Skimmed Milk For Calves

Mr. A. B. Alien says that a dairynan Ín tlie State of New York, wlio iept twenty-four grade Sliorthorn and uernsey calves, dropped last spring, ías told him how lie managed them, whicli may be of advantage to otliers. It is as follows: They are allowed to suck tlieir dame a few times immediately after birtli, and then taken uway, and tattght to drink milk i'rom the pail. Tliis was warm and fiesh f rom the cows for a week or ten days, and then skim milk was gradually mixed with it, till substituteil entirely for the new milk. This was frequently lobbered, in very hot weather, beföre feeding, and was thought all the better for it, as being more easily digested. The calves were put iftto a gwd pasture, and when a lev weeks old began to nibble the grass. ïhe summer being very dry, this failed considerably during August; cut hay mixed up with wheat shorts were then given in place of it. One may jtidge how well those calves ttarove when simply feil, for at six or seven months old they weighed from 500 to 600 pounds each. The cream from the milk of thedams of the calves was made into butter of first-rate qual ity, stored till October, and thenbrought a good price. Many think that choiee calves cannot be well raised on skim milk; and therefore feed all new milk to tliem. But t think this is wasting the cream on such as are designed to grow up for dairy cows, and that they are all the be.ter for this purpose when reared on the quality of milk which is the least fattening and gives the most muscle. Many a Shorthorn heifer is injured for the dairy by being overfed, and kept too fat from its birth up to three years old, when it is the usual time for it to drop its flrst ealf. As fed above, the calves occasionally scoured, and to stop this some astringent medicine had to be given intheir food. Bat if a heaping tablespoonful of oil-meal, gradually increasing to a pint for each calf as it grew older, bad been made into gruel and mixed daily with the skim milk, it wouldhave prevented scouring, kept the bowels in good order, and made thern relish their other food more heartily. Flax seed, boiled to a jelly, answers the same purpose, also if ground, mixed with oats, one-fourth of the fórmer to three-fourths of the latter. and then a quart or more according to the age of the calf, fed daily, is a