The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1895-04-18
Ailk AND BUTTER FAT--.COST
Of PRODUCTION.


Producers and Production"
The possibilities of production are
important in the selection of dairy
cows. The cost Of production is of at
least equal Importance. There is less
trustworthy data concerning this than
on almost any point of Importance in
the comparison of breeds or cows of
different types The difficulties in sat
isfactory experimentation along this
line are very great, especially when it
is desired to apply the results not only
to the cows compared, but TO the
breeds or types they are made to rep
resent. In al, practical dairying, how
ever, not only should COWS be tested
by the quantity and quality of their
product, but al@o by the quantity and
cost of the food consumed. Not only
use the scales and milk tests, but also
keep close watch on the feed bins. 1t
is well known fact that very many
of the record yields of milk
or butter have been produced at a cost
which gave no profit. 1t is generally
true that a greater profit will result
by not attempting to secure the larg-
est possible yield. On the other hand,
the methods of feeding which makes
the cost of food per COW or per day the
lowest, usually give little or no profit.
The actual cost varies from year to
year, with variations in market prices
of foods, and varies greatly in differ
ent parts of the country. 1t is unfor-
tuIate that some reports of expert
ments at experiment stations have been
so formulated as to seem to ignore
these obvious facts.
The COW or the breed which
produces milk at the least cost per
pound may not produce either total
solids or butter fat at the least
cost. The COW which produces either
milk or fat at lowest cost in summer
on pasture, may not do corresponding
ly well when fed grain. Some cows
respond much more favorably than do
others to high feeding.
A herd of twenty-three COWS repre-
senting five breeds and several crosses
at the Minnesota Experiment Station,
in 1893, with an average period of lacta-
ton of 343 days, produced an average of
6,407 lb. milk, and 30l lb. butter fat,
at an average COST of S3S per COW for
the year; of 62 cents per 100 Id. milk,
and of 121a cents per lb. of butter fat.
AT the Cornell Station, in 1892, herd
of twenty cows, mainly of Holstein-
Friesians and Jerseys, or high grades
of these breeds, with an average period
of lactation of 304 days, produced an
average of 7.24O lb. milk, and 2s5 Id.
h,,+ faf of -
of little less than 16 cents per pound
of butter fat. At the New Jersey Sta
ton 1SS9-190, herd with representa-
tives of five breads was kept at cost
of SIS. IS per COW per year, and of about
10 1-2 cents per pound of butter fat.
In the herd of the Maine Station, some
years since, the cost of a pound of but
ter fat ranged from 90 to nearly 81
cents.
At the Minnesota Station much more
stress is placed on form of the animal
than on breed. Dividing the herd into
four classes, the COWS of "beef type
produced in winter, a pound of butter
fat at cost of II 12 cents; those car
rying a medium amount of flesh, at
cost of Is lilo cents; spare cows lack
in depth of body" at IA Clio cents;
spare cows having deep bodies" at
12 lilo cents. The first group consisted
of an Aberdeen-Angus and two Short
horn cows, averaging 1,240 h.; the
second of three grade Jerseys and
grade Guernsey, averaging 945 lb.; the
sey and a grade Guernsey, averag-
ing s45 lb.; the fourth of 12 cows of
different breeds, averaging 95o lb.
The quantity of food, dry matter, per
100 lb. live weight, increased from the
first group, with 6.66 lb., to the fourth
with 3.5s Id.
At the Cornell station much less re-
lance is placed on outward form. OF
two COWS very similar in appearance,
age and weight, one produced pound
of butter fat at cost of 15I cents; the
other at cost OF 81 cents. OF two
grade Holstein cows, the one with
poorer form was quite superior to the
other in production of butter fat. Two
grade Shortho- ms produced milk at
cost of SO cents per 100 h., and fat at
cost of 1219 cents per pound; seven
grade Jerseys, milk at 7S cents, fat at
Is cents; IL grade Holsteins, milk at SO
cents, fat at II cents. The larger ami
mails ate less food per 1000 Id. weight
than did the smaller ones; the ex-
tremes being 30. IS lb. for COW weigh
ing s29 lb. and 20.7 lb. for COW weigh
ing 1,27O lb.
At the New York State station, Gen.
eva, the cost of production of butter
fat, from lowest to highest, by breeds,
was Guernseys, Jerseys, Devons, Hol-
stems and Ayshires. The order of |
cost of milk per pound, from lowest to |
highest, was: Holsteins, Ayrshire,
Guernseys, Jerseys, De-
vons, the range being 65 to "a cents per !
100 pounds.
At the Maine station the cost Of
pound of butter fat was: Jerseys, 20. 43
cents; Holsteins, 25.22 cents; Ayrshires,
2G. 50 cents The cost of milk per 100
lb. was about SO cents for Holsteins, go
cents for Ayrshires and 81. 10 for Jer- |
seys-
At the New Jersey station the cost
per pound of butter fat, was: Guern-
seys. 15.3: Jerseys 17.9; Ayrshires, 20.6;
2o.s: Holsteins, 22.4. The
cost of milk varied little in the differ |
but stood in following Or
der. from lowest to highest: Ayrshire,
Guernseys and Shorthorns the same,
Holsteins, Jerseys
In the ninety-day batter test at the
Worlds fair, Jerseys gave daily an av-
erage yield of 1.56 Id butter fat per
day at cost of 26.1 cents for food. or
16.7 cents per pound of butter fat:
Guernseys 1.2i 1b butter fat at cost of
2I5 cents for food. or 17.3 cents per
pound of butter fat; and the Short.
horns gave LIP To butter fat daily at s |
cost of 23.2 cents. Or 20.7 cents per
pound OF butter fat. No account is |
here taken of difference in the in. |
crease in live weight.
1t should be borne in mine that |
these. and all reported competitive |
breed tests, except that at the Worlds |
fair, have been made with small and !
often unequal number of representa-
tives of the different breeds. The
at the Worlds fair were cx-
ceptional, the cows not being fed
alike.
I