1 8 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



liave done a little work in re-adjusting my data, and I hope I will be able 

 to give you some information which will be beneficial. 



The herd of cows at the station were selected by several persons, and 

 it was therefore made up of representatives of several breeds of dairy 

 cows, and some were fair representatives of the two beef breeds — short- 

 horns and Angus. As a whole the herd would have been classed as a good 

 ■^one. They consumed on an average per head 878 pounds of barley, 358 

 pounds of ground corn, 1750 pounds bran, 500 pounds of oil meal, 1800 

 pounds of roots, 3500 pounds of ensilage, and one ton of hay, and were 

 130 days in pasture. Barley meal and corn meal were rated at $14 per 

 •ton, bran $11, oil meal $26, ensilage and roots $2, and $3.20 for prairie 

 liay and $5.60 for timothy. The average cost for feed per head for the year 

 was $37.82. 



The yield of milk ranged from 4526 pounds to 10,287 pounds, and 

 averaged from the herd 6,408, co sting for feed 61.1 cents for 100 pounds 

 €>f milk. The average yield of butter ranged from 252 pounds to 476 

 pounds, and averaged 351 pounds. While the yield of milk and butter 

 were entirely satisfactory, the cost of production was high. The cost for 

 feed to produce a pound of butter was 10.6 cents, and the average price 

 of butter at Elgin for that year (18S3) was 29i/^ cents. The cost of feed 

 could have been somewhat reduced, if food stuffs had been used which 

 Ijrovided protein at least cost, but this factor was not considered, and if 

 the feed had been charged at local market prices, instead of the amount 

 a,ctually paid for them in the city markets. 



The herd was managed fairly well; strict regularity was observed as 

 to time of feeding, watering, and milking. It is barely possible that 

 more grain was fed than was actually necessary with a number of the 

 «cows, since going off feed was a frequent occurrence during the winter. 



During the year 1894 only ten of the cows remained in the herd the 

 entire year, as it was necessary to get rid of some on account of tuber- 

 culosis. There was much disturbance in the herd during the year on 

 account of the tuberculin test, and certain changes were made. I was 

 also away much of the time and each cow's needs were not watched as 



