A STUDY IN THE COST OP PRODUCING MILK. 



The average price per ton of the mixture of concentrates for each 

 of the years was $26.56, $24.26, $24.40, and $29.40, respectively, the 

 average for the four years being $26.16. The average price per ton 

 of aU dry roughage ranged from $7.51 to $11.48, the average for the 

 four years being $8.71. The four-year average price of alfalfa was 

 $12.75, mixed and clover hay $8.50, and corn stover $3.04 per ton. 

 Silage, including some green corn, was valued at from $3.13 to $4 

 per ton, the yearly average being $3.68. 



Table III. — Annual quantity of feed and its cost per cow on the Wisconsin farm. 



Year. 



Concentrates. 



Dry roughage. 



Silage. 



Pasture. 



Total 

 feed 

 cost. 



Quantity. 



Value. 



Quantity. 



Value. 



Quantity. 



Value. 



Days. 



Value. 



1909 



Pounds. 

 1,920 

 1,600 

 1,388 

 1,310 



$25. 52 

 19.42 

 19.78 

 19.26 



Pounds. 

 2,005 

 2, 546 

 1,780 

 1,297 



S8.53 

 9. ,55 

 7.70 

 7.46 



Pounds. 

 6,754 

 7,010 

 7,160 

 7,401 



$10. .59 

 14.02 

 14.32 

 13.20 



184 

 214 

 184 

 198 



$6.02 

 6.42 

 6.10 



8.83 



$50. 66 



1910 



1911 



1912 



49.41 

 47.90 



48.75 







Average, 4 years. 



1,605 



21.00 



1,907 



8.31 



7,081 



13.03 



195 



6.84 



49.18 



THE MICHIGAN FARM. 



Table IV gives a summary of the quantity of feed consumed per 

 cow and its costs for the Michigan farm herd for the years 1909 to 

 1912. Only the last three years are considered in obtaining an aver- 

 age to show the typical feeding methods practiced on this farm. The 

 smaller quantities and value of feeds consumed per cow in 1909 are 

 due to the fact that a number of heifers were fed in the herd the full 

 year, although not giving milk except for a few weeks toward the 

 end of the year. The larger quantity of concentrates and silage per 

 cow on this farm for the year does not mean a larger daily ration, 

 since the cows were stall-fed throughout the year. The use of the 

 lot for pasture and exercise was charged to them on the basis of cost 

 for interest, taxes, and fencing repairs. Expenses for feed and bed- 

 ding are quite uniform for 1910 to 1912. Approximately 47 per cent 

 of this feed cost is for concentrates, 26 per cent for dry roughage, 

 25 per cent fpt silage, and 2 per cent for pasture. The concentrates 

 were fed in the form of mixtures, consisting principally of bran, dried 

 beet pulp, cottonseed meal, gluten feed, and ground beans. Bran 

 was usually purchased in carload lots. The average price per ton of 

 the mixture of concentrates was $21.84, $22.92, $24.78, and $23.52, 

 respectively, the four-year average being $23.36. About one-third 

 of the dry roughage consisted of alfalfa, and most of the remainder 

 was timothy and clover hay, the average price per ton of each being 

 $17.74 and $12.61, respectively. A small quantity of corn husks and 

 straw valued at $5 per ton was used. The average yearly price for 

 all dry roughage was $14 per ton, and silage was valued at $3 per 

 ton each year. 



