AN ECONOMIC STUDY OF DAIRYING 



285 



of the pasture, and money paid for the use of pasture, were included. The 

 amount received for stock taken in to pasture was deducted to get the 

 cost of pasturing the farmer's own stock. This cost on each record was ap- 

 portioned to cows, heifers, herd bulls, horses, and sheep, on the animal -unit 

 basis and according to the number of days pastured. Most of the pasture 

 hired was for heifers and the amount paid was charged directly to them. 



The average date of turning out in the spring was May 14, and that of 

 beginning full barn feeding in the fall was October 19. This allowed an 

 average of 159 days on pasture. The dates of turning out varied from 

 May i to June i. The dates of beginning to feed in the fall varied from 

 September 15 to November 15. Usually the meadows were pastured 

 after the hay was removed. They furnished considerable feed, especially 

 on the river flats. For this no charge was made, altho such a charge 

 should have been included. In late summer and early fall, pasture was 

 frequently supplemented by grain or fodder or both. The dry matter in 

 the feed used supplementary to pasture for cows was equivalent to the dry 

 matter in ten days of winter feed. On this basis pasture furnished 149 

 days of full feed for cows. 



An average of 53.2 acres to each farm was pastured. Since the average 

 size of farm was 156.7 acres, 34 per cent of the land was in pasture. The 

 average value was $20.25 an acre - O n the average 3.1 acres were pastured 

 per animal unit. 



The cost of pasture was $4.83 per cattle unit for the season, or 3.04 

 cents a day. Of this, interest and taxes comprised 72 per cent, and fencing 

 costs 20 per cent. The balance was cash paid for hired pasture and other 

 miscellaneous items. The charge for stock taken in to pasture was at 

 the rate of $6.30 an animal unit for the season, or about 4 cents a day. 



A summary of pasture costs is given in table 4. Stock pastured, and 

 the distribution of the cost of pasture, are given in table 5. 



TABLE 4. COST OF PASTURE, 2018 Cows, 607 HEIFERS, 106 HERD BULLS, 199 SHEEP, 



AND 124 HORSES AND COLTS 



7,927.5 acres of pasture land at $20.25 = $160,509 



