Rearing Calves.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 419, 19 October 1889, Page 4

Rearing Calves.

It is generally admitted that a calf should receive its own mother's milk —at all e vents, while the milk is in the " beastings "or colustrum stage— that is, during the first four oz* five days succeeding parturition. In this period, says a practical writer, the casein of the milk is in the form of albumen, gradually becoming casein, and the milk may well be supposed to contain some medicinal property or other which is, perhaps, specially adapted in the economy of nature to the given calf of a particular mother, rather than to another one. This, however, is a point that is conjectural rather than proven, and the evidence in favour of it is presumptive rather than determined, though probably correct. In any case, however, a young calf should receive colustrum during the four or fire days I designed by nature ; for while a young calf's digestive organs are delicate and sensitive, in this early period, colustrum is easily digestible and perfectly suitable. In a state of nature, or when running at large, though domesticated, a cow will never let her calf suck more than a small auantity of milk at any one time, particularly in the first few days. Her teats are tender then, and she has not yet become accustomed to the calf and to its demand upon her for sustenance, so she simply moves on, and the calf must wait a little until she is again in the humour. This is nature's way of checking a calf* greediness ; and so it stands to reason that a calf brought up by hand should be allowed only a little quantity of milk afc a time, and should have that little often, at all events duriner the first week of its existence. Far more harm is commonly done by giving a young calf too much food than by giving, it too little, and a careful manager will always see to this. During fchefirst week, then, a calf should be fed sparingly, four or five times a | day, and the milk should be at the natural temperature, viz , 95deg. to 98deg. Fah, Calves drink too greedily, as a rule, and it would seem probable that sufficient saliva i can hardly become mixed with the milk. This, however, cannot be obviated without the use of an artificial teat — an idea which was put in practice years ago, and which appears to be sound. 1 have nob, myself, tested artificial teats sufficiently to give a final opinion upon them ; but my opinion, so far as it goes, is favourable to them. All the same, I admit thab many calves thrive well on greedy drinking. After the first four or five days the calf should receive milk — not colustrum — in obedience to the dictates of nature, and there is now less need to feed it sparingly and often. AsamatteroffacMtmaybesaid that a calf will do very well, at all events when it is a week or ten days old, if it is fed twioe a day, but even then ib should nofc be allowed to drink all ifc will or can. The pail should be removed while the calf is still able and willing, and even anxious to drink some more. My Impression ,is that a careful attention to this feature of the process is better than allowing a given quantity of milk to all calve* alike, of the earn© or similar ages. But ib certainly involves careful watching, and when the work is left to servants ifc is probably as well to limit, each oalf to a given quantity. Ib must be borne in mind, however, that calves' I

appetites and digestive capacities vary a good deal, that each calf's appetite and requirement may .vary on different days, and that to feed by the strict rule of measurement does not properly meet the case. It is' advisable that each calf should receive fresh milk during the first three weeks, during which time it will have become vigorous enough to assimilate other kinde of food leas strictly in harmony with nature, and it will have learnt to nibble a little sweet hay, or grass if there is any, out of a net or a rack. 1 have found ib a good plan, after the first three or four days, to put a pinch or two of condimental meal into the milk given to a calf, and, within reasonable limits, this practice may wall be followed, so long as the calf receives liquid food at all from the pail. The condiment stimulates digestion, givei tone to the intestinal organs, and is, as a rule, an effective safeguard against scour, or undue relaxation ot the bowels, which is in many places a cause of much fatality. A handful of oatmeal, caiefully dried, i 9 also a good thing to put into the milk after th* first week is over, and it will gradually accustom the calf to greater changes of food later on. There are various special preparations in the form of mixed meals, partly condimental in character, which are found to be very useful when fresh milk is cut off and ekim-milk is employod instead ; and at this stage a supply of boiled linseed — slowly boiled for several hours, and then allowed to cool — is most valuable to replace the fat which has been moved from milk that has been skimmed. These calf-meals, powerfully aided by boiled linseed, with skimmilk as a basis, answer the purpose very well indeed, once a calf, being healthy and vigorous, has got over the first three weeks ; and even the skim-milk may be dispensed with — for it is not always and everywhere available — and its place may be filled by whey, or even by water.