10 BULLETIN 73, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Average cost, per hundredweight, to raise and fatten calves $3. 61 
Amount of money received for 49 fat calves 1, 506. 55 
Value of 15 heifers left on farm for breeding 225. 00 
Total income of herd during 1911-12 : 1, 731. 55 
Total profit on herd during 1911-12 436. 19 
Average profit on each calf (64 calves) 6. 81 
Average profit on each cow (80 cows) 5. 45 
The herd consisted of 80 cows, but only 64 calves were raised to an 
age of 1 year; this is, however, an excellent record. This is much 
better than the results reported on the Kernachan herd, when only 
70.8 per cent and 72 per cent of the cows dropped calves during the 
springs of 1906 and 1907, respectively. The breeder can not expect 
every cow in the herd to drop a calf each year. It is important, 
however, that as many of the cows as possible produce calves each 
year; the idle cows are not only idle capital but they are constant 
consumers of farm products. The idle cow has a very important 
part to play in the total expense of raising a calf, as an expense 
of keeping her must be charged against the calves which other 
cows produce. To illustrate: The above table shows that a clear 
profit of $6.81 was made on each one of the 64 calves, but when the 
total number of cows was taken into consideration it is seen that a 
clear profit of only $5.45 was realized on each. 
It cost $1,295.35 to care for and feed the whole herd during one 
year's time. This figure includes all possible expenses, as cost of 
labor, interest on investment, depreciation in the value of the herd, 
cost of pasture and all other feeds, and taxes. Forty-nine fat calves 
were sold for $1,506.55; 15 good heifer calves were kept on the farm 
for future breeding purposes, and they were valued at only $15 each, 
When the value of these 15 calves, $225, is added to the sum received 
for the fat calves, the total income of the herd is raised to $1,731.55. 
A total profit of $436.19 was consequently realized on the whole 
herd of 80 cows. 
These results are, of course, entirely satisfactory, as they represent 
profits above the interest on the money invested, while the value 
of the manure made on the farm is not taken into consideration. 
The worth of the manure should never be neglected but there was no 
way to determine the exact amount produced and no approximation 
was made. 
SUMMARY STATEMENTS. 
(1) The objects of this test were, first, to learn what it would cost 
to raise beef calves to an age of approximately 9| months, under 
average farm conditions, and, second, to determine the profit, if any, 
in finishing these young calves for the market during the winter 
months and selling them when about 12 months old. 
