Table 2 



Average man hours spent annually in doing occasional dairy chores on seven 

 large dairy farms. (Four of the farms had approximately 40 cows and three 

 had about 50 cows. The data from the 50-cow farms were adjusted to a 



40-cow basis.) 

 Man 

 No. Hours Chore 



Attending to cows at calving time. 



Working on swollen or damaged udders, etc. 



Caring for sick cows. 



Breeding. 



Training first calf heifers. 



Helping to unload grain from truck to storage. 



Supplying sawdust for bedding. 



Adjusting water bowls. 



Rearranging cows in stalls. 



Studying production records and breeding program. 



Spraying barn. 



Spraying cows. 



Cleaning windows and ceilings. 



Selling or buying cows. 



Cleaning vacuum pipe. 



Shoveling snow and plowing snow to clear doors and 

 passageways. 



Clipping cows. 



Overhauling milking equipment. 



Adjusting windows or checking ventilations. 



Folding, counting, and tying feed bags. 



Driving cows to and from pasture. 



Attaching salt blocks. 



Figuring rations. 



Observing animals. 



Other. 



677.9 Total occasional chores. 



IX Chore Schedules 



So far each chore task has been and equipment are adequate. These 

 discussed as an individual item. are summarized in Table 1. 

 Present practices were described, im- These estimates of labor needed to 

 proved methods were suggested, and do the daily chores associated with a 

 a definite number of man minutes herd of 40 cows total 360 man min- 

 needed to do each task were stated utes. If a five-minute rest period 

 as guides. The quantitative esti- just prior to milking is practiced, an 

 mates of labor for each task were additional 20 man minutes would be 

 based on actual records on good added where two men milk, bringing 

 farms, adjusted to a 40-cow herd ba- the total to 380 man minutes. Some 

 sis. They indicate the authors' judg- allowance should be made for inter- 

 ment as to the time needed for an ruptions and emergencies. If the 

 average man — one who is interested men are doing hard physical work 

 and trained in good chore procedure — during the day, the chores are likely 

 working in a barn where facilities to be performed at a slower rate. 



52 



