26 N. H. Agricultural Experiment Station [Bulletin 302 



Summary 



In general, farmers in southern New Hampshire were raising part 

 or all of their replacements. Sixty-three per cent of the cows on hand 

 at the end of the year were raised on the respective farms where inven- 

 toried. Forty-five farmers were raising an excess of heifers as an en- 

 terprise in addition to that of milk production. The average of the 

 inventories showed that there were three heifers for each five cows. 

 Based on the average of freshening, 30.3 months, there were virtually 

 enough heifers to replace all cows sold and those that died during the 

 year. 



Approximately 30 per cent of the cows inventoried at the end of the 

 year were added during the year, two-thirds by first-calf heifers and 

 only one-third by purchase. Individual records for 70 per cent of 

 these purchased cows show that one-half were purchased from local 

 farmers. Eighteen per cent of the 4450 cows handled during the year 

 were sold, more than one-half of which were sold for productive pur- 

 poses at an average price of $67. Only 15.6 per cent of the raised cows 

 were sold compared with 22.1 per cent of those purchased. 



Farmers stated just why they preferred to raise their replace- 

 ments. They explained that under current cow prices, it was cheaper 

 to buy cows than to raise them, but that by raising them, the expense 

 of maintenance was less noticeable. They also stated that by raising 

 replacements they knew what they were getting and that disease was 

 less likely. 



Feed costs alone (exclusive of pasture and that portion of skim milk 

 which had no sale value) of raising a heifer to the age of freshening 

 averaged $67. This was only $10 more than the average price paid for 

 all cows purchased and only $4 more than that paid for grades. 



According to data collected, 38 per cent of the cows sold for produc- 

 tion were sold for reasons which would indicate that their ownership 

 was questionable for continued production. Chances of getting satis- 

 factory cows were much greater when buying cows raised rather than 

 those purchased and resold, and also when paying above average price. 

 The important thing is to buy raised cows from farmers who make it 

 their business to raise cows to sell. 



The results of the tuberculin test on 164 farms were closely associated 

 with replacement methods. Forty per cent of the cows tested reacted 

 on the first test ; 54 per cent of those purchased compared with 29 per 

 cent of those raised. Of the 51 herds which consisted entirely of raised 

 cows. 36 or 69 per cent passed a clean test. The prevalence of abortion, 

 as witli tuberculosis, is associated with replacement methods. Herds 

 which consisted only of cows raised had comparatively little trouble 

 with premature births, whereas in herds which were entirely purchased, 

 untimely births amounted to 14.4 per cent of the cows on hand at the 

 beginning of the year. 



