4 BULLETIN" 919, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



size of 28.6 cows, and produced an average of 8,323 pounds of 3.59 

 per cent milk per cow. The cows were mostly Holsteins, and the 

 average annual production for both years was 7,833 pounds of 3.66 

 per cent milk. During the first year the pastures were poorer than 

 they had been for years, whereas during the second year they were 

 exceptionally good until the last month, when the herds were pastured 

 on the second-growth meadows. As a matter of record, many herds 

 grazed on pastures in which the clover stood a foot high — high 

 enough to be cut for hay. The extreme variation in the condition of 

 the pastures during the two seasons largely accounts for the increase 

 of 954 pounds of milk per cow during the second year. 



For each 100 cows in the herds during the two years, 55 freshened 

 during the winter six-months period and 42 during the summer 

 season, while 3 cows did not calve during the year. During the first 

 year the cows dropping calves in winter were dry 1.9 months, while 

 those cows dropping calves in summer were dry 1.4 months. The 

 corresponding figures for the second year were 2.2 months in winter 

 and 1.5 months in summer. Nearly one-half of the cows freshening 

 dropped their calves during the months from February to May, 

 inclusive. 



REQUIREMENTS FOR PRODUCING 100 POUNDS OF MILK. 



The unit requirements for producing 100 pounds of milk during 

 this investigation are shown in Table 1. In order to secure more 

 uniform results and to overcome the effect of fluctuating prices, money 

 values have been eliminated as much as possible. By showing the 

 feeds in terms of pounds and the labor in terms of hours it will be 

 possible to use these figures for some time to come. 



Table 1.- 



-Vnits required, except cost of management, for producing 100 pounds 

 of milk in winter and in summer. 



Item. 



Wi 



iter. 



Two 

 winters. 



Summer. 



Two 



1917-18 



1919-20 



1917-181 



1919 



summers. 



Feed: 



Purchased concentrates pounds. . 



Home-grown grains do 



25.8 

 1.1 



18.8 

 12.9 



22.1 

 7.3 



4.3 



4.9 

 1.1 



4.6 

 .6 









26.9 

 80. 016 



31.7 



SO. 028 



2 29.4 

 SO. 022 



4.3 



SO. 002 



6.0 



SO. 004 



5.2 2 



Hauling and grinding concentrates 



SO. 003 





.9 

 90.1 

 3.1 



10.2 

 70.0 

 11.7 



5.8 



79.5 



7.6 





.2 



9.0 



.8 



.1 



Commercial carbohydrate hay. .do 



Legume hay do 



4.4 

 .3 



6.8 

 .6 





94.1 



156.8 



91.1 

 131.1 



92.9 

 143.3 



4.7 



42.7 

 .027 



10.0 



38.2 

 .02 

 .2 



7.5 



Silage and other succulent rough- 

 age pounds. . 



40.4 

 .025 



B edding pounds . . 



12.4 



5.9 



9.0 



.1 







i This season consisted of September, and October, 1917, and May, June, and July, and August, 1918. 

 2 The summary of the unit requirements by seasons is printed in bold-faced type for convenience of the 

 reader. 



