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Show j WINTER CARS FOR THE CALF ! Where Youngsters are Raised on Skimmilk They Should Be Taught to Eat Grain Early. (By C. H. ECKLES, Dairyman, Missouri Agricultural College.) The calf which is to be raised on skimmilk should be taught to eat grain early. When they have access to it, many begin eating grain at two weeks of age. The grain should be placed in a box where they can easily get to it and they can be encouraged at first by placing a little in their mouth after they have consumed their milk. Grain can best be fed dry after the milk is fed. In no case should it be fed in the milk as in that case it will be gulped down without chewing, which is bad for the digestion. No more grain should be given than will be eaten up twice each day, which will not be more than one-half pound daily for the first two months. After this they may have more, but It will not be necessary to feed more than one pound per day up to six months unless it is desired to push them rapidly. rap-idly. If grain is allowed to remain in the trough, it often becomes damp and decayed, and may cause sickness, just as dirty pails may do. In feeding grain one must keep in mind that the object is to supply fat which Is deficient in the skimmilk. It was at first assumed that linseed Excellent Quartette. oil meal was the best, but since corn is high in starchy foods, and fats, it fills the requirements just as well, and is cheaper. Oats are also good. An equal mixture of cornmeal and whole or crushed oats can hardly be improved upon for supplementing skimmilk. Cornmeal alone is as good as any for the young calf, but after two or three months it can eat shelled corn just as well. Calves will begin to nibble hay almost al-most as soon as they will eat grain, for young calves timothy or mixed hay is well adapted as clovers and alfalfa are laxative, and so palatable the animal often overeats and this helps to produce scours. After three or four months they should by all means be fed some of the legume hays (alfalfa, clover or cowpea) on account of the bone and growth producing elements ele-ments this class contains. An abundance abun-dance of clean water should be given at all times and salt after the animal Is old enough to eat grain and hay. |