Date of Award:

5-1970

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Applied Economics

Department name when degree awarded

Agricultural Economics

Committee Chair(s)

Lynn H. Davis

Committee

Lynn H. Davis

Committee

Darwin B. Nielsen

Committee

John E. Butcher

Abstract

A study was made to determine the relative profitability and competitive position of cattle fattening, lamb fattening, and milk production in the state of Utah for 1968.

Production costs of cattle fattening ranged from $22.10 to $32.28 per hundred pounds of gain. Net return amounted to $19.65 per head. Lamb fattening costs ranged from $24.25 to $29.76 per hundred pounds of gain. Net return from lamb feeding operations averaged $2.06 per head. Cost of producing milk amounted to $4.90 per hundredweight while net return amounted to $.61 per hundredweight.

Measure of profitability used in comparison included $100 worth of feed fed, return per hour of labor, and return per $100 invested in fixed assets.

Lamb fattening was the most profitable of the selected enterprises. Return per $100 worth of feed fed amounted to $35.46, $25.35, and $21.68 for lamb fattening, cattle fattening, and milk production respectively. Based on return per hour, lamb fattening, cattle fattening, and milk production contributed $10.08, $8.50, and $2.49 per hour respectively. Labor requirement was much higher for milk production than the other enterprises.

Return per $100 invested showed lambs again to be the most profitable showing a return of $79.54. Cattle fattening was second with a return of $69.73 while milk production with its high investment per cow showed only $24.00 return per $100 invested in fixed assets.

All three selected enterprises could pay as high as $28.00 per ton for alfalfa and $2.60 per hundredweight for barley without causing a negative return.

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