A STUDY IN THE COST OP PRODUCING MILK. 33 



This result is in keeping with common experience both with animals 

 and crops, namely, that the greatest savings are achieved in changing 

 from the very poorest animals or crops to those of medium produc- 

 tion or better.^ 



Most of the cows producing less than 4,000 pounds in these herds 

 were heifers. This illustrates a factor of economic importance 

 connected with maintaining the standard of the herd by the intro- 

 duction of heifers. Normally, heifers do not produce as much as 

 mature cows. Moreover, many heifers, even though carefully 

 selected, do not measure up to expectations and must be discarded. 

 As a result, even in the most efficiently managed herds, the pro- 

 duction from heifers is comparatively low, and the cost per unit of 

 product relatively high. In connection with the discussion of this 

 topic it is of interest to note the relative feed cost of cows on these 

 four farms according to their milk production and to compare the 

 same groups in their relation to the feed cost per 100 pounds of milk. 

 These comparisons are made in graphic form in figure 8, which also 

 includes curves constructed from records published by the Connecti- 

 cut (Storrs) Agricultural Experiment Station.^ There were no cows 

 in the station herd that produced less than 3,000 pounds. Owing 

 to higher prices, the actual feed cost per cow and per unit of product 

 was greater for the cows of each group in the station herd. The 

 data from the four farms show that it costs more to keep a cow that 

 gives a high yield of milk than one giving a low yield. However, 

 within the limits of production shown by these cows, the profits 

 from the high-producing animals are greater, because the increased 

 cost of keeping a cow is not in proportion to increase in yield. This 

 results in a lower unit cost for the product and a greater margin of 

 profit, both per unit and per cow. These data emphazise the fact 

 that the quality of the individual cow is a highly important factor 

 in the cost per unit of product. 



SUMMARY. 



While the results derived from the cost records from the four farms 

 in question may be said to be strictly applicable only to the farms 

 upon which the studies were made, nevertheless they are representa- 

 tive of certain types of dairying, and the fundamental facts developed 

 in studying them wiU be of considerable practical value to all milk 

 producers and especially valuable to those operating under similar 

 conditions. 



From the information on these four farms there appears to be a 

 fairly uniform relationship between various items entering into the 

 cost of milk production according to the type of dairying followed. 



1 " It is both easier and more profitable to increase * * * a small product per cow than a large 

 one."— Dept. Bui. 341. 

 2 See c, p. 34. 



