| Show ethe SOUR MILK COSTS FARMERS DOLLARS usually result of carelessness says expert S sour 0 ur milk costs producers thousands of dollars a year and usually la is caused by using unclean utensils or failing ailing to cool the mint milk properly says prof irot L 11 burgwald of the department of dairy technology of the ohio state university A little care on the part of the farmer would avoid this loss says professor burgwald llila Is an ideal medium tor for the growth of bacteria all that the bacteria require when introduced into the milk Is tile the proper temperature and they will multiply very rapidly in growing they break down the milk sugar lu in the milk and convert it into lactic add acid which in turn sours the milk but the bacteria will grow very slowly if at all at a temperature below no degrees fahrenheit milk coming from the normally healthy cow Is practically free from bacteria so when large numbers of bacteria are found it means either that they have been introduced after milking through the use of unclean utensils or that the milk has not been promptly and properly cooled end and the bacteria have multiplied very rapidly the public judges the quality of the milk by the length of time which it will keep sweet the milk plant lias has to use some test which will det de t termine in advance how long iong the milk will keep sweet this test takes the form of a bacteria count under a compound microscope an alcohol test or a met metelene hlene blue test the blue color of the by the addition of blue dye disappears more or less quickly according to the number of bacteria present the test however an actual count of tile bacteria present Is the one most commonly used feeding calves three times a day Is favored best results can be obtained by feeding calves three times a day with the periods between feedings as nearly equal as possible when calves are fed but twice a day the feedings should be 12 hours apart A calf weighing wel liang BO 50 pounds at birth should be given eight pounds of whole milk a lay day while a pound calf should have about twelve pounds the amount of milk should be gradually increased until at the end of the second week the calf should get from 14 to 16 1 pounds per day at the beginning of the third week either skim or separated milk may be given for whole milk at the rate of one poun pound 1 I per day and the daily ration increased from two to four pounds depending on the vigor of the calf it if the calf does not drink eagerly when milk Is olT offered ered the quantity should be cut down at the end of the third week tile the ration should approximate one half skim milk at the end of the fourth evec week only separated milk Is fed unless the calf Is very delicate the quantity fed can be increased gradually to 18 or 20 pounds per day six months Is a good average age tit at which to wean calves from the milk when good pasturage Is available the tha calf can be wearied earlier if skim or separated milk Is available however calves especially if they are available may be fed on it with profit until they tire are eight or ten months old |
