The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1922-07-28
BY PREM MOORE
In the Idaho Farmer.

milk. The poultryman should mill
enough COWS to supply the flock witt
SKINNED milk. SKINNED milk cal
be substituted for beef scrap or fist
meal and is a 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 a feed for
laying hens, but it 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 pc
riod when farmers as a 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 time
when farm values shrunk. 1t was
thought at one time that farm pro-
ducts would hold their high market
level, but the inevitable happened
L. L. A rfrr lxr Of 40
ket conditions during the period of
high prices and Immediately follow
ing viii 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
oyerproduction of poultry and eggs
as well as that of milk and butter.
there has been 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 rs years
and observe the great increase in the
production 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
consumption.
Why this increase in consumption?
These products are 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,
rich or poor, are anxious to
see their children well developed and
will, If possible, secure the necessary
elements in their diet for proper de-
velopment. Should there be any
change in this condition, it will be
a tendency toward increased con-
rather than 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
1t is often noticed that dairymen
are selling their milk, whole, to the
cheese factories and condenseries at
l slight rise above the regular but
.erfat price. Not long ago the writer
earned from a farmer, who was sell
ng his whole milk to a condensery,
that he was receiving 8 cents per
LOO 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
abor of separating. He had not APP
what he was actually get
ling for his SKINNED milk.
This is one of the great problems |
IN our American agriculture. Farm
ers do not figure. In this same neigh
Dorhood are a number of farmers who
figure. They sell the butterfat and
feed the SKINNED milk to the hens. |
This is a time when farmers gem
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, as
they can reasonably expect to make |
at any time. I know one general
farmer in northern Idaho whose hens
alone last year made him net profit |
Of over $1,000. He milks COWS also, |
but feeds the SKINNED milk to his |
hens. His skinned milk produces as
much or more money by feeding 1t
to hens as the butterfat brings. AS
a result of this combination 1t be-
came unnecessary to feed meat meal
or fish meal at all Every farmer
should produce on his farm, as near
ly as possible, everything taken off
the farm.
Millions of gallons of skinned
milk and buttermilk go to waste in
America each year. I have seen
nearly the entire output of butter
milk in creameries going down the
sewer. This is a waste which should