HAVE TO BE RICH TO MILK!
The first year’s calf crop was somewhat of a disappoint
ment. The genetic law of averages didn’t hold up. Thirty of 33
calves were bulls. Things have averaged up since then, though.
Bingham uses artificial breeding with the herd. It enables
him to use the best bulls in the country without having to own
them. Careful selection results in higher production and im
provement in dairy characteristics and physical points.
What about production? Well, last year the total milk pro
duction figure was over 400 thousand pounds. His top produc
ing animal reached 17,061 pounds of milk and 733 pounds of
butterfat. The total figure above represents the amount of milk
shipped off the farm. He also feeds his calves lots of whole milk.
A highlight of this operation deals with the economics of
production. Many economists say that a dairy farm usually
averages one man for every 200 thousand pounds of milk. Jack
Bingham’s figure is well over 300 thousand pounds. He ordi
narily has a hired man for just a few months of the year and
then uses him mostly in the field. He works hard keeping up
with his two bucket milkers on 30 to 36 cows twice a day,
but, he says he makes as good a time as others with milking
parlors.
Jack Bingham likes the life of a purebred dairyman. He
likes it because he feels a man has the opportunity to make of
it what he will. He figures his cash crop on the place is calves.
His goal is to average as much income from sale of calves each
year as he gets from milk. Last year his milk checks totaled
something over $15,000. He didn’t sell anywhere near that
amount of registered Holstein calves last year, but his herd is
constantly improving and there are other years coming. As the
reputation builds, so will the demand for his stock.
“Milking cows is sort of like cash grain cropping a farm,”
says Jack. “You have to constantly ‘put back’ if you expect to
keep production up. I work hard at keeping my milking ani
mals in good condition and comfortable. I treat every cow as
an individual and it pays off.”
One of Jack’s projects is an exacting fly-control program.
He is cooperating (mighty willingly) with Illinois Extension
workers in their attempt to eradicate flies on the farm. He strip
grazes his pasture to keep his cattle a jump ahead of the pests.
^It r ■
(Jack Bingham is very consci
entious about fly control on r
the farm. He believes that seri
ous fly infestations can tor
ment cows to the extent of
drastically reducing their milk
production.
TO HIGHER
CORN YIELDS
The superior performance of DeKalb Com
Varieties in 1962 confirms a significant break
thru to higher corn yields. DeKalb’s new true
single-crosses and 3-way type crosses have
shown remarkable performance in "measured
acre” trials on many farms and in DeKalb
tests. Some examples are listed below. Check
the yields, and see your DeKalb dealer—make
your next corn crop ALL DeKalb.
i-PROOF-,
Variety State County Yield
805 Illinois Edgar 230.53
XL-45 Michigan Lenawee 154.8
805 Kentucky Boyle 203.94
XL-45 Illinois DeKalb 170.0
805 Ohio Licking 144 28
XL-45 Illinois Boone 156.21
805 Tennessee Washington 163.56
XL-25 Illinois Jo Daviess 130.2
805 Ohio Henry 174.95
XL-15 Michigan Saginaw 111.2
XL-45 Minnesota Houston 152.1
805 Illinois Warren 141.91
XL-345 Illinois Jo Daviess 126.2
805 Illinois Clark 171.83
XL-45 Iowa Boone 157.0
XL 361 Iowa Boone 168.0
805 Ohio Henry 169.0
XL-45 Illinois Boone 154.1
805 North Carolina Cherokee 145.58
3XO Nebraska Custer 157.84
805 Indiana Rush 163.81
805 Indiana Wayne 166.69
XL-345 Wisconsin Lafayette 138.3 *