| Show AVERAGE COST OF RAISING DAIRY f I 1 0 V W reliable sources of national prosperity prepared by the united states department of agriculture according to investigators in the department of agriculture the average not net cost of raising a dairy heifer bolfer one year old on a wisconsin farm Is and of a two year heifer these figures aro are applicable to other dairy districts in the north and past east whore where land and feed values are similar to those in wisconsin they are based on data obtained from raising calves from birth to the time they enter the dairy herd the details with a complete summary of the in have recently been published by the department of agriculture to in bulletin no 49 under the title of the cost of raising a u dairy cow there are in the united states over dairy cows these figures glye give some idea of the importance of this econom to problem to the country ns as a whole tor for these cows must bo be replaced every few years the coat co 4 of iho production of those thee ie heifers heffers Is lea a largo item in keeping down the profits of the dairymen the new bulletin contains numerous tables and several illustrations of the jersey c calves ive s from which the Items of cestare obtained the most important item was the cost coat of the food which was estimated at market value ani and amounted to nearly two thirds ot of the total ned net cost of the helper heifer while labor formed 12 per cent of the cost figures tor for the average not net cost of the ono one year old heifer belter are as aa follows feed 2467 labor other costs I 1 total y to this should be added the initial value of the calf which was estimated to bo be making a total cost coat ht fat the end and of one year of this charge Is justified in view of the fact that dairy cows are credited with this item in determining the cost of milk production by allowing 3 credit for manure it leaves a not cost of at the end of the first year figures for the average not net cost of of the two year old heifer are as follows initial value leed food 4 labor other costs 1373 credit for manure one halt half of the feed cost the first year and one third tor for the full two years to Is for whole and milk by far the most expensive period in the lifo ot the calf Is the first tour four weeks tho the cost being nearly double that tor for any other tour four week period this high cost to is occasioned by its being dependent almost entirely upon whole milk the man labor required in raising a heifer is about 40 hours during the first year and 23 hours the second year the total cost of man and horse labor tor for the two years la is close to 8 the manure produced during the two years has been valued at 8 consequently ly the cost of labor to Is practically offset by the value of the manure the item other costs consists of expenses usually overlooked in estimating costs these are interest charge for the use of buildings and equipment expense tor for bedding miscellaneous cel laneous expenses a share of the general expenses for the entire farm business and a charge to cover losses by death and discarding the total for or these forms nearly one fifth of the total cost coot of the two year old heifer the foregoing figures show that it costs more to raise calves to maturity that Is commonly supposed and they support the advice which the tha department to Is continually trying to impress upon dairy farmers that it does not pay to ralso raise any but the best beat heffers heifers bol hei fers raising scrub heifers heffers and selling them at 25 to 40 apiece as aa many do Is unprofitable except on cheap land or under other very favorable conditions but it does pay to raise the best heffers heifers hel hei fera fers tor for in good dairy sections well bred heifers heffers are worth considerably more than CO 60 when two years of bf age furthermore dairy deiry farmers as a rule are obliged to raise their own stock aft aa it Is difficult to buy productive cows cowe at a reason reasonable abi e price in some sections ot of the west where alfalfa la Is worth only wor bor 5 a ton or to in the southwest South oat where pastures furnish feed the greater part ot of the year this cost he 0 o even where it costs 60 to raise a heifer two thirds of this amount la is charged toi foi feeds at market prices ft a large part oi of which can bo be grown on the farm at ata a profit thus by i raising the heffers heifers the dairy farmer finds a 0 homo homel market for feeds grown on the farm at remunerative munera tive prices and at the gaina baroe tim aids in maintaining tho the fertility of the farm |
