the level of grain feeding and consumption of forage vary as the distance 

 from market increases. It was necessary therefore to vary the acreage of 

 forage and grain in relation to the milk price zone. Thus, although the 

 quantities of forage needed to maintain the 25-cow herd and replacements 

 vary with distance to market, production of forage on the farm provides 

 an adequate supply. ^^ 



The yields of crops per acre on the typical farm are at the level of 

 the average for the highest third of the sample farms visited. Hay-pasture 

 land was assumed to produce 2.4 tons of hay equivalent per acre from both 

 harvested and grazed land. New seedings were assumed to yield 2.2 tons 

 of hay equivalent per acre. Yields of improved rotation pasture were 2.3 

 tons of hay equivalent per acre and of permanent pasture 0.8 ton per acre. 

 The forage was classified as good. The feeding rates for cows and young 

 stock on the typical farm that are shown in Table 20 were based on the in- 

 formation given in Tables 5 and 6. The length of the pasture season varies 

 with location in the milkshed. This accounts for some of the variation 

 between quantities of winter forage and pasture in Table 20. 



The typical farm has a herd of 25 cows and enough young stock to 

 provide all the replacements necessary. The level of production per cow 

 is 8,500 pounds of 3.7 percent milk. The life of a cow in the herd is 3.5 

 years which means that 7 cows would be culled and 12 calves would be 

 sold from the farm each year (Table 21). 



Building space for the typical farm is based on that found on the 

 sample dairy farms visited (Table 16). It is assumed that there are 35 

 stanchions that can be used for either cows or young stock, and that an 

 equivalent of 11 stanchions can be used only for young stock of various 

 ages (Table 21). 



Table 21. Livestock Organization and Barn Space on a Typical Small 

 Dairy Farm Whose Operator Raises All Required Dairy Herd Replacements 



34 This is the best method of balancing feeds to needs and minimizing the vari- 

 ations in budgeted costs and returns among the various price zones. Differences in 

 income computed in this way more truly represent the effect of location, and therefore 

 prices, on the relative profitability of various combinations of purchased and raised 

 replacements. 



41 



