MONTANA DAIRY PRODUCTION 



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N the monthly reports of a relatively large 

 number of farmers, showing total cows in 

 milk herd, number of cows milked and the 

 total production of milk on the last day of 

 each month, there is indicated for 1926, a 

 slight decrease in the total milk herd, that 

 has more than been offset by an increase 

 . in the percentage of the herd and a better 

 average production per cow and per herd. 



MILK PRODUCTION STUDY 



Regular crop reporters each month are 

 asked the following questions relative to 

 milk production on their farm on a specific 

 day: (A) Number of cows milked on your 

 farm yesterday. (B) Number of all milk 

 cows, dry or in milk, in your herd yester- 

 day. (C) Total production of milk by your 

 herd yesterday, either in pounds or gal- 

 lons. 



While this monthly survey has been in operation but little over two years 

 and much of its value will lie in comparisons that will be built up as the 

 records increase, the results of the 1925 and 1926 reports will be of interest to 

 reporters cooperating in this study and are, therefore, summarized as tentative 

 figures, for such months as the data was found to be representative. It is expected 

 that the representativeness of the data will increase, since reporters have shown 

 considerable interest in this survey in numbers of returns made each month. 



RESULTS OF MILK PRODUCTION STUDY 



(Comparative Data for April to November, 1925-1926) 



Reports Cows in Herd Cows Milked 



1925 1926 1925 1926 1925 1926 



April 263 294 1,903 2,356 1,050 1,392 



May 298 221 2,439 1,862 1,471 1,186 



June 250 271 1,829 2,267 1,183 1,473 



July 257 265 2,221 2,014 1,541 1,413 



August 300 225 2.303 2,013 1,540 1,391 



September 250 269 1.943 2.002 1,168 1,399 



October 269 270 2,110 1.891 1.281 1.167 



November .., 252 332 1,962 1.687 1,049 1.020 



Total 2.139 2.147 16,710 16,092 10,283 10.441 



Average Per Herd....267.3 268.4 7.81 7.50 4.80 4.86 



Average per day for cows milked, April to November 



MILK COWS IN MONTANA 



Of the total of 1,190,000 all cattle in Montana on January 1, 1927, the 

 number of milk cattle is placed by estimates of the Federal Crop Reporting 

 Service at 233,000 head. Of this number 188,000 are milk cows and heifers 

 aged two years and over, and 35,000 are heifer calves intended primarily for 

 milk. Estimates of milk cows include both dairy cows and cows of beef type 

 kept primarily for milk purposes. 



TREND OF MILK COWS SINCE 1920 



Since 1920 the trend of milk cow numbers has been upward, although in 

 the past year there has been some small contraction in total numbers as the 

 result of a dry season and heavy marketings which apparently have included 

 some milk cows of beef type. 



(See table, page 46.) 

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