State Dairy Association. 63 



Cow 2. 



Milk produced in a year , 



Butter produced In a year 



Milk solids produced in a year 



Oost of feed for a year 



Average cost of butter per pound. 

 Average cost of solids per pound . 



6910 pounds. 

 866 

 918 

 134.60 



.094 cents. 

 .034 



The feeds used in the six months winter period were: Corn 

 chop, at 40 cents per bushel ; clover hay, $8.00 per ton ; corn silage, 

 $2.50 per ton. 



During the six months summer period the cows were at pas- 

 ture, received no grain, and were rated at $2.25 per head per 

 month. 



These were not specially selected cows, but happen to be fairly 

 representative animals of which Professor Eckles had a complete 

 record. 



It will be observed that the cost of feed per pound of butter 

 varied between seven cents and nine cents. This is not much in 

 excess of the cost of gain on aged steers made thick fat or that 

 are fed six months or more. The cost of gain on cattle of this sort 

 could be safely figured at the minimum price shown here for but- 

 ter, namely, seven cents. The low price for total solids of from 

 3 cents to 3.8 cents per pound is in striking contrast. We would 

 need to about double this price for the gain of each pound in live 

 weight of a steer. When it is further realized that fully one-third 

 of this gain in live weight of a steer is water, and that still an- 

 other portion is inedible, and still another portion is indigestible, 

 and that these total solids produced by the dairy cow are free from 

 water and are all edible and practically all digestible, one cannot 

 fail to be impressed with the efficiency of the dairy cow in con- 

 trast with a meat producing animal like the steer. 



FINANCIAL RETURNS FROM THE DAIRY COW MUCH LARGER THAN 



FROM THE STEER. 



The record of the University dairy herd of 34 cows, including 

 all 2-year old heifers for last year, showed an average of 6,792 

 pounds of milk and 369 pounds of butter each. The average local 

 retail price for the year for butter was 28 cents per pound. At 

 this price the financial return per cow, without counting the calf, 

 was: 



