48 BULLETIN 1388, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Under present conditions the most profitable way of disposing of 
many of the low-grade and waste products on these farms is by feed- 
ing them to livestock. The class best to keep depends on other fac- 
tors. If located near a good market for dairy products it may be 
best to keep dairy cows. The success of the dairy enterprise depends 
largely on the fitness of the operator to handle cows successfully. If 
cream is the product sold, the question arises as to the best disposal 
of the skim milk. Feeding the skim milk to hogs may pay, especially 
if there is a considerable supply of waste potatoes, rutabagas, and 
grain on hand. 
After deciding to keep dairy cows and pigs, as best suited to fit 
into the farming scheme, a farmer must decide how extensively to go 
into these two side lines. Several points must be considered. In 
many individual cases, where the soil is uniform and productive, 
where dependable markets are available for the principal cash crops, 
and where a comparatively small amount of idle or cheap labor exists, 
it probably will not pay to keep more cattle and hogs than can con- 
sume the cheap and low-grade hay, potatoes, and other waste from 
crops. In deciding upon the number of side lines and how exten- 
sively to go into each, the operator should keep in mind the fact that 
small units are seldom economical unless they utilize cheap family 
labor or hired labor that would otherwise be unused. 
The number of hogs that can be kept to advantage on crop farms 
in the Yakima Valley depends much upon the available skim milk, 
waste potatoes, squash, grains, etc. Hogs must make at least a con- 
siderable part of their growth from waste or cheap feeds produced on 
the farm, if they are to be a particularly profitable side line. Good 
alfalfa pasture, as shown by experiments, helps considerably in reduc- 
ing the cost of pork production. 
Sheep can be used to advantage on some Yakima Valley farms, 
particularly where considerable hay and pastures are available and 
where the operator wants to keep livestock but is not well fitted to 
handle cattle and hogs successfully. 
Chickens and turkeys are profitable side lines on these farms. 
Much of the success of the poultry enterprise depends upon the 
adaptability and skill of the operator. 
LABOR AND MATERIAL REQUIREMENTS OF LIVESTOCK 
Much of the "guess" about probable results from livestock enter- 
prises on an individual farm can be removed by an understanding of 
the feed and labor requirements of the different classes of livestock. 
Practically all of the farmers with from four to six cows and a few 
head of other productive livestock are able to care for the livestock 
enterprises without additional help. These farmers estimate that 
such an amount of livestock reduces the time available for other 
work about two hours a day. So much of the work on livestock, 
however, comes at a time when there is no work to be done on crops 
that the additional value of the livestock enterprises, the farmers feel, 
more than compensates for whatever competition exists between 
livestock and crops. 
The feed requirements for livestock, as shown in Table 25, will 
assist farmers in this area in apportioning their feed and pasture 
resources among the different classes of livestock. These require- 
