The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1918-08-27
THE PRICE OF HAY
Can I Afford to Feed My High Priced
Hay to My Dairy Cow?

Of. R. Cammack, Field Dairyman)
This question is uppermost in the
minds of many farmers, since the
price of hay has been arbitrarily sci
at $500 to $3.50 per ton for A
No. hay. In order to decide this
let us consider several factors that
should affect our decision.
In the first place this price is for
the very best hay and much Of that
produced by us will not net that
amount. Also il we stop to think
about 1t someone else will make a
profit from feeding this hay after
buying it at higher prices than would
be received by us. After freight and
commissions are paid the same hay
may sell for $500 or $4,000 per
ton to dairymen in other sections of
the United States. They can and do
afford to pay these prices because of
the following reasons:
/. By feeding it to good dairy
cows, (they know they have good
dairy COWS by keeping records and
culling out the poor ones) If you
are testing your cows and finding
that you are losing on all of them
then it is no doubt better for you to
sell them and your hay to the highest
bidder. II you are not testing them
it is impossible to correctly advise
you. Be perfectly fair to yourself
and your cows. No doubt some are
good and some are poor. Keep the
good ones and dispose of the poor
ones because you cannot afford to
feed a ''star boarder." 1t is an I'M
questioned fact that a good COW will
produce as much net profit as twenty
five poor ones.
2. Another factor that will deter
mine whether to sell or not is the
amount and kind of feed to be fed,
a different problem is presented than
where balanced ration is available
AS eminent an authority as Prof.
Eccles has sukkested the following
ration:
For 100 pounds, live weighted
per day one to one and half punds
alfalfa hay and two and half to
three pounds succulent feed (corn,
beet top or other silage and root
crop etc. And one pound grain per
day for every pound Of butter fat
produced in a week. Adjust this to
The individual needs of your cows.
On this basis 1900 pound COW
would consume in six months Octo-
Der to April l 200 pounds of hay
Or $20.25 at $500 per ton, the sue
culent foods suggested are much
sheaper than the hay and greater
returns are secured by feeding the
;wo types of feed together. The
grain should only be fed to those
COWS which will pay for it in in
production over what they
would produce without. However,
+ you are feeding thirty-five pounds
# hay per day without the succulent
God the six months hay feed will
cost $47.25. Because of the great
,ariation in the requirements of diff
erent cows it is impossible to give
vou figures which will fit your in
lividual cases. However, the follow
ng figures may give an idea as to,
What may be expected under average
/. Eighteen pounds of hay at SIS
,er ton equals II cents. Thirty
hree pounds of succulent food equals
o cents. Total 81 cents. .,
2. Thirty-five POUNDS hay at $500
'er ton equals rs ga cents.
BY feeding the basic ration No. /
a much better ration than No. p
nd recording the production, and
hen feeding the suggested grain ra-
ion; Zone pound daily for each |
ound fat produced in a week) and |
ecordng the production, it can be
eadily seen whether it pays to feed |
he grain. 1t is usually considered
hat the value of the manure and the |
alf will Offset the labor and invest
lent. Assuming this to be true,
hen the value Of the milk produced
hould equal the cost of feed-21 |
ents and rs Sd cents respectively
1 rotian one and two. In general
may be stated that COW should
reduce 200 pounds of fat per year
r be sold for beef, and the goal
hould be 1865 pounds or one pound
er day for every dairy COW and the
leal much higher.
Other points to remember are:
8. The added advantage of feed
lg your hay on your own farm
hereby retaining all of the fertility.