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Show FEEDING YOUNG DAIRY STOCK Where Milk Is Not Available It Is Eco-nomlcal Eco-nomlcal to Supply Protein by Use of Legumes. (Prepared by the United States ''Depart ment of Agriculture.) It Is a common practice among dairymen to feed skim milk until the k calf Is approximately six months-of age. Usually the time of weaning depends de-pends upon the availability and cost of the milk. When milk Is fed In abundance It furnishes the greater part of the protein pro-tein necessary for the growth of the animal. If no milk Is fed it becomes I necessary for the protein to be provided pro-vided from some other source. Prob-,'V Prob-,'V ably this can be done most econom- Ically by the use of some legume, such as alfalfa, clover, soy beans, or cow-pea cow-pea hay. When hay of this sort is toot available It Is necessary to provide the bulk of the protein through a grain, mixture. In either case, plenty of roughage should' be supplied to the' growing heifer at all times. During eummgrj jyhen good pasture lj avalj-able, avalj-able, the heifer needs no supplementary supplement-ary feed, although a little hay and grain are sometimes advisable late In the season to Insure steady growth. . Tart of the roughage should be silage, sil-age, If It Is available. , A heifer of Hbt months to one year of age will consume from 5 to 15 pounds of silage sil-age a day. The grain mixture used 'mat be made up of (1) 8 parts of cracked corn, and 1 part wheat bran; (2) or 3 parts cracked corn, part wheat bran, atl'tf 1 part ground o'atsi (3) or 3 parts cracked CorH, i fcarj wheat bran, 1 part ground Oats, and ,1 part linseed meal; (4) or 4 parts cracked corn, 1 part wheat bran, 1 ' part ground oats, and 1 part blood meal. Either 1, 2, or 4, together with all the alfalfa, clover, or cowpea hay that the heifer will eat, makes a good ration. In case no leguminous hay auch as that Just mentioned can be obtained, ob-tained, No. 3 is advised, because It contains more protein. Another ex- Jf - I 1 " ' 'in '-Calves Should Be Encouraged to Eat Good Roughage at an Early Age. 1-cellent grain mixture, tobe used when .auch hay is lacking, is composed of 2, parts of cornmeal, 2 parts of Un-i Un-i seedneal, and 1part of bran. The quantity of grain to be fed de pends very largely upon the Individual animal's growth and condition, as well as upon the price of the grain. Some feeders desire a rapid growth of the I :young anlmnls, and for this reason ieed heavily with grain, while others are sntisfled with a slow growth and try to carry their young stock largely on roughnge. Either extreme Is un- wise and a medium course between the ) two is advisable. A safe rule to fol- 1 low Is to feed one pound or gram ror H the first hundredweight of the heifer I and one-half pound for each addition ial hundredweight I After the heifer reaches one year of age, the following rations are suggested; sug-gested; Cornmeal, fed according to the rule Just mentioned,. together with all j the alfalfa, clover, or cowpea hay that the animal will consume. If no leguminous leg-uminous hay is available, grain com-I com-I posed of 2 paTts cornmeal,. 1 of bran, 1 and 1 of linseed meal, gluten meal, j. or cottonseed meal, and JO to 20 p-r- pounds of silage, together with all the ' dry roughage that the animal can consume, con-sume, will be found to be adequate. Undor ordinary circumstances a gain of at least a pound a day from the time of weaning to the time of first I calving Is a gooJ average for a dairy heifer. |