812 



The Cost of Horse Labour. 



[Dec, 



Table III. 

 Food Consumption per Head per Year. 









Average of 

 11 Farms. 





Maximum. 



Minimum. 



Grazing ... ... 



36 acres 



0*9 acres 



1*4 acres. 



Roots ... ... 



24 cwt. 





10 cwt. 



Hay ... • [*H ... 1 ¥M 



40 cwt. 



5 cwt. 



23 cwt. 



Oat straw 



54 cwt. 



G cwt. 



27 cwt. 



Oats 



112 bush. 



40 bush. 



54 bush. 



Purchased concentrated foods 



14 cwt. 



3 cwt. 



11 cwt. 



Total weight of concentrated foods 



46 cwt. 



24 cwt. 



31 cwt. 



If ail the concentrated foods were supplied as oats, each horse 

 would require 10 quarters per year, or the produce of 2-2^ 

 acres. During the season 1919-1920, on the 11 farms costed, 

 the average cost of grazing amounted to £3 6s. Od. per acre ; 

 vetches, £13 12s. 9d. per acre; roots, £1 10s. Od. per ton; hay. 

 £4 15s. 0d. per ton; straw, £2 15s. Od. per ton; and oats. 

 £1 19s. 0d. per quarter. 



Ninety-five per cent, oi the roots, 85 per cent, of the hay, 

 and 92 per cent, of the straw fed to the horses on these 11 farms 

 were home-grown. Of iLt concentrated foods consumed, 62 p r 

 cent, were fed in the slw.w of home-grown oats. 



Assuming that only home-grown foods are 'fed, ' and that 

 these are charged at average cost of production prices, the 

 average cost of food per horse per year would have amounted to 

 £'85 17s. 9d., or 13s. lOd. per head per week, instead of 

 £40 5s. 5d. per head pei year, or 15s. 6d. per head per week, 

 which was found to he the actual food bill per horse. 



The incidental expenses per horse on the 11 farms amounted 

 to £10 Is. 4d. per year, or 3s. lOJd. per week, or lljd. per 

 working day, and constituted 17 per cent, of the total cost of 

 upkeep. They were made up as follows : — 



£ s. d. • 



Shoeing bill "... ... ... 4 2 C 



Saddler's bill : ... 3 8 6 



Veterinary expenses ... 12 6 



Proportionate share of rent of buildings ... ... 12 



„ „ rates „ „ ... 3 6 



Cost of water and light ... ... ... . . ... 7 6 



Proportionate share of insurance and other incidentals 14 10 



£10 1 4 



Fortunately, farriers' charges are now coming down and 14s. 

 will at the present time in many districts cover the cost of a 

 new set of shoes. 



