Show PROPER CARE AND FEED FOR YOUNG CALF ve pe pa t pa S CALVES SHOULD BE encouraged TO EAT ROUGHAGE prepared by the united states department of 0 agriculture all things considered the best devel aped calves make the most profitable cows from the time the calf is born it ft should be kept gron grom ing and the high price of feed should not prevent the feeder from supplying a growing ration this does not necessarily mean that the ration be expensive for the best calf raisers are able to develop their young stock on substitutes for high priced feed usually a vigorous calf begins during the second w eek to pick at the bedding or other material within its reach and at that time both grain and roughage of the best quality should be provided clover hay alfalfa hay or it if these are not available the most pala table roughage on hand should be given the calf after the second week if alfalfa Is used care should be taken that it does not cause scours this feed should be fed sparingly at first and increased only after the calf gets gels accustomed to it the essential points are that the roughage be of good quality and kept clean the usual mistake in providing roughage Is that tha t it Is not kept clean it Is either placed on the floor where here it soon becomes contaminated with the droppings or Is put into a manger or teed feed box so placed that the calf can easily spoil it ilay hay should be furnished at first only a handful at a time and placed so that it cannot can not get gel soiled A latticework rack of metal or wood is useful it if it Is placed high enough from the floor so BO that the calf cannot soil the hay in any manner but still have it within easy reach this rack can be so constructed ted that it can be hung on the NN wall all or framework of the stall or pen and removed when not needed for the first six months at least the calf should receive all the roughage liage of good quality that it will eat up clean the quantity taken up to the time it is one month old Is very small the rack should be emptied every day and fresh roughage supplied care in feeding silage silage may be given after the calf is one month old but the utmost care should be observed to be sure that it is fresh from the silo for this reason very 3 oung calves except in the hands of a very careful feeder should not be fed silage as it ferments rapidly when exposed to the air care should be used in starting with nith silage using only a little at first and gradually increasing the quantity as the animal becomes used to it generally there is no danger that the calf will get too much roughage if it Is clean and of the proper quality if the calf has access to good pasture during the first six months lt it need not receive other roughage pastures u used sed in summer should contain plenty of shade it is not advisable however to have a calf under two months of age on pasture in the early spring grain for calves whole mill milk Is natures balanced ration for the calf when skim or separated milk is fed other oilier feeds are used to supply the fat which lias has been re iii oved proprietary calf feeds or meals for feeding with separated milk alve b ive befit been put on the market many of 0 I 1 these have merit but by using the feeds usually found on the farm farin or itt in markets nearby tile the farmer cap can generally mix mis a grain ration which is no a good and costs less linin bran is a grain which is readily tak i by young calves inasmuch us a 9 one ji cf tho the essential points is to induke induce aduke aduce th alii ralf calf to eat grain as early as pit ira birau in many cases Is ono one ot of the ingredients in id the mixture corn a toed feed very commonly found on the ferni his has an excellent physiological effect f cr up upon in cuttle of all ages and to a great extent may take the place of the fat removed from the milk it Is there of the very best groins grains to WI aisie le 1 iila ith skim milk experiments in to lo show low that corn fed to tc calvis should be cracked rather than finely ground cracked corn and wheat bran therefore should be the basis of tho feed mixture ground oats are a 0 o very gord gond for the purpose pui kotc but they rile nife not grown on the farm so commonly its is vora and in many cases cost cist diore per unit of feed than corn and altan ian the following mixtures are 1 three parts cracked corn and I 1 part wheat bra i 1 2 three parts cracked corn I 1 part wheat bran and 1 part ground oats 3 elirio parts cracked corn I 1 part bran I 1 part ground oats and I 1 purl part linseed ineal 4 jau parts cracked corn I 1 part irai spart 1 part grau 1 oats oata and 1 part cool 1001 meal C 6 oils krousl grain in second week nahl sahi the lie calf Is in its second it should begin to grain wid ulicia one month th old it should eit cat about halt half a pound n day after this time the quantity of grain may be gradually increased feeding the calf all that it will take until three rounds pounds a day is reached this will probably be some time during the third mouth month grata grain when fed with separated milk should never never be put into the milk it Is questionable tio whether hether Ny the preparation ot of grain in any way such as soaking or boiling is advisable un derany circumstances grain should be in separate teed feed boxes placed so that it cannot be soiled by the droppings of the calf but at the same time where the calf can get at it readily there should be no corners in which wet feeds may ferment and the utmost care should be taken to keep heep the grain fresh and clean at all times |