Dairy and hog farming in northeastern Iowa

Abstract

<p>On Northeastern Iowa dairy and hog farms, highest returns were obtained where the number of milk cows equaled litters of pigs. This meant about 6 pounds of hogs were produced to each pound of butterfat. Where hog production was less, returns were lower. The butterfat-hog price ratio, during the years of the study, favored hogs, with 1 pound butterfat worth only 3.5 pounds of hogs.</p> <p>Generally, the strictly dairy herds were more profitable than the dual-purpose herds, even though butterfat prices were unfavorable in comparison to beef, during the period studied. Income from beef in the dual-purpose herds was not enough to offset the lower sales of butterfat.</p> <p>The dairy herds, with 16.6 cows, averaged 229 pounds butterfat sold or used in the household, and 493 pounds beef per cow, while the dual-purpose herds, with 14.1 cows, averaged 162 pounds butterfat output and 711 pounds beef per cow.</p>