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SfcXU&LAND,
REARING CALVES.
? ? ♦» ?
HINTS TO SETTLERS.
Importance of Breeding.
(Bv 'Kronos.')
To those who give close attention to
the rearing of calves, it will be of interest
to know that it was on a stud Jersey farm
in New Zealand, while studying the
question of artificially feeding and raising
calves, that the eminent child welfare
?worker, Dr. Truby King, conceived his
great inspiration to develop the world
famed Plunkett homes for human babies.
Among all classes of animals there are
none, perhaps, which, at birth, are taken
away from their mother to the same ex
tent as pertains to dairy stock*. The dairy
cow has often been called the foster
mother of the human race; and in achiev
ing that great distinction, it is feared that
many of her offspring have suffered while
the beef bovine matron has' her progeny
by her side, and suckles it until it is able
to fend for itself, the dairy cow's calf is
ruthlessly taken from her within a' day
or two of birth, and left often to a far
from-trained man to start it on the way to
become one of the most useful and pro
ductive -of farm animals.
True it is that by clever husbandry the
stockman has developed the dairy cow's
productive ability to such an extent that
it would require triplets at least to con
sume the average milch cow's daily yield,
whereas the range bred beef cow barely
produces enough milk for her offspring.
The subject of artificially rearing calves
is one which has been given considerable
thought, not only from the point of bring
ing the youngsters along as well as if they
?were running with their dams, but, from
an economical aspect, bearing in mind
that even 25 per cent of the mother's daily
yield is often too valuable to'give the calf
?without dilution or extraction.
Selection of Sires.
During the next few months guite 75
per cent of the annual crop of dairy calves
ivill be born, and to Western Australia
in the expansion .of its dairying industry,
the well-bred heifer calves are of great
potential worth in building up the present
on the average comparatively .small herds.*
In view .of the importance of these home^
grown daughters of the dairying industry,
it is imperative. that those that are reared
should be the progeny of purebredforpro
duction. sires and the best cows in the
herd. .'?'?..' '
In building up - high-productive - herds,
commencing with average stock of no par
ticular breeding, the pure sire is of out
standing importance, and, by virtue of his
purity, imparts the characteristics of his
breed upon nis progeny when mated with'
non-pure .females;, and while this feature
is not ' infallible, . it is a wise man who
/selects the heifers which throw to the sire
rather than the dam, even- though some
of them, may be * the progeny of higher
production mothers.
The paramount importance of a well
reared calf and a 'growthy,' fullyde
veloped heifer, can readily be appreciated
when the work that is required of a pro
fitable producing cow is visualised ; and
it. is' the internal organs, particularly mas
tication, abdominal capacity, and the di
gestive power to convert upwards of 1501b.
of pasture, or its equivalent, into milk,
that require most consideration in the
growth arid .building up of the dairy heifer.
The -weedy, half-starved, and ? badly
cared .ifor^ calf, can never grow into the
nseraVcow, if there is improper and in
adequate feeding and attention, which
impairs, growth and constitution. '
. \ \ -Feeding Methods.
In: outlining the rearing of dairy heifers,
it is suggested that the calf should be
taken from its mother within 48 hours of
birth, variation being exercised according
to the condition of the cow or calf, but,
as a general rule, it will make it easier
for the cow,. which will avoid fretting
?unduly, arid the calf will learn to drink ar
tifically quicker than is allowed to remain
with its dam too, long.
For the first week or .ten days the calf
should receive its mother's- milk, as the
first milk after parturition — 'colostrum'
— is necessary' to the calf's digestive sys
tem, having a cleansing or laxative effect
on the stomach and bowels.
Whole milk feeding may continue for
another 10 days, when a gradual reduc
tion' in the precentage of whole milk
should commence,, 'the difference being
made np by the addition of skim milk,
until at about six to eight weeks from
birth the calf should be receiving only
ekim milk to which has been added in
gradually increasing quantities, special calf
food concentrates, -which are on the mar
ket, to supply the deficiency of fat in the
skim milk. The addition* of about one
ounce' of lime'water in the milk, especially
for the first 'month, will be found bene
ficial in counteracting stomach acidity and
avoiding 'scours.' -/
Feeding should always be at regular in
tervals with the milk at blood temperature
(98 degrees Fahrenheit), and while the calf
is-, young, three, feeds daily, at least, is
advised. . As in nature the new born calf
obtains drinks at fairly frequent intervals.
The quantity of milk' to, be fed daily will
vary from one to two arid a half gallons,
but it is a good axiom not to let the calf
drink to its utmost capacity.
;Cleanliness in feeding and in the nteri
sils . used, is. imperative in avoiding that
mjdet dread disease of calves, 'scours,'
arid unless the - greatest care is observed
fat; this, heavy losses will occur.
Bails for Feeding.
Ample shade in the summer and shelter
in -the winter is important; and to avoid
calves sucking each other's extremities fol
lowing feeding, they should either be tied
up. separately or held in miniature bails
for a half an hour. There can be no doubt
that many of the udder troubles and
badly shaped vessels of cows commence
from the bad habit of calf sucking; and
the bails will, ensure proper and regulated
feeding and avoid buckets being knocked
over and much loss of temper. The
heifer calves should have access to clean
pasture, and a grain ration containing
bran and crushed oats should be made
available in open troughs for feeding after
their milk ration.
(Leguminous fodders such as clover,
lucerne, or pea hays are of great value
in1- building up the frames of growing
stock, the desire being to grow bone and
tissue rather than fat, and protein feeds
such as those enumerated are the most
suitable. On no account should young
dairy heifers be allowed to get too. fat, as
such, feeding is not only uneconomical but
it tends to beefiness and lack of milk pro
duction and there is a danger that they
will develop into non-breeders.
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