Post by tabitha on Jun 27, 2008 10:13:53 GMT -5
recently dh & i sat down and made a rough estimate of how much we pay per day for our cows. i am shocked. i am worried. the costs of feed and hay are rising daily, and we are already a very meager family. this isnt exact, and i fear it may even be a low estimate, but here is how our costs break down (and i dont include the purchase price of the animals or anything like that).
as you can see, we are paying about $7/ day to feed 3 cows, only one in milk. at the same time we are raising 100 extremely expensive broiler chickens (i say extreme because of the rising costs of corn, etc) this year, our laying flock, and hoping to get two feeder piglets this fall. how can anyone afford this? i know that no one can afford not to really, and since our priorities lie with healthy, safe food above all we must do it. but i am feeling so downhearted these days about money.
just curious how much per day is average here?
- $3/ day in hay: we have limited pasture and right now in the peak of pasture we feed about 1/3 bale a day per cow, so 1 bale/ day because we have a yearling calf. the hay is $3/ bale. in the winter, we wont have the calf but i imagine we will feed much, much more hay.
- 66cents/ day in dairy grain: our dairy ration is about 17 cents a pound. i feed 4lbs a day to Rori. this will increase when Nimue calves and i am also feeding her. presumably when i dry off Rori i will cut her ration.
- about $1/ day in 12% plain feed: this is about 12cents a pound and we fgeed the calf 8 lbs a day and Nimue one pound. Nimue's pound will go away as we begin the dairy grain with her. and all of Boca's share is only until we kill her in september.
- $2/ day in beet pulp & alfalfa cubes, soaked: two thirds of this is for Rori and the other third for Nimue. Nim's will increase. presumably when i dry off Rori i will cut her ration.
- salt and water. we provide big salt & mineral blocks, kelp meal, and fresh water which we have to pay for. i have no idea how to figure this.
as you can see, we are paying about $7/ day to feed 3 cows, only one in milk. at the same time we are raising 100 extremely expensive broiler chickens (i say extreme because of the rising costs of corn, etc) this year, our laying flock, and hoping to get two feeder piglets this fall. how can anyone afford this? i know that no one can afford not to really, and since our priorities lie with healthy, safe food above all we must do it. but i am feeling so downhearted these days about money.
just curious how much per day is average here?