MAEKET MILK IN SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA. 



11 



more in winter but the labor cost was slightly less in winter than in 

 summer. 



The credit for calves and manure amounted to 7.2 per cent of the 

 total annual gi'oss cost. On the farms studied the credits for calves 

 and manure failed by 15.2 per cent of the gross cost (18.2 + 4.2 — 

 7.2) to equal the "other costs/' including depreciation on the herds. 



Table 8. — Per cent of total annual gross costs represented by feed, labor, and oilier 

 costs and credits for calves and manure, by seasons. 



Item. 



Winter. 



Summer. 



Entire 

 year. 



Feed and bedding cost 



Per cent. 



27.9 



1.4 



Per cent. 



21.4 



2.7 



Per cent. 

 49.3 



Pasture cost 



4.1 







Feed, bedding, and pasture cost 



29.3 

 11.7 

 9.2 



24.1 

 12.5 

 9.0 



53.4 

 24.2 



other costs except herd inventory variation 



18.2 



Total cost except herd inventory variation 



Depreciation on herd 



50.2 

 2.1 



45.6 

 2.1 



95.8 

 4.2 



Total cost of production 



52.3 



47.7 



100.0 







Credits for calves and manure: 



Calves 



0.8 

 2.9 



0.9 



2.6 



1.7 



Manure 



5.5 









3.7 



3.5 



7.2 



AVERAGE COSTS COMPARED WITH BULK-LINE COSTS. 



Table 9 shows the difference between the average and the bulk-line 

 costs. Considerable latitude is allowable in selecting the bulk line, 

 but it is usually selected to include from 80 to 90 per cent of the total 

 volume of milk produced. Thus the bulk-line cost indicates the cost 

 at or below which the greater volmne of the milk is produced. Only 

 the dairymen having extremely high costs will have costs above the 

 bulk-line cost. This table shows the figures for each separate herd, 

 and the relative position of the average cost and the average mcome 

 in the scale of herd costs. 



During the first winter 84 per cent of the milk was produced at a 

 cost of S5.67 or less per 100 pounds. The average cost of producing 

 milk for this same period was $4.97 and the average income received 

 from milk was S4.34 for each 100 pounds sold. 



During the first summer the bulk-line cost might be placed at either 

 $3.37 or $3.44, since the table shows that 86 per cent of the total 

 volume of milk was produced at or below $3.37 and 90.4 per cent 

 at or below $3.44. The average income from milk sold during this 

 season was $3.87 per 100 pounds. 



The bulk-line cost for the second winter might be placed at $0.59 

 or $0.74, since these costs correspond to 81.4 per cent and 87.2 per 

 cent, respectively, of the total volume. 



