The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1895-08-29
Mli.K AND BUTTER FAT--.COST
or PRODUCTION.

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 ppply 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 also 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 Il well known fact that very many
of the record breaking" yields of milk
or butter have been produced at 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-
tunate that some reports of expert
ments at experiment stations have been
these obvious facts.
The COW or tho 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 i'll summer
on pasture, may not do corresponding
ly we'll 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-
tion of 343 days, produced an average of
6,407 lb. milk, and 3O1 lb. butter fat,
at an average cost of S3S per COW for
the year; of &c cents per 100 lb. milk,
and of 121a cents per ID. of butter fat.
At the Cornell Station, in 1892, q 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 lb.
butter fat, at a cost per COW of S45 or
of a little less than 1G cents per pound
of butter fat. At the New Jersey Sta
tion 1sS9-190, herd with representa-
tivas OF five breeds was kept at cost
of S5S.75 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 20 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, 4 pound of butter
fat at cost of Il IL cents: those car
rying medium amount of flesh, at a
cost of Is 1-10 cents; spare cows lack
in depth of body" at II Clio cents;
''spare cows having deep bodies," at
IL LILO cents. The first group consisted
of ar Aberdeen-Angus and two Short
horn cows, averaging 1,240 lb.; tie
second of three grade jerseys and 4
grade Guernsey, averaging 945 h.: the
third of a grade Holstein, q Guern-
sey and a grade Guernsey, averag-
ing SIS h.: the fourth of 12 COWS of
different breeds, averaging 952 lb.
The quantity OF food, dry matter, per
100 lb. live weight, increased from the
first group, with 1G.G6 h., to the fourth
with %. 5S 10.
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 15l5 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 53 cents per 100 h.. and fat at
cost of 12}4 cents per pound; seven
grade Jerseys, milk at rs cents, fat at
l. cents; II grade Iolsteins, milk at 50
cents, fat at II cents. The larger ami
mails ate less food per 1000 lb. weight
than did the smaller ones; the ex-
tremcs being 3O,S 10. for COW weigh
ing $50 10. and 20 lb. for Il COW weigh
ing 1,210 lb.
At the New York State station, Gem
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,
Shorthorns, Guernseys, Jerseys, De-
vons, the range being Go to 9l cents per
100 pounds.
AT the Maine station the cost of Il
pound of butter fat was: Jerseys, 20. 43
cents; uolsteins. 1922 cents: Ayrshires,
26.S2 cents The cost of milk per 100
lb. was about So cents for Holsteins, %
cents for Ayrshires and S1.1 for Jer-
seys.
At the New Jersey station the cost
per pound OF butter fat, was: Guern-
seys, 15.3: Jerseys, 17.0; Ayrshires, 2O.6;
Shorthorns, 20.s; Holsteins, 22.4. The
cost of milk varied little in the differ
ent breeds. but stood in following Or
der, from lowest to highest: Ayrshire,
Guernseys and Shorthorns the same,
Holsteins, Jerseys.
In the nincty-day butter 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
l6.7 cents per pound of butter fat:
Guernseys 1.2i ID butter fat at a cost of
2l.5 cents for food, or 17.3 cents per
pound of butter fat; and the Short
horns gave liz ID butter fat daily at q.
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.