June, 1940] 



Farm Management in Colebrook 



21 



POUNDS 

 OF MILk 



400 



300 



200 



100 



I IS I IS I 15 I IS I 

 OCT. NOV. DEC. JAN. 



IS I 15 I 15 I IS I IS I 15 I IS 

 FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JUL AUG 



IS I 

 SEPT 



Figure 10. Comparison of actual milk production with the rating and 

 also with milk production based on a normal lactation curve, for a 

 herd with relativelj' even production. 



and his spring freshening cows to use his available pasture resources. 

 Having carried the cows in good production to the barn-feeding pe- 

 riod on good pasture, he might feed his spring freshening cows more 

 grain. It is doubtful if he could profitably feed more than a moder- 

 ate amount at the surplus milk prices obtaining at the time. 



The goal of the individual operator would not be to level off pro- 

 duction but to manage his resources to have the highest net returns. 

 By providing supplementary pasture roughage and shifting the 

 freshening dates of a few cows to the fall, he could substitute a 

 production range of from 400 to 600 pounds for the present 150 to 

 750 pounds. This would have involved 13.780 pounds additional pro- 

 duction during the year and an estimated additional gross income 

 of $209. On the expense side, additional cash outlays would require 

 $200 for grain, seed and fertilizer. 



The production on farm C was similar to D, ranging from 200 

 pounds in January to 800 pounds in June. The 800 pounds produc- 

 tion on flush pasture declined to 240 pounds in three months. But 

 this operator supplied his rating at all periods, and to build a better 

 rating under the conditions would require forced and uneconomic 

 production in the fall at surplus prices. 



On the other hand, the operator with a rating more in keeping 

 with his farm could adjust grain feeding and other practices to ad- 

 vantage. But the possibilities of these economies are offset by prac- 

 tices followed on individual farms in establishing the rating. Thus 

 the method of establishing individual rating rather than the rating 

 principle is responsible for uneconomic practices. Historically, the 

 rating was based on production in short periods of previous vears. 

 Those with good ratings could hold them but individuals without 

 good ratings found it difficult to even off production to meet the 

 market needs. 



For the period under study the rated milk averaged $2.00 and the 

 excess $1.00.* Thus due to differences in ratings, operators shipping 



*Rating plan not in operation now. 



