FIFTY-SECOND ANNUAL CONVENTION 207 



The cost of feed was considerably higher for the win- 

 ter-freshening cows than for the cows freshening in the sum- 

 mer months. This is no doubt owing to the fact that the 

 former produced the most milk and therefore required the 

 heaviest ration when the cost of feed was highest. However, 

 in the feed cost per unit of milk there was little difference 

 between the cows freshening in the different seasons. 



The cost of roughage was found to be practically the 

 same per cow for all seasons of freshening; but the grain 

 cost was $9.23 more for those freshening in the fall than for 

 those which freshened in the spring. However, this in- 

 creased feed cost was more than offset by the 32 pounds 

 more butterfat produced by the fall-freshening cows. 



Cows that calve in the spring usually give a big flow of 

 milk during the summer months when feed is cheap. But- 

 terfat is also usually low in price at that season. Then, too, 

 the spring-freshening cow is very likely to receive a severe 

 setback in milk production when the heat, flies, and short 

 pasture appear. It is difficult to get her back to high pro- 

 duction during the fall and winter; consequently she must 

 be carried through the winter on expensive feeds with a 

 very small margin of profit. 



There are several advantages in having cows freshen 

 in the fall. Butterfat usually brings a higher price during 

 the fall and winter months. Labor is easier to obtain then, 

 and there is more time to care for the calves and a large 

 supply of milk. The fall-freshening cow, if properly fed 

 and handled, will, as a rule, produce well during the winter 

 months, falling off as spring opens. At this time the spring 

 pasture grass will act as a stimulus and cause increased pro- 

 duction during the spring and early summer. The period of 

 low production will come during July and August, when 

 conditions are extremely unfavorable for high production. 

 It is undesirable to have cows freshen during the hot sum- 

 mer months, because of hos weather, flies, and dried-up 

 pastures. Fall-dropped calves are easier to raise and usu- 

 ally less subject to diseases. 



The dairyman who sells his milk to a city retail trade 

 should have his cows freshen at all seasons of the year in 



