CALF-REARING EXPERIMENTS

Wairarapa Age, 29 March 1920, Page 7

CALF-REARING EXPERIMENTS

VALUABLE WORK AT STATE FARM. A rather notable experiment in calfrearing is being carried on ' at the Central Development Farm just now by the manager, Mr. W. J. McCulloch, which must have an important bearing on the raising of herds in the future, when it is desired to conserve the milk output as far a3 possible for butter and cheese manufacture, and to devote a minimum quantity to the rearing of young stock. Mr. McCulloch, in explaining his idea at the farmers' field day at tho Farm on Wednesday, said he desired as far as possible to "eliminate tho dairy" in the experiment he was working with, and to use a variety of other foods after a limited term of milk diet. It was imperative

that something should be done to encourage calf rearing, otherwise in a few years there, must be a shortago of young stock, seeing that so many calves were slaughtered under present conditions. THE FEED FORMULAS. The calves are divided into four groups of four animals, each group ! receiving a different ration. They are of tho ordinary dairy types, and calved iin September and October last. The I feed formula used in each group was as follows: j No 1: New milk for a fortnight, ! gradually diminishing towards the end jof this period to skim milk for a i further fortnight, which was also diminished, and finaly replaced by linseed gruel prepared as follows: linseed soaked overnight in' 2| pints water, boiled next day for 20 minutes, adding fjour (which had been previously mixed to a smooth paste with cold water) five minutes before boiling is completed. The calves were fed with 81b of whole milk per day for two weeks; 161b skim milk per day for two weeks, Jib flour and 3oz linseed meal per day for 13 weeks. The calves on commencing the experiment weighed 681b, 701b, 621b, and 611b respectively, and at the end of 17 weeks the'weights were 2371b, 2501b, 2271b, and 2651b. The cost to feed each calf over the period was 17s osd. No. 2: New milk for a fortnight (81b per day), gradually diminished towards the end of this period to skim milk for another fortnight (161b per day), which later was gradually supplemented and finally replaced by lib of crushed oats per day (fed twice daily) for 13 weeks. The calf weights were 791b, 771b, 641b, and 601b, and increased during the 17 weeks to 2941b, 2801b, 2761b, and 2521b. The cost of feod per calf in* this case worked out at IBs'3id. No. 3: 81b whole milk per day for, 14 daysj 161b skim milk plus one quart of linseed gruel for 15 weeks, the gruel being prepared from 41b linseed in jgajj. water, boiled to a jelly. Calf weights: 681b, 701b, 601b, and 641b, and after treatment 2771b, 2821b, 2201b? and 2531b. The cost per calf on this ration was':l7s 2Jd. < No. 4 s Bilb new milk per day for 7 days; 161b skim milk per day for 7 days, ilb bean meal, 6oz linseed meal well coojked, fed with three quarters of warm water per^day for 15 weeks. The weights were 711b; 751b, 701b, and 621b. After 17 weeks these had increased to 3701b, 3801b, 3291b, and 276 lb. The food cost per cali was 19s 10Jd. ' -»■*■ ' ' The results of Mr. McCulloch's.work must be, regarded as very satisfactory, and wiH teto doubt create a good deal of intorost among dairymen, with whom tho" question of Balf-raising is one if some importance.