The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-11-20
$l29.70 PROFIT
FROM MILK COW
DOES IT PAY TO MILK COWS AT
THE PRESENT HIGH PRICES
OF FEED?

The above question has been asked
time and again, and the answer is alb
solutely Yes. Now this does not mean
all cows. There are cows that are and
always will be boarders, regardless Of
feed prices.
1t is pretty hard to say just what
would be considered an average cow
in this state. There are few if any
cow-testing associations in North Da-
kota; the number of cows tested are so
few that they can hardly be used in
deciding the average. At any rate
cow giving, say 1000 to 5000 pounds
of milk containing 300 pounds of but
ter fat would certainly be considered
profitable; and if as much care was
taken in improving the cow as there
is in increasing the yield of grain,
there is no doubt but that it would be
good average. 1t is an average that
we should strive for, and when North
Dakota steps in line with Minnesota
and other states, with regard to dairy
cows, it will be an average based on
actual figures rather than mere
guessWork.
In figuring the profit and loss of
milk cow we must give her credit
for what she produces, whether it is
sold or used for home consumption.
The labor involved in the care of the
cow is not charged up to her but is
offset by the fertility which she adds
to the soil.
The present price of butter fat is
about 72 cents pound. Thus the in
come from the fat alone is $4,000.
Assuming that the cream marketed
tests 80 per cent, the cream sold would
be about 700 pounds, leaving approx
mately $500 pounds of skim milk.
Skim milk is worth at least SO cents
per hundred making $3.50. The calf
at birth is worth $500, bringing the
total returns of the cow up to $258.5O.
Now let US consider the expense of
the cows upkeep. Placing the origin
al value of the COW at $100, the in
terest at 10 per cent will amount to
$1,000 annually. The COW will need no
feed from June 1st to October 1st.
Charging $500 per month for pasture
we have $500. Assuming that the cows
will have to be stalled from Oct. to
June 1, we have approximately 24O
days wherein the COW will have to be
fed grain. Assuming, again, that the
cow produces 2-3 of her production
during these 240 days, and feeding
grain at the rate of l pound for every
pounds of milk produced, it would be
necessary to provide this cow with ap-
proxin1ately 1900 pounds of grain. The
best available feeds for this county
are oats, corn or barley, bran and OIL
meal. A ration consisting of 30 per
cent bran and 10 per cent of oil-meal
would cost as follows: ~
$50 pounds of oats at 80c per bu-
5000; $50 pounds Of corn at $1.5O per
bushel, $3.50; 360 pounds of bran at
$45.00 per ton, $50; 12O pounds of
oil-meal at $4,000 per ton, $3.50, MAX
ing total of $41.5O.
ing $41.50.
A cow will consume at least 20
pounds of hay when silage or corn
fodder is fed with it. This would make
48O0 pounds Of hay. At $4,000 per ton
is $48.00, 80 pounds of silage or corn
fodder will be also consumed daily.
$500 per ton for fodder or $500 per
ton for silage will add $54.OO or $2S.O0
depending on whether silage or fodder
! is fed.
Now let us check up and see how
we stand.
800 pounds of butter fat at 72 cents
makes $4,000; $500 pounds of skim
milk at so cents per cwt.; $3.50; 1
calf $500; total income $258.50.
! Total income-$258.O0. Expenses,
1900 pounds Of feed-$41.50; 1900 lbs.
hay at $20.OO-$48.O0, 1900 lbs. silage
at $8.00-$2S.80; Interest on invest
ment at 10 per cent-$10.00; total ex-
pense-$128.30; Profit-$129.7O.
If silage is not available and corn
fodder is used deduct $500 from the
income and we still have an income
per COW of $104.50. The $500 rep
resents the difference in price of 1900
lbs. of silage and like amount of fod-
der.
Allowing some for fluctuations in
the market both for feed and dairy
products we still have an income per
cow Of approximately $10O. If pure
bred cattle were raised the profits
would be correspondingly greater de-
pending on the value of the calf. At
the present time pure bred calves are
worth from $4,000 and up depending
on their breeding. Feeding for records
A. r. O. work, ETC., all tend to increase
the profits Of the dairy business. That
the milk COW is profitable there is no
doubt; and by proper feeding care
and selection she can be made . prof
table part Of q mans farm, instead
Of merely side line, to supply the
butter and milk consumed on the
! farm.