BEHAVIORS OF FARM RESOURCES IN LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION ON SEMI-SUBSISTANCE FARM ORGANIZATION

As the price of feed increases more than the price of livestock products the farm resources employed in livestock production on general farms were adjusted in significant degree with respect to the price changes. However, the adjustments of the farm resources differ by individual livestocks due to the differences in the purpose of raising individual livestocks, in the components of feed inputs, and in the divisibilities of the individual livestocks, etc. The draft cattle on general farm is being raised mostly [by the by-products and roughages available on the farm. For an average farm, a draft cattle exhaust most of the by-products and roughages on the farm. For feeding of poultry and hogs, the purchased feeds are the important part of the total feed inputs. Therefore, the relative price changes for feed and livestock products at the market affect less in the draft cattle raising than in poultry and hog production. Animal power and manure are the indispensable factors for crop production on gen eral farms. Because of the necessity of the animal power, the farm resources employed for draft cattle is less responsive with respect to the relative price changes for feed and livestock products compared to the farm resources in poultry and hog production. As the price of feed increases more than the price of livestocks, farmers tend to combine the livestocks which will exhaust the available feed sources on the farm by reducing the expense for purchased feeds. For this purpose, a cattle will preferably be chosen. Two cattles are too large animal units for the available feed sources, but one cattle may not exhaust all the available feeds. After choosing a cattle, small units of hog or poultry are added for an exhaustive use of the remaining feeds. The price situation of feeds in the recent years was unfavorable for livestock production. Therefore, farmers are making efforts to get higher cash income from the cattle which was chosen primarily for power services. The frequency of buying and selling of cattles by farmers are increasing to get higher margin from the exchange. Small size farms are feeding a calf by field grasses during the summer season to get more cash income.