ECONOMIC USE OF FORAGES IN LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION 21 
of forage in complementary relationship with grain would need 
9,000 man-hours of labor to handle the 45 dairy cows required to 
consume that quantity of forage, if he follows the high-grain dairy 
ration. ‘The same quantity of forage could be utilized with only 2,640 
hours of labor if 15 milk cows were fed the high-forage ration. Only 
951 hours of labor would be required to consume 100 tons of forage by 
feeding 23 yearling steers a high forage ration. 
When labor is the limiting factor in production, in allocating it 
among alternative enterprises those livestock systems that require the 
smallest amount of labor per dollar of net income may well have 
priority. If labor is extremely limited, systems that are intensive 
in its use probably would not be selected. ‘Table 9 compares the net 
returns that would be realized for 100 hours of labor applied to 
alternative feeding systems for each of three price periods. Hogs 
fed the all-grain ration in dry lot show the more favorable returns 
per 100 hours of labor for the three price periods indicated. But 
no forage is consumed by these hogs. If all available labor were 
applied to this livestock-feeding system, it would be profitable to 
extend production of forage through the complementary relationship, 
even if no return were realized from forage as a feed. But, while the 
returns per 100 hours of labor are substantially higher for hogs fed 
this ration than for any of the other classes of livestock, it does not 
TasrE 9.—Labor per head and net return per 100 hours of labor, 
specified price periods, by kind of livestock and by feeding system 
Net returns per 100 hours of labor 2 
Livestock and feeding system 1 Labor 
; per Head olesi9a1-35)| | iiga7-ays h )194a4e 
prices prices prices 
Dairy cows: Hours Dollars Doilars Dollars 
Ve Yio are ya a A al I ht 200 10. 25 14. 31 22.52 
Wedium™ hie hroraints ssa een aoe 193 2. 02 P2515 25. 07 
Miediunashightorage: a 0a sie iow 183 lS 9. 39 20. 56 
Bliohefonace se aah Tejeles Wy) pede. uted 176 —4, 42 7. 61 18. 13 
Feeder cattle: 
Calves) Nigh) Crain ce cere et Meare 17.4 15. 63 66. 32 233. 90 
Yearlings: 
igh omainiteeiea . Mie they th ei ele 15.3 |—29. 93 93. 07 313. 52 
Medivmvforagel jet: 25 fee 19. 0 3. 26 | 116. 37 316. 10 
Va lp Kan ngs ay fz Vegas ck Wedeel lave telah its See ON 10. 9 24. 58 | 173. 39 613. 11 
2-year-old steers, high grain_________ 12. 6 70. 95 90. 32 135. 55 
Beef herd: 
400-pound calf, high forage________- 15.0 |—89. 33 | —5. 40 |—104. 06 
Calitfed ‘out, ‘high’forage! 23.38 2s 33.0 |—48. 36 27. 70 83. 76 
Hogs: 
Dry lot: 
Jal toa ga) Mee Mee a a OE EAS ee Lhe, .59 | 137. 29 | 725. 42 |1, 616. 95 
Medium forage: #6592 mire ries 65 98. 46 | 656. 92 |1, 521. 54 
ich foragemt 00. sian hoae his r . 70 22. 85 | 558. 57 |1, 351. 47 
Pasture: 
PUL fon ree b ows My ate cy ORY RSD GRA ete aU PN Wy . 59 28. 81 | 574. 57 |1, 098. 30 
Mediumetorage ste ck uae ccey amen .70 | —2. 86 | 411. 42 |1, 765. 71 
High fordgesd [isis Bo" ai Teac . 80 |—83. 75 | 231. 25 |1, 223. 75 
1 See pages 16 to 18 for a description of each system. 
* Net returns are computed as a residual after deducting all costs, including 
the cost of labor at the going wage. 
