GUIDE TO FARMERS.

Shannon News, 27 January 1925, Page 4

GUIDE TO FARMERS.

When only a limited amount of new milk can be spared, the following ration for calf-rearing is suggested by the American Agricultural Experimental Farm at Beltsville: —Take 50 parts finely! ground maize, 15 parts linsee oil meal, 15. parts fine ground rolled oats 10 parts dried blood flour, 10 part’s skim milk powder, l part salt. Stir up with warm water at the rate of lib of the meal mixture to about 6lb of water. Increase gradually, as the whole milk is decreased until a the time the calf is 50 days old it should be getting only the gruel. A this time 11 to 21b of th e meal mixed with water will constitute a days feed. The total quantity of milk used is about 3001 b; if less is fed the calves are likely to be unthrifty. The tim e at which calves can be put upon milk substitutes alone depends upon the same factors as in the use of separated milk— namely, the breed, development and vigour of the calves, etc As a rule, it is hardly safe, even with the most vigorous ones, to attempt to put them on milk substitutes alone within one month after birth; ami with calves uelow normal vigour some milk for two months or more may be necessary to raise them. The following is suggested as a guide for feeding the above substitute to large, vigorous calves: —First ten days, 101 b of whole milk; second ten days, 81b milk and 0.4 of meal (mixed up in six times its weight m warm water); third ten days. 61b milk and o.Blb meal; fourth ten days 21b milk and 1.21 b meal; after 50 days, 2lb meal and no milk. Smaller or less vigorous calces should be fed somewhat less, and the milk feeding should bo continued a little longer. In any event, a total of 3001 b of milk should be sufficient. Grain and roughage should be fed with milk substitutes, the same as with separated milk. Calves fed on the substitute, as stated above, have been subject to no more digestive troubles than skimmilk fed calves,‘and the gains in weaght have not been materially less,