300 BULLETIN 409 



Appreciation on cattle 



On most farms where dairy cattle are raised to replace those that die 

 and those that are sold, the increased value of young cattle exceeds the 

 depreciation and all losses due to death. On the farms studied, this excess, 

 or appreciation, amounted to $27,988, or 12 per cent of the returns from 

 cattle. Appreciation and depreciation were calculated in the following 

 manner : 



When considering the entire herd as a unit, cattle were charged with 

 the first inventory and all purchases of dairy cattle. They were credited 

 with cattle sold or used, hides, and the second inventory. 



Cows were charged with the inventory at the beginning, cows purchased, 

 and heifers that became cows. They were credited with cows sold or 

 slaughtered, cow hides, and the inventory at the end. 



Heifers were charged with the first inventories, heifers purchased, and 

 value at birth of heifers born during the year. They were credited with 

 heifers sold and slaughtered, value at time of freshening of heifers that 

 freshened during the year for the first time, heifer hides, and the inventories 

 at the end. 



Herd bulls were charged with the inventories at the beginning, herd 

 bulls purchased, and value at birth of bull calves born during the year 

 and to be kept for future service. 'They were credited with herd bulls 

 sold or slaughtered, hides, and the inventories at the end. 



Veals and bulls to be sold were charged with the inventories .at the begin- 

 ning, purchases, and value at birth of veal calves and of bulls to be sold 

 that were born during the year. They were credited with veals and bulls 

 sold or slaughtered, hides, and the inventories at the end. 



A summary of the appreciation or depreciation on each part of the 

 enterprise is given in table 20. 



Calves born during the year were charged to heifers, herd bulls, and 

 veals and bulls to be sold, at their values at birth. They were credited 

 to cows but were not included in the returns from cattle. The data are 

 given in table 2 1 . 



Manure recovered 



No credit was given for manure produced on pasture, and neither was 

 the pasture charged with it. To have credited and charged manure in 

 these different places would have increased the total costs and total returns 

 for cattle by the same amount, without affecting the gain or loss on the 

 enterprise or the cost of producing milk. The 149 farmers estimated 

 that 20,642 tons of manure was recovered from cattle for use on crop land. 

 This is 7.7 tons per cattle unit, there being 2670.3 cattle units. 



The value of manure depends, not only on the composition of the ration, 

 but also on the proportion and kind of litter and especially on the possible 

 returns from its use. Estimates as to its value at the barn averaged about 



