18 BULLETIN 49, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



SUMMARY OF COST FOR ALL GROUPS FOR FIVE YEARS. 



In the preceding pages the discussion has been confined to the 

 cost-record data for one group of calves. It is of interest here to 

 compare the cost for the one group with those of the other groups 

 in the five-year period. In Tables XI, XII, and XIII are presented 

 a summary of the cost data on all groups of calves raised on the 

 Brigham farm from 1908 to 1912, inclusive. These tables show how 

 closely the total cost and the items that go to make up this total 

 compare for the different groups. The cost for any one group is 

 typical for all groups in the five-year period. 



SUMMARY OF THE FIRST-YEAR COST OF RAISING CALVES. 



The cost of each class of feed given for four different groups of 

 calves the first year (Table XI) permits a study of the relative 

 importance of the various feeds and the effect upon the total feed 

 cost. Over 50 per cent of the feed cost is for milk. The increase in 

 the proportion of milk in 1910 and a change in the ratio of roughage 

 to grain in 1911 does not reduce the total feed cost. These changes 

 may be advisable for the good of the calf, but the effect of such 

 changes is a subject outside the scope of this publication. It is inter- 

 esting to note how closely the percentage and the cost of the different 

 feeds compare for the different groups. 



Table XI. — Comparison of the cost of raising four groups of calves the first 

 year, reduced to the per head basis. 



Item. 



1908 group (average 

 number, 17.68). 



1909 group (average 

 number, 20.42). 



1910 group (average 

 number, 14.08). 



1911 group (average 

 number, 17.43). 



Actual 

 cost. 



Per cent. 



Actual 

 cost. 



Per cent. 



Actual 

 cost. 



Per cent. 



Actual 

 cost. 



Per cent. 



Whole milk 



$4.74 

 7.89 

 3. 76 

 6.32 

 1.26 



19.8 

 32.9 

 15.7 

 26.3 

 5.3 



$5.22 

 6.33 

 4.26 

 6.94 

 1.83 



21.3 

 25.7 

 17.4 



28.2 

 7.4 



$7.36 

 6.91 

 4.94 

 4.45 

 1.39 



29 $6.98 



27. S 





28 



20 



18 



5 



6.54 

 6.20 



3.78 

 1.58 



26.2 





24.6 





15.1 





6.3 







Total feed cost. 



23.97 



100 



24.58 



100 



25.05 



100 



25.08 



100 



Feed 



23. 97 

 3.59 

 6.15 



71.2 

 10.6 

 18.2 



24.58 68.4 



25.05 

 4.84 

 6.45 



69 



13.3 



17.7 



25.08 

 4.23 

 6.59 



69.8 





5.14 

 6.23 



14.3 

 17.3 



11 8 





18. 4 







All costs 



33. 71 

 3.00 



100 



35.95 

 3.00 



100 



36.34 

 3.00 



100 



35.90 

 3.00 



100 













Cost of raising. . 



30. 71 





32.95 





33.34 





32.90 













The cost for feed alone ranges between $24 and $25 for the four 

 groups. The variation in natural conditions and the number of 

 calves fed cause a variation in the amount and cost of labor. The 

 labor cost for the first year ranges from $3.59 to $5.14. 



The other costs seem gradually to increase with each successive 

 year, probably owing to the increasing number of registration fees. 



