Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1903-11-09

the station reports. AS here given, a
lactation period is frequently divided
so that its records appear in two
years, thus sometimes decreasing a
large yield from one lactation period,
when the preceding OF following
period is much lower than the ave.
age. and vice versa.
Cost CT Feed and Value of Products.
The economy of the production Of
the different COWS was calculated By
assuming certain prices for the feeds
eaten and the products obtained. The
schedule of prices given was adopted
in these calculations; the prices for
hay and the various grain feeds are
the averages of all available Chicago
quotations for thee feeds during the
month OF November for the ten years
1S9S-1903. These prices are con-
siderably higher than those given in
the herd records previously published
by the station and may be somewhat
above the prevailing prices for these
products on most Wisconsin FARMS
The particular schedule OF prices
adopted was, however, OF miner i'm
pOTtance, since the main object of the
investigation was TO furnish data as
TO the comparative economy CT pro
duction by the different COWS in the
herd; the total amounts OF eacn klnC
of feed consumed by individual COWS
being given, any desired set of prices
that viii suit local conditions may be
readily used for calculating the
economy of production.
In case of the feeds which have no
market value, as silage, sUiling crops
roots, etc, such values have been as
sumeG as seemed most just when conf
pared with the prices established for
the feeds on which market quotations
were available.
Considerable quantities of skim milk
from the university creamery were fed
during the year 19O1-'O2 to such COWS
in the herd as would drink it, at a
time when no other disposition could
be made OF it. In calculating the
cost of feed eaten by the COWS the
value of this skim milk was placed at
ten cents a 100 pounds. This is con-
sidercd a maximum valuation of this
feed when fed TO mature dairy COWS
1t is doubtless a very expensive feed
for this purpose, even at this price
Skim milk is ordinarily fed to young
stock, calves or pigs, and if so used,
has been shown by numerous careful
experiments TO be worth al least
fifteen cents a 100 pounds when conf
pared with grain at ordinary prices
In the calculation OF the value u
the products, the annual butter pro-
ductiOn of the COWS was obtained
from the amount of butter fat credited
to each COW for the year by multiply
ing the latter by l 1-6, in accordance
with general practice. The amount
of skim milk credited to each COW was
estimated on the assumption that so
per cent. of the whole milk is returned
as skim milk The net profit of the
different COWS was determined by de-
Quoting the total cost of feed from
the value of the butter and the skim
milk. No estimate was made of the
cost o. labor, the value of the manure
produced or of the calves dropped by
the cows in the herd.
Careful records of the number Of
hours each day that the COWS were On
pasture during the past two years.
have shown that the herd averaged
about three months on pasture during
each year, making a total cost of $3.50
per COW Tor pasture during the season.
Df14urae ,,d T.hIae
In order that the reader may be-
come as fully acquainted as possible
with the individual characteristics Of
the diHerent COWS, descriptions Of
these, in a majority of cases ac-
cOmpanied by photographs, are given
in the following pages of the bulletin.
The photographs of the COWS re-
produced in the bulletin occupies eight
pages and were, as a rule, taken whsn
the COWS were at a somewhat ad-
y6nced STAGE of their lactation, so that
they are shown in about their normal
working condition. In some cases,
however, the COWS we're photographed
when dry, and in others just after
they hau calved. The ages given in
the descriptions are those at the
time the photographs f the COWS
were taken. The photographs are ar
ranged in groups of four, according
to breeds, similar types in each breed
being placed together as much as pos
sible. The descriptions of the COWS.
where photographs accompany these,
are given on the page facing the cuts.
Extensive tables are given showing
amount Of feed consumed per COW and
the annual production during the
several periods, feed during the
maximum yearly production, COM
parsons of records, average produc-
tons, net profits and a comparison If
the groups according to type.
The bulletin contains a fund of in.
formation useful to all farmers and
dairymen and will be forwarded to
residents of the state, free of charge.
upon request.