FARM ORGANIZATION IX SOUTHWESTERN MINNESOTA 51 
CAUSES FOR VARIATIONS IX FEED REQUIREMENTS FOR DAIRY COWS 
The amount of feed required by a dairy herd is determined by 
the farmer who feeds them. It is varied according to his judgment 
and to his available supply of feed. In general, the greater the 
amount of pasture used the less the amount of grain and hay fed. 
Silage reduces the amount of dry roughage fed. In general, the cows 
were fed according to production and the heaviest producers received 
the most feed. The grain fed per cow was more than four times as 
great in 1921 as in 1920. This was due in large measure to the 
low price of feeds that year as compared with the price of dairy 
products. Grain had declined in price so much more proportionately 
than had butterfat that the dairy cow offered a relatively better mar- 
ket for it than she had the previous year. Part of this large differ- 
ence in grain requirements between the two years is, however, due to 
a change in the herds included in the study. Only four of the same 
herds were included both years. The grain feed for these herds was 
doubled in 1921 with a resulting increase of 30 per cent in butterfat 
production. The three herds added in 1921 were fed over seven 
times as much grain per cow as the average of the herds they dis- 
placed and produced 60 per cent more butterfat. 
CAUSES FOR VARIATIONS IN LABOR REQUIREMENTS FOR DAIRY COWS 
In general, the labor per cow decreased as the size of the herd 
increased. Milking is the only operation for which labor varies 
directly with the number of cows. 
On farms 1 and 8, where the largest utilization of pasture was made, 
the man-labor requirements were lowest. These herds received very 
little feed while on pasture. Farm 9 reported as many pasture clays 
per cow as farm 1; but the cows were fed grain and hay while on 
pasture, thus increasing labor requirements. 
On farms 15 and 17 the cows were fed either grain or silage all but 
one month of the year and on farm 21 every month. On the farms 
with lower man-labor requirements little, if any, feed was supplied 
in addition to pasture during six months of the year. 
The high man and horse labor requirements for farm 21 were due 
to the fact that all milk was bottled and delivered in Windoni as 
whole milk. Other farms sold cream which was delivered only two 
or three times a week. Farms 8 and 17 used horses largely in haul- 
ing cream and their horse-labor requirements were higher than on 
those farms where cream was delivered with an automobile. 
On farms 15 and 21 the cows were stabled practically every day 
in winter. On farm 17 the cows were stabled most of the winter 
and on farm 9 part of the time. On the remaining farms they were 
turned out in the yard during all but the severest weather. 
CAUSES FOR VARIATIONS IN PRODUCTION OF BUTTERFAT 
The four highest producing herds were much more heavily fed than 
the low producers. The grain ration for the low producers was 
largely corn, whereas the high producers received considerable small 
grain and in two cases oil meal. Three of the four highest producing 
herds received alfalfa hay. 
As has already been noted, the three highest producing herds were 
stabled practically all winter. These herds and that on farm 6 were 
