantities, otherwise their digestive organs, which have been unaccustomed for so long a period to deal with this class of food, will break down under the sudden strain, and scour and other digestive disorders of a like nature will make their appearance, and may be attended with fatal results."