Evaluating the Profitability of Irrigation 

 on Northeastern Dairy Farms^ 



Introduction 



WHAT is the place of irrigation on northeastern dairy farms? How does 

 the use of irrigation compare with other methods for adjusting to 

 greater forage needs? A single answer to each of these questions, which 

 applies to all farms, does not exist. There are too many important price 

 and resource differences from farm to farm. For example, the price of hay 

 may range from $20 to S40 a ton within one state in the same year. Buy- 

 ing extra hay may be feasible in one case and much more questionable in 

 the other. The cost and availability of water are two more obvious con- 

 siderations. On some farms located near major streams or lakes, water is 

 always readily available at low cost. On others considerable effort and 

 money are required to provide water for irrigation. 



One of the purposes of this bulletin is to point out the more important 

 factors which a dairyman must consider before buying an irrigation system. 

 The capital investment and costs of operating typical irrigation systems will 

 be presented. An indication of some of the results obtained from controlled 

 experiments using irrigation in different parts of the Northeast will be given. 

 The first part of the bulletin is intended to show what kinds of information 

 will be needed to make an evaluation of irrigation. 



Knowing how much irrigation will cost is useful. An idea of the kinds 

 of increases in yields which may result over a period of years from irriga- 

 tion is necessary. But equally important is a good idea of how irrigation 

 compares with other methods of providing more forage for more milking 

 cows. The major part of this bulletin is devoted to this problem. How 

 does one go about comparing irrigation with other alternatives? What are 

 the major alternatives to irrigation? What happens when these alternatives 

 are compared for a typical farm situation? Presentation of a method of 

 finding answers to these last three questions is the primary objective of 

 this report. Irrigating a forage crop will be compared with: 



(1) Feeding green-chop (also known as soilage or zero-grazing). 



(2) Buying replacement heifers instead of raising them. 



(3) Applying a higher level of fertilizer. 



(4) Replacing corn grain with corn silage. 



(5) Buying additional hay. 



(6) Renting additional hay and pasture land. 



(7) Feeding additional grain to replace forage. 



1 Prepared by a NE-33 subcommittee composed of: Marvin Kottke, Robert McAlex- 

 ander, Niels Rorholm and B. F. Stanton, respectively of the State Agricultural Experi- 

 ment Stations of Storrs (Connecticut), Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and New York. 

 Acknowledgement is made for the assistance on budgeting analysis received from Francis 

 Montville of the Rhode Island Agricultural Experiment Station. 



