conditions, ^ and also determined the amount of resources used in the 

 production of this milk. Milk production varied with quality of forage, 

 herd size, and grain feeding practices. 



Stage III 



Program V, the only program in Stage III, used the output from 

 Program IV (the total resources used and products produced for each 

 comhination of weather pattern, starting date, system, and method of 

 producing milk) as input. This program determined the total income, 

 total cost, net income, and total investment for the combinations ana- 

 lyzed. 



DATA AND ASSUMPTIONS FOR THE ANALYSIS 



The coefficients necessary to evaluate the harvesting systems and 

 the alternate methods of feeding grain are developed in this section. 

 These coefficients controlled the computer programs for simulating 

 farm conditions by specifying such things as: how many acres could 

 l)e mowed in a day; what losses occurred for each system; what date 

 mowing started; what weather patterns were assumed; how many labor 

 and machinery hours were needed to mow and harvest an acre of land; 

 and how many man-hours were required to milk, feed, and care for 

 cows. 



Acreage 



In this study, 100 acres of forage was the basis for analysis of har- 

 vesting and utilization. Each acre received the same application of 

 fertilizer, contained the same species of plant, and the yield per acre was 

 the same on any date for all systems. 



Forage Crop Yield 



The only source of variation in forage crop yields considered was 

 date of cut of the first crop harvested. Research in the Northeast indi- 

 cates vield increases (at a decreasing rate) as harvest date advances 



'J Because there are many management methods possible in the production of 

 milk, no single method would be ideal for all circumstances. The program written 

 allowed the operator to combine the resources in 6 different ways. Variation in herd 

 size and method of feeding were permitted. Herd size could be held constant with 

 forage deficits and surpluses adjusted for by hay purchases and sales; or herd size 

 could be allowed to vary with size being determined by quantity of forage avail- 

 able. See Clifton C. Cloud, "The Effect of Alternative Harvesting Methods on the 

 Qualities and Quantities of Forage Harvested and on the Production of Milk and 

 Net Farm Income," unpublished M.S. thesis. University of New Hampshire. 



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