DAIRY FARMING DAIRYING. 



771 



DAIRY FARMING— DAIRYING. 



Cost of producing milk on 174 farms in Delaware County, New York, 

 A. L. Thompson {New York Cornell Sta. Bui. 364 (1015), pp. 109-179, figs. 19).— 

 The purpose of this investigation was to find out as nearly as possible what 

 it costs the average farmer to produce milk in the hill regions of New York. 

 All the data for the investigation were collected by the survey method, com- 

 plete records for two years from 174 typical farms in Delaware County, N. Y., 

 being included. The averages for the two years are summarized in the following 

 table : 



^uiiiiiiarif of dairy farm survcij. 



Kind of data. 



1912 



1913 



Number of cows per herd 



Value of cows per head 



Pounds of milk produced per cow 



Poundsof milk sold per cow 



Pounds of milk fat produced per cow 



Poimds of grain per cow and accompanyint; stock 



Valueof grain per cow and accompanying stock 



Poimds of hay and forago per cow and accompanying stock 



Value of hay and forage per cow and accompanying stock 



Pomidsofsilagepercow and accompanying stock 



Number of feed units, excluding pasture, per cow and accompanying stock 



Acres of pasture per cow and accompanying stock 



Annual cost of pasture per cow and accompanying stock 



Cost of bedding per cow and accompanying stock _ 



Value of buildings per cow and accompanying stock 



Annual cost of buildings per cow and accompanying stock 



Hours of lumian labor per cow and accompanying stock 



Cost of lal)or per cow and accompanying stock 



Miscellaneous costs per cow and accompanying stock 



Cattle cost per cow and acconij lanying stock 



Cost of dairy equipment per cow 



Cost of hauling milk per cow 



Total cost per cow 



Total returns, other than milk sold, per cow 



Loss per cow 



Amount received per pound of milk, cents 



Cost per pound of milK, cents 



Cost per quart of milk, cents 



Cost per pound of milk fat, cents 



Miles from station 



Per cent of butter fat in milk 



o There was enough stock raised to show an appreciation in 1913. 



In 1912, 1.5 dairy herds, or about 1 in 11, showed a profit. The average cow 

 paid all costs excepting the value of hay and forage raised on the farm, for 

 which only 28 per cent of its farm value was obtained. In 1013 dairy conditions 

 were more favorable, as grain and forage were cheaper, and milk brought a 

 better price, and 52 herds, or 30 per cent, showed some profit. The average 

 cow paid all costs except hay and forage raised on the farm, and paid 66 per 

 cent of the farm value for this. 



In 1913 the cost of hauling milk per cow was .$4 in the herds with more than 

 f.5 cows, and $8 in the herds with 20 or less cows. The annual cost for shelter- 

 ing a cow was $7 in the herds with 20 cows or less, and $4 in the herds with over 

 40 cows. The average investment in buildings per cow for the herds with 20 

 or less cows was $76. In the herds with 41 or more cows it was $54. The value 

 of the feed used per cow did not vary greatly in proportion to the size of herd. 

 The milk production was higher in the medium-sized herds than in the large or 

 small herds. The size of herd did not greatly affect the cost of milk production, 

 this being 2.42 cts. per pound in the herds witli 20 or less cows, and 2.37 cts. 

 in the herds witli over 40 cows. 



39513°— No. 8—16- 



