58 



DAIRY FARMING 



Three things should be known in order that the relative 

 profits of each animal may be calculated. These are the 

 amount of milk, the percentage of fat, and the cost of feed 

 consumed. When comparing individual animals these factors 

 rank in importance in the order given. 

 While cows should be fed according to 

 their production, it is not generally 

 practical to keep an individual feed 

 record of each. The best plan on the 

 farm is to know the cost of feeding the 

 entire herd and the total income above 

 feed, and then make such calculations 

 as may seem necessary to determine 

 whether certain low-producing cows 

 should be kept. 



47. Complete Milk Records. The 

 most satisfactory plan of keeping records 

 is to weigh the 'milk of each cow daily. 

 This does not require much extra time 

 when proper arrangements are made. 

 The experience of every one who has 

 tried it is that no time spent on the farm 



good 



pays better. A spring balance, graduated 

 to pounds and tenths, should be provided 

 and placed at a point convenient for the 

 milkers with the milk sheet close at hand. 



The advantages of daily weighing may be summed up as 



follows : 



1. It makes it possible to reject the unprofitable cows. 



2. Makes possible economic feeding. Individual cows 

 should be fed in proportion to the amount of milk they 

 produce. 



FIG. 19. A 

 scale for weighing milk. 

 The second pointer is 

 set to read zero when 

 the empty pail is at- 

 tached. 



