86 



X. H. Agr. Experiment Statioj^' 

 Table 75 — The cow enterprise {-'il't farms). 



[Bulletin 260 



Costs and Returns of Milk Production 



Costs 



The total average gross cost of keeping a cow on 326 farms having 

 not less than 6 cows each was $160.75, as shown in Table 76. Of this 

 total, 23.9 per cent was for grain feed, which may be added to dry 

 forage, 15.8 per cent, and succulence, 5.8 per cent, to make up a total 

 barn feed cost that was 45.5 per cent of all costs. Pasture represented 

 4.1 per cent. Direct human labor constituted 24.3 per cent with 3 per 

 cent more for hauling milk. This labor and feed together represented 

 a total of 76.9 per cent of all costs. 



The average amount of feed per cow was 1,595.5 pounds of grain, 

 4,449 pounds of dry forage, and 3,408.8 pounds of succulence. Direct 

 human labor averaged 140.4 hours per cow with 17.3 more hours per 

 cow for hauling milk, exclusive of the hauling hired. 



Returns 



When all returns except milk Avere deducted from total costs, the 

 net average cow cost of producing milk was reduced to $140.44 per 

 cow, as indicated in Table 77. The corresponding cost per 100 pounds 

 of milk was $2.69. The returns for milk sold plus the value of that 

 used on the farms amounted to $3.02 per 100 pounds of milk, which 

 represents a net gain of 33 cents per 100 pounds. Thirty cents of this 

 is represented in a credit for manure. If one does not have good use 

 for so much manure on cash crops, or in the intensive production of 

 hay, it becomes a doubtful asset at so high a value. 



