6o8 READINGS IN RURAL ECONOMICS 



RELATION OF PRODUCTION OF ANIMALS TO PROFITS 



Receipts per animal. If a farm keeps many animals, the re- 

 turns from them are of course just as important as are the crop 

 yields. The products sold from the average cow little more than 

 pay for the feed. But the value of the feed in New York is 

 usually only about 55 to 70 per cent of the total cost of keeping 

 a cow. There can be no profit from keeping an average cow with 

 the present prices that farmers receive for their dairy products. 

 The prices of products ought to be high enough so that an aver- 

 age cow would pay interest and wages to the farmer. But the 

 general question as to price of milk is not a matter that any 

 individual farmer can settle. The purpose of this bulletin is to 

 help individuals with their personal problems. The individual 

 must take the price offered, and, if he is to make a profit, must 

 adjust his business accordingly. There is no surer way of losing 

 money than to feed cows that do not pay their feed bill. 



The average receipts per cow from milk and its products were 

 $53 in Tompkins County, ^57 in Livingston County, and $59 in 

 Jefferson County. This is in addition to milk used for the few 

 calves raised and in addition to milk used in the home. When 

 all feed is counted and the entire value of milk and stock is 

 counted, the average cow pays her feed bill, but the manure does 

 not begin to pay all other costs. Evidently one must have cows 

 much better than the average in order to make money. 



The receipts per cattle unit averaged $52 in Tompkins County, 

 $52 in Livingston, and ^57 in Jefferson. This includes returns 

 from all sources for the entire cattle industry. This indicates that 

 the returns from raising and selling cattle do not greatly change 

 the results. 



When all animals except horses are included, the results are little 

 changed, the receipts per animal unit except work horses being $52 

 for Tompkins County, 1^50 for Livingston, and $61 for Jefferson. 



Relation of receipts per cow to profits. Table 19 shows the 

 relation of the receipts per cow to profits on farms in Jefferson 

 County having six or more cows. Not until the receipts per cow 

 reach $'j^ do the cows aid the farmer in making a profit. Efforts 



