Integrated Machinery and Other Resources on 

 Typical Dairy Farms 



Farming is a complex business in which the various resources and techniques 

 used in production must be properly combined to produce the greatest satis- 

 faction for the farm family. This goal may consist either of obtaining a 

 maximum net farm income or a somewhat smaller income with more free 

 time for the farmer and the elimination of hard work. Several alternative 

 organizations of machinery are tested from these two viewpoints, although 

 major emphasis is on ascertaining combinations of machinery that will 

 maximize net farm income. Certain combinations of machines which are 

 efficient in terms of completing work requirements speedily and easily are 

 costly to own and operate. 



We now proceed with an economic appraisal of alternative adjustments 

 of machinery and equipment that could be incorporated in the organization 

 of typical farms described in an earlier report of this series.^ These dairy 

 farms are representative of 1-, 2-, and 3-man operating units. In tejms of 

 size of herd, they represent farms with 10-14, 25-29, and 35-39 cows, re- 

 spectively. Sixty-seven percent of all commercial dairy herds in New Eng- 

 land fall within this range of 10 to 39 cows. 



In the earlier report selected adjustments were made in the organization 

 and management of crop and livestock production on these dairy farms to 

 suggest and test some types of changes which operators of similar farms 

 might consider, and to demonstrate a method of estimating changes in costs 

 and returns. The adjustments were evaluated within a framework of specified 

 physical input-output relationships, assumed prices for inputs and outputs, 

 and the pattern of family ownership of productive resources that is common 

 to the area. 



The effect of new technology upon production efficiency was demonstrated 

 by showing the charactertistics of the farm business before and after changes 

 were made and by estimating the change in net farm income through the 

 use of a farm budget. The budget or farm plan is the best method for 

 measuring the impact of specific adjustments on an individual farm. It is 

 recognized that adapting specific practices to a given farm mav encounter 

 rigidities that will limit over-all recommendations. But the analysis for typical 

 farm situations indicates the desirable direction of change. 



In the following sections of this bulletin the monetary and nonmonetary 

 effects for several alternative patterns of machinery are appraised from the 

 view point of their use on these farms. Full ownership of cropping equipment 

 by the operator, joint ownership by two or more operators, hiring all crop- 

 ping work performed by custom operators, and combinations of ownejship 

 and custom hiring are the alternatives considered. All other phases of the 

 farm business are the same as set forth in the previous report. 



Farm A — A Small Dairy Farm 



As usually operated, farm A carries 14 cows, 3 heifers each more than 

 a year old, 4 heifer calves, and a family flock of chickens. The combination 

 of equipment is built around a small tractor and low-bed wagon for hauling 



5 I. F. Fellows, G. E. Frick, and S. B. Weeks, Production Efficiency on New Eng- 

 land Dairy Farms, 1. Preliminary Appraisal of Cost Reduction Opportunities, Storrs, 

 Conn. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. 283 (1952). 



17 



