Dairy Calf Feeding.

King Country Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 100, 25 September 1908, Page 3

Dairy Calf Feeding.

Whole milk as it comes from the cow is nature's perfect food for the calf, but as that has to be separated in order that the cream may be made into butter, it is necesary to utilise the separated milk without the [cream. The question is—How can the separated milk be fed so as to equal the whloe milk in nutritive, value? On this point some hints are obtainable from a recent series of calf feeding experiments.

In this test four lots of calves of four calves each were fed. The first four were fed upon shelled maize along with separated milk; the second with parts shelled maize and one part bran; the third with maize meal four parts and part bran; and the fourth with crushed cracked barley four parts and bran one part. The calves were not all exactly the same age, but the lots were as nearly alike as possible with reference to average age, size and weight. The amount of separated milk depended upon the weight. For the first 1001b. of live weight 101b. of skim milk was fed; five pounds for the second 1001b. live weight, or, as an example, a calf weighing 801b. was fed one gallon of milk, or eight lb per day, while one weighing 3001b. was fed a little over two gallons of milk per day. During the first three months one lb of the grain food was fed with each 101b. of the skim milk, andjduring the following three months, that is, when the calves were from three to six months of age, one lb. of grain was fed with each five lb. of skim milk. In addition to this they were fed ali the hay they could eat, lucerne hay for preference, and it was found that this averaged about one lb. per day per head. While the calves were small the milk as well as the grain was fed twice a day, but later on they were fed milk only once a day and grain twice. At all times the grain was fed after the milk and not with it.' It was found not to be a good plan to feed the grain in the milk. When it is fed that way it is not masticated, and consequently the calf cannot properly digest it; in fact the grain food fed in that way became an irritant to the calf's stomach rather than a food

Reckoning the results upon the market values of the grain, hay and milk fed it £was found that the shelled maize gave the best and most economical results. This was followed by the shelled maize and bran, while the

crushed barley and bran proved the most, expensive mixture. The reason why the maize gave the most satisfactory results fed in connection with milk is attributed to the fact that skim milk is highly nitrogenous and maeks a pood balanced ration with maize. It was found that calves consumed about the same amount of hay as they did of grain, and that the relation between grain and skim milk was as one to six and one-half times as many lb. of skim milk as of grain. The average number of pounds of skim milk, grain and hay consumed per head, by the different lots, to make one pound of grain, was reckoned at SJlb. of skim milk, lil b. of grain and ljUb. of hay. In the report of the experiments a special note is made as to the importance of feeding plenty of hay to young calves. They should, it is advised, be fed all the hay they will consume, as they need it to develop their digestive system.

No advantage was found from the feeding of bran, and since [it is much higher priced than maize, it is was concluded that it might with profit be left out, but for one thing ,viz., that it. was easier to get the calves accustomed to eating grain if the mixture contained a small amount of bran.