INFLUENCE OF SEASON OF FRESHENING ON DAIRY COWS. 5 



It is also true that fall-freshening cows are dry at the time of year 

 ■when field work is generally greatest. 



FEED COST. 



The cost of roughage was about the same regardless of the season 

 of freshening, but there was a considerable difference in the cost of 

 grain. Table 5 shows how the four seasons ranked on average cost of 

 grain per cow ; that is, the year's cost of grain for cows of the dif- 

 ferent seasons. 



Table 5. — Seasons when coics freshened ranked according to cost of grain re- 

 quired for the year's feed. 





Season of freshening. 



Number of times ranked. 





First. 



Second. 



Third. 



Fourth. 





6 

 9 



44 

 5 



5 

 15 

 14 

 30 



12 



23 



5 



24 



41 



Summer 



15 



Fall 



1 





5 







In 44 of the 64 associations fall freshening ranked first in cost of 

 grain to feed a cow a year and in only one of the 64 associations did 

 the fall-freshening cows rank fourth in cost of grain. On an aver- 

 age the cost of grain was highest for the cows that freshened in the 

 fall (see Table 1) , next highest for those that freshened in the winter, 

 and lowest for those that freshened in the spring. The average cost 

 of grain per cow was lowest in 41 of the 64 associations for the cows 

 that freshened in the spring. 



As the cost of roughage for the year was about the same regardless 

 of the date of freshening, the total cost of feed varied approximately 

 according to the cost of grain. Table 6 shows how the seasons ranked 

 on total cost of feed. 



Table 6. — Seasons when cows freshened ranked according to total cost of feed. 





Season of freshening. 



Number of times ranked. 





First. 



Second. 



Third. 



Fourth. 





8 



9 



42 



5 



5 

 14 



18 

 27 



11 



24 



3 



26 



40 



15 



1 



6 





Pall 



• 







In 8 associations the feed cost was greatest for the cows that 

 freshened in the spring, in 9 the feed cost was greatest for those that 

 freshened in the summer, in 42 the feed cost was greatest for those 



