The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1922-08-04
BY PREM MOORE
In the Idaho Farmer.

In the Idaho Farmer.
The hen and the COW are the most
profitable farm combination. Any
man who milks cows should keep
hens enough to consume the skinned
milk. The poultryman should milk
enough cows to supply the flock with
skinned milk. Skinned milk can
be substituted for beef scrap or fish
meal and is q much better feed. The
skinned milk fed to high producing
hens, under proper living conditions.
will make as much or more money in
increased egg production than the
butter fat will bring. The real value
of this combination to the farmer is
not generally understood.
There are many poultrymen who
appreciate the value of sour skinned
milk and buttermilk as feed for
laying hens, but 1t appears that there
are but few dairymen who realize
what they are losing by not feeding
their by-product to hens. Poultry
men are disinclined to milk cows and
the hen is too Insignificant for the
average dairyman.
We have just gone through a pc
riod when farmers as q class could
not be interested in any line of pro-
duction which tended to, in any way,
tie them to the farm. Hens and cows
are exacting in their requirements,
the handling Of either involves many
details. For that reason neither have
appeared to be thought necessary to
successful farm operations for the
last few years. There came a time
when farm values shrunk. It was
thought at one time that farm pro-
ducts would hold their high market
level, but the inevitable happened
the slump came. A study of mar
ket conditions during the period of
high prices and Immediately follow
ing will show that eggs. fowls, milk
and butter maintained their high
market values longer than any others
of the farm products and when they
did come down in price, they were
the first to come up again. Eggs are
quite cheap at the present time, but
it can be expected that the market
will soon strengthen and that prices
will be very satisfactory. With the
egg market It is always reasonable to
expect that during the period of high
est production prices will be low.
There are many people who believe |
that we are going to create a great |
overproduction Of poultry and eggs
as we'll as that of milk and butter. |
However, there has been a much |
greater increase in the per capita con-
of these products. Produc-
ton has not kept pace with the in
crease in consumption There are
places where the over-production is
great, but in such localities the prob
lem Is only one of distribution.
Go back over a period of Is years
and observe the great increase in the
of poultry and eggs. also
milk and butter. and the steady in
crease in the price of them. There |
have been fluctuations, but the ten
dency has been up. The increase in |
price would indicate the increased
Why this increase in consumption?
These products are a necessary part
Of the human diet. Most American |
mothers have learned the value Of
eggs. milk, and butter in the develop
ment of their children. Mothers,
whether rich or poor, are anxious to
see their children we'll developed and
will, II possible, secure the necessary
elements in their diet for proper de-
yelopment. Should there be any
change In this condition. it will be
a tendency toward increased con-
rather than a decrease.
While the increase in CONSUMPTION
OF these products has been going on
for years, it appears that the great
est increase has come about in the
last decade.
It is often noticed that dairymen
are selling their milk, whole, to the
cheese factories and condenseries at
a slight rise above the regular but
terfat price. Not long ago the writer
learned from a farmer, who was SELL
ing his whole milk to a condensery.
that he was receiving 8 cents per
100 lbs. for his skinned milk. This
same farmer was paying seven cents
per pound for beef scrap to feed his
hens. He gave as his reason for SELL
ing the milk whole that it saved the
labor of separating. He had not ap-
preciated what he was actually get
ting for his skinned milk.
This Is one of the great problems
In our American agriculture. Farm
ers do not figure. In this same neigh
borhood are number of farmers who
figure. They sell the butterfat and
feed the skinned milk to the hens.
This is a time when farmers gen.
orally say there can be no money
made. farming. Yet know any num-
Der of farmers in Idaho who are max.
ing as much money at the present
time, and for the last two years, az
they can reasonably expect to make
at any time. know one general
farmer in northern Idaho whose hens
alone last year made him a net profit
Of over $500. He milks cows also,
but feeds the skinned milk to his
hens. His skinned milk produces as
much or more money by feeding It
to hens as the butterfat brings. AZ
q result Of this combination It be-
came unnecessary to feed meat meal