Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 May 1891 — IMPROVING DAIRY STOCK. [ARTICLE]

IMPROVING DAIRY STOCK.

An Important Matter for the Dairy Farmer to Consider. The need for better cows for the dairy is coming to be very generally appreciated. Statistics collected in lowa shows that the average cow in that state gives but 3,000 pounds ol milk annually, while good ones yield from 5,000 to 6,000 pounds. How unequal is the supply of butter is shown by the fact that in the state of Vermont the average yield of butter per cow is only about 13Q jK>und| _ per annum, while there are thirty dairies in the state that average over 300 pounds a cow. Some most im"portant facts were recently brought out by a series of experiments with twelve cows, among which were Jersey, Ayrshire, Devon, Durham, Dutch and native cows, under the auspices of the department of agriculture. The most profitable cow was bought for S6O, fed 584 days, and then sold for S2B, making her actual cost $32, and the feed cost. $135.05, so that the total cash outlay was $167.05. The milk brought $203.35 at the creamery, and the manure was estimated to be worth $56,93, making the total value received for feed consumed, $260.30. Subtracting the cash outlay of $167.05 from this, there remains $93.25 as net return for feed consumed. Deducting the estimated value of the manure, the remainder, “return in excess of estimated value of the manure,” is $36.32. In the average for the twelve cows, the net return was $50.43; and the return in excess of the estimated value of the manure only $15.12. With the least profitable cow, the cash outlay for cow and feed exceeded the value of milk and manure by $3.97, in other words, the net return for feed consumed was $8.97 less than nothing. Subtracting the value of the manure, the total loss was $34.25; that is to say, the allowing for the value of the manure the results with the twelve cows varied from a gain of $93 to a loss of $3.97, or if the value of the manure be left out of account from a gain of $36.32 to a loss of $34.25. It was found that the profit or loss did not depend upon either the breed or the length of the feeding period. The most profitable cow and .the least profitable but one were born* same breed. Of the two most profitable cows, one was fed for 584 days and the other for only 278 days. Two things are brought out clearly by these experiments. One is that in certain localities the value of the manure goes far to decide the profit in feeding dairy cattle. Another is that cows which would ordinarily pass for good ones may differ widely in product. To the practical dairyman, however, they teach the difference between cows which are profitable and those which are not, and the importance of selecting the best cows and getting rid of the poor ones; in other words, of being thoroughly cognizant of the issues upon which the success or failure of his, business depends.