The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1915-02-18
DAIRYMEN DISCUSS
COST OF BUTTER FAT

The costs and profits of the dairy
ing industry were discussed at the
meeting of the WhatcOm County
Dairymen's Association Saturday at
Laurel. A bill before the legisla-
tured was endorsed, giving cities
authority to prescribe regulations
on milk offered for sale, leaving the
test optional with the dairymen, but
giving the cities authority to bar all
milk from untested cows. Another
proposed measure given approval
was one which prescribed conditions
for the transportation OF milk,
craem butter and utensils.
1t was pointed out that under the
first bill, rancher need not test
his cows, but If he did not he would
be shut out of cities which required
the test.
B. C. Crabtree, with a herd of Is
Jerseys told the meeting that it cost
him II cents to produce pound OF
butter fat.
81 varied the ration according to
the season, buying but little grain,
keeping the ration as closely as pos
sible to the feed raised on my own
place." said Mr.. Crabtree. 81 found
oat ensilage cost me $3.50 in the
silo. l feed hay, silage, kale, beet
pulp, oil meal and ground oats, the
latter three very -sparingly. Pasture
cost 8 1-3 cents per day per COW;
kale, 31a cents silage cents; clo-
yer hay cents; beet pulp, oil meal
and ground oats, 5 cents per day
each. All were fed in season or as
found most convenient. Total cost
of feed per cow for the year Janu-
airy 1, 1914 to January 1, 1915,
was 5000 per COW. The herd var
led widely, one individual cow pro-
| ducing fat at a cost of IL cents per
pound and earning profit of $50,
while another cows fat cost 251a
cents per pound, making profit of
but $3.50 for the year"
Mr.. Crabtree did not include the
labor, interest on investment, rental,
buildings, taxes, or depreciation in
his costs, figuring that his calves,
skim milk and manure offset these
items.
N. p. Sorenson, president of the
association said his feed cost him
$50 per COW per year, and interest
depreciation and taxes cost him $40
more His income per cow for the
year was $82 per cow, leaving him
a net profit of but $12 per cow.
Dairy by-products only paid for the
labor of handling them. Mr.. Soren-
son feeds little grain. saying he could
not feed it at a profit at present
prices. He feeds silage and hay, all
his cows will clean up. His ensilage
costs him So per ton in the silo.
| A. H. Frasier declared he fed ten
clws and is sure he makes profit
He fed last year grain. to the value
of 81 per cow, with mangels and
clover for roughage and succulence.
His cream checks show that his
cows average 297 pounds of butter
fat. He does not pasture, keeping
his cows up and feeding.
| All agreed that butter fat could
not be produced at a profit if the
price falls much lower, but all We're
impressed with the fact that the
cows furnish ready market for all
farm roughage for which no other
market could be found, and that
an additional profit must be figured
in the production and sale of the
roughage to the cows. Profits, it
was pointed out, now depend upon
producing all that is fed the cows
on the farm. Feeds cannot be bought
at present prices and turned into
fat at profit. In no case can the
purchase of grain be justified save
where it is required to balance n
ration. 1t was pointed out by Presi-
dent Sorenson that concentrates
should be fed only to cows that re-
spond to the grain; many will not
do so and grain fed to these ami
mails is so much grain wasted.