UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



1 BULLETIN No. 858 i 



S^fc'^-TL 



Contribution from the Bureau of Animal Industry 

 JOHN R. MOHLEE, Chief 



Washington, D. C. 



July 16, 1920 



REQUIREMENTS AND COST OF 

 PRODUCING MARKET MILK IN NORTHWESTERN 



INDIANA. 1 



By J. B. Bain, Dairy Husbandman, and R. J. Posson, Market Milk Specialist, 



Dairy Division. 



CONTENTS. 



Character and scope of the work 1 



Methods used in obtaining the data 2 



Description of herds 4 



Requirements for producing 100 pounds of 



milk 6 



Requirements for keeping a cow one year... 8 



Requirements for keeping a bull 9 



Summary statement of costs for the two years , 



by seasons 10 



Determination of bulk line cost . 15 



Percentage comparison of factors in milk pro- 

 duction 15 



Factors involved in the cost of producing 

 milk 19 



Presentation of results by months, seasons, 

 and years 27 



Summary 30 



CHARACTER AND SCOPE OF THE WORK. 



In order to determine the requirements of milk production, to 

 isolate and analyze the various factors so that methods could be 

 recommended for reducing the cost of production, and to obtain data 

 which would aid in improving general milk-production methods, the 

 United States Department of Agriculture, through the Dairy Divi- 

 sion of the Bureau of Animal Industry, began a series of studies in 

 1915. Since the intention of the department was to make these 

 studies as thorough as possible, it was decided that the first step 

 would be to obtain accurate data concerning the requirements for 

 producing milk by practical dairy farmers in market-milk centers 

 of the United States. Accordingly projects were organized to 

 obtain detailed records on groups of dairies in various market-milk 

 sections. 



1 The work was carried on in northwestern Indiana in cooperation with the Purdue University Agri- 

 cultural Extension Department, and applies especially to milk supplied from that section for the 

 Chicago market. 



174719°— 20— Bull. 858 1 



