The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1921-06-09

is necessary.
Cost Of Raising u Calf
As indicating something of the
costs of raising a calf the follow
ing estimate, or budget, is pre-
I pared.
, Beginning November with 100
cows at $50 each:
4 Interest on cows (S per cent OF
SbOOOD ....s.... ..''..'''sS SUI
/ Taxes on cattle ............ 10
Death losses. 3 per cent ..... 15O
Bull charges ............. 200
/ Riding and salt ...,....... 200
Hay for winter, 100 tons at 81 700
Labor OF feeding hay at $3.50 $50
Pasture and range, s months
at 90 cents '..........'.. 4OO
Total costs .S232b
In order TO cover this cost and
thereby return interest on the In
vestment and labor we would have
to have n calf crop worth this
amount. or s2325. This would
take SO calves, Weighing 400 lbs
each and selling for cents h., or
S2S n head. A good calf ought TO
bring $2S at present prices, but TO
start with 100 cows and year
later wean S3 calves would be far
above the average. Where the cat
tie run on the open range for
good deal OF the time 20 calves
would be very good. Whore the
pasture charge might be little
less, but not much. because II is al
ways necessary TO provide some pas
ture other than open range for early
and late use and In tho open range
districts the charges for such pas
ture often amount TO - a month.
on the other hand. where the cat
tie spend the entire season In fenced
range the S3 calves would be pos
sibllity, but the pasture charges
would be more. The investment In
fenced pasture sufficient TO run a
COW will usually amount 10 500 q
head. II Will take s per cent TO
cover both interest and taxes, maxi
ing the pasture cost IS head In
stead OF 81. as given In the fore
going estimates. This would In
crease our budget by S4O0 and our
S3 calves would have TO bring
S32.S3 q head TO cover the costs.
What $40 or $15 hay would do to
this expense bill II plain enough.
II is prohibitivs.
Yearlings and 2-year-old steers
may be grown at little less cost
per annum than the cost OF running
cows. but the annual cost viii run
under the conditions above outlined
over $50 head and this means
that a gain OF 500 pounds head
must be obtained to pay the bill.
Every cattleman knows that 800
pounds a year IL good gain TO be
made on one ton OF hay and 81
worth OF pasture. Some stockmen
do better than this. but at added
costs. A great many do not do
that we'll.
As a general rule the costs OF
operation In southeastern Oregon
will be less than above outlined
and the income also less, while In
northeastern Oregon the costs will
often be higher These differences
I'm costs lie mostly In the cost OF
summer grazing.
Al any rate II will be seen that
we are most conservative in say
ing that cattleman cannot afford
to pay more for ton OF hay In
the stack than he can get on the
farm, for 100 pounds OF beef"
Something OF the attitude OF the
stockmen which may serve TO shed
light on the demands which will be
made for hay hereafter may be
CLEANED from the resolution passed
by the Oregon Horse and Cattle
Growers association at its meeting
in Canyon City on May "a and 25.
This attitude, together with the fact
that great strides have been made
In many sections which have here
tofore been heavy hay buyers in de-
veloping their own feed supplies
should at least be recognized by
hay growers in considering future
operations. WallOwa county alone
purchased about three quarters OF
million dollars worth OF hay in
1919, a great deal of II from NAL
heur county Today they have a
substantial surplus, due to decreas-
ed numbers OF stock to some ex-
tent but also due to the erection OF
scores of silos 10 hold sunflower en-
silage. other sections have increas-
ed the acreage under irrigation as
we have our own. The resolution
follows:
Whereas, there is an oyer-produc-
tion OF cattle In the Pacific North
west; and
Whereas, We believe that 1t would
be better to check the breeding OF
cattle instead of continuing to over
stock the market; therefore
BE II resolved, by the Cattle and
Horse RaiseTs' Association of Ore
gon, that the livestock men OF the
Pacific Northwest curtail produc-
tion by eliminating all undesirable
breeding stock, and cut down their
herds so as to be within the carry
ing capacity OF their own hay and
pasture, and thereby produce bet
ter and fewer cattle for market.
Now as to the demands OF farm
livestock, there Is at present very
little farm livestock and whether