SHEEP ON NEW ENGLAND FARMS. 



11 



COSTS. 



While the data furnished by the survey study are not complete 

 enough to make possible a detailed study of the cost of conducting 

 either the sheep or the dairy industry, taken with other data ob- 

 tained for the purpose it is sufficiently complete to give a fair indi- 

 cation of the major expense items which are of most concern to the 

 average farmer and have the most pronounced bearing upon profits. 

 Hence the discussion of costs to follow, which is admitted to be 

 incomplete, is presented only as an intermediate step in determining 

 relative profits of the two industries. 



Figures available representing the average value of feed con- 

 sumed per animal unit by all stock on farms with and without sheep, 

 indicate that an animal unit of sheep and dairy stock in New England 

 each consume in the course of a year practically the same amount 

 of roughage other than pasture, but that the dairy stock require 

 many times more grain than do the sheep. As nearly as can be esti- 

 mated from the data at hand, the total average feed cost per animal 

 unit of sheep above pasture for the year 1914 was $32. 20. 1 The esti- 

 mated feed cost per animal unit of dairy stock on the other hand was 

 $48.90. 2 



As to pasture, the value of that furnished the sheep in late sum- 

 mer and not furnished the cows has already been included in the 

 feed cost under the head of supplementary forage crops. Further 

 than this no attempt will be made to estimate the value of pasture, 

 as it is believed that this cost per animal unit is practically the same 

 for either sheep or dairy cattle and that for the purpose of compar- 

 ing returns it can well be omitted. 



Labor, as nearly as can be estimated, cost about $6.30 per animal 

 unit of sheep as compared with $18.45 per animal unit of dairy 

 stock. This allows for 4.2 days of man labor per year per animal 

 unit of sheep and 12.3 days for the dairy stock, the rate in either 

 case being $1.50 per day, which, according to survey figures, was 

 the average prevailing day wage paid in those regions in 1914. 



The feed and labor costs together total $38.50 per animal unit of 

 sheep, and $67.35 per animal unit of dairy stock. 



1 Includes : 



Hay, 2 tons, at $11.40 $22. 80 



Straw and stover, 0.2 ton, at $5 1. 00 



Roots, 7 bushels, at $0.10 .70 



Supplementary forage crops 3. 50 



Grain feed, 280 pounds, at $1.50 per hundredweight 4.20 



32. 20 



2 Includes : 



Hay, 2 tons, at $11.40 $22. 80 



Straw and stover, 0.2 ton, at $5 I. 10 



Silage, 1.1 tons, at $3.75 4. 10 



Grain feed, 1,400 pounds, at $1.50 per hundredweight 21.00 



48. 90 



