10 BULLETIN 73, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTUEE. 



Average cost, per hundredweight, to raise and fatten oah'^es $3. 61 



Amount of money received for 49 fat calves 1, 506. 55 



Value of 15 heifers left on farm for breeding 225. 00 



Total income of herd during 1911-12 1, 731. 55 



Total profit on herd during 1911-12 436. 19 



Average profit on each calf (64 calves) 6. 81 



Average profit on each cow (80 cows) 5. 45 



The herd consisted of SO cows, but only 64 calves were raised to an 

 age of 1 year; this is, however, an excellent record. This is much 

 better than the results reported on the Kernachan herd, when only 

 70.8 per cent and 72 per cent of the cows dropped calves during the 

 springs of 1906 and 1907, respectively. The breeder can not expect 

 every cow in the herd to drop a calf each year. It is important, 

 however, that as many of the cows as possible produce calves each 

 year; the idle cows are not only idle capital but they are constant 

 consumers of farm products. The idle cow has a very important 

 part to play in the total expense of raising a calf, as an expense 

 of keeping her must be charged against the calves which other 

 cows produce. To illustrate: The above table shows that a clear 

 profit of $6.81 was made on each one of the 64 calves, but when the 

 total number of cows was taken into consideration it is seen that a 

 clear profit of only $5.45 was realized on each. 



It cost $1,295.35 to care for and feed the whole herd during one 

 year's time. This figure includes all possible expenses, as cost of 

 labor, interest on investment, depreciation in the value of the herd, 

 cost of pasture and all other feeds, and taxes. Forty-nine fat calves 

 were sold for $1,506.55; 15 good heifer calves were kept on the farm 

 for future breeding purposes, and they were valued at only $15 each. 

 When the value of these 15 calves, $225, is added to the sum received 

 for the fat calves, the total income of the herd is raised to $1,731.55. 

 A total profit of $436.19 was consequently reaUzed on the whole 

 herd of 80 cows. 



These results are, of course, entirely satisfactory, as they represent 

 profits above the interest on the money invested, while the value 

 of the manure made on the farm is not taken into consideration. 

 The worth of the manure should never be neglected but there was no 

 way to determine the exact amount produced and no approximation 

 was made. 



SUMMARY STATEMENTS. 



(1) The objects of this test were, first, to learn what it would cost 

 to raise beef calves to an age of approximately 9 J months, under 

 average farm conditions, and, second, to determine the profit, if any, 

 in finishing these young calves for the market during the winter 

 months and selling them when about 12 months old. 



