REMOVING THE CALF

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1070, 6 September 1930, Page 27

REMOVING THE CALF

DANGER OF OVER-FEEDING Many dairymen prefer to remove the calf from its dam before it has nursed in order to hasten the procedure of teaching the calf to drink. From the standpoint of protecting the calf from tuberculosis, this is also desirable. However, under average conditions it is often impossible to have an attendant present at the birth of every calf; furthermore, when calves are born at pasture, a doy ar two may elapse before the fact is discovered. While there is some danger chat during this period the calf will contract tuberculosis, such cases are rare, and can be detected ny the use of the tuberculin test before the disease develops to a stage that is transmissable to other calves. When the calf is removed immediteiy, it is usually better to permit it to go unfed for at least eight hours, after which it is given about a pint of warm raw colostrum. The feeding of pasteurised milk is repeated twice or thrice daily, and the amount gradually increaWd until on the fifth day it receives o to 5 per cent, of its weight at a feeding, depending upon the vigour of the calf. Care should be taken not to over-feed. On some farms more calves have been lost from over-feeding than from any other cause.