Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1913-05-02
BIG PROFITS IN
DAIRY BUSINESS
FACTS AND FIGURES REL AIING
TO RAISING MILCH COWS
AT WENDELL.

WENDELL, April 2S.-In the
dairy business. it isn't so much a
question as to how many pounds
of butterfat the best cows in the
herd will give in week, or il a
month, or during year. 1t is The
sum total of the herd that tells the
story.
There has never been any ques-
ton as to the market in this sec
ton, for dairy products. There
has never been any doubt about
the climate or the cheap produc-
ton Of feed for cows The only
problem has been 10 get cows and
4l good cows.
About year ago cooperative
shipment of cows were brought III
to this vicinity, by the Sterling
Creamery Co.. through the efforts
of G. f. Hall. Like all other herds
there were good individual cows
medium and some poor. The aver
age was good
A. Il. Eakin went in for Guern-
seys. He selected eleven head,
ranging from three to seven years
Wendell for the period Of one year
Mr.. Eakin figures it this way.
hay for the cows, s. per ton, cost
1921. The II COWS averaged 22l
pounds butter fat, 1856 of which was
sold. Total sale of butter fat to
the creamery amounted to Sj63.f0.
Sales Of milk and cream from the
house amounted to $50 additional.
Counting the milk at four per
cent, nine calves consumed butter
fat and skim milk, Sl05.57. This
made the total output In milk and
butterfat amount to S7i8.67. Count /
ing out the 1921 for hay, it left
$l97.67. Five of the calves are
steers and four are heifers. The !
steers are worth $25 each and the !
heifers S32 each. The total value
of the calves amounts to S21S. II
cost 1857 for milk and hay for the
nine calves. This leaves $40 to
add to the profit returned by the
COWS. All this foots up 1907 81.
Mr.. Eakin says that $40 per COW
per year is a fair depreciation /
charge. Counting this out, leaves
him, net from his cows for the
year, s497.67.
This being the end of the year,
the record could be carried no
farther. Figuring the business to !
get an average year, the records /
should extend over a period Of say /
four years. The cows were shipped I
14OO miles and consequently not
only were low in output as a re-
suit of the trip, but were not ac-
climated. II took two or three /
months to get them down TO bus
mess. And the calves will he add ,
ing to the profit side Of the ac-
count for the next three years.
This is a splendid record IN the /
basis of a herd and demonstrates
that the boss Of the ranch knows /
good cow when he sees one, and /
also that he knows how to care for
them after he gets them.
Mr.. Eakin's herd will this year
discount the past year. His COWS
are now acclimated and are just
coming into their prime. If he had
a big silo in which to store silage
at cost of 81 ton. he would not
only cut down his feed expense,
but would increase the output.
What Mr.. Eakin has done, any
man who knows how to handle
herd of cows can do. Mr.. Eakin is
very much pleased with his first
years result and is picking up q
of heifer calves of good
breeding wherever he can find
them at prices within reason.
Mr.. Eakin is testing his cows to {
see what per cent of butter fat
each individual cows milk contains.
He has been weighing the products
of each COW from time to time.
The average dairy COW in Idaho
gives $50 pounds Of butterfat per
year.