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Objectives were to examine the effect of using selected dairy farm management practices and other factors on average milk yield per cow and to evaluate characteristics explaining differences among dairy farmers in adopting practices. Data were obtained from 2712 operators of southern dairy farms. They were classified by management practices used including Dairy Herd Improvement records, artificial insemination, forage testing, balanced rations, and concentrate feeding methods. Feeding part of the concentrates at milking and part at other times showed increases of 190 to 259kg yield per cow over feeding all the concentrate at milking. Compared with herds in which no identified practice was used, herds in which records or artificial insemination were used had 467 and 358kg more yield per cow, respectively, and in herds in which all the practices were used the milk yield (per cow) was 1066kg more. Factors affecting dairy farmer use of management practices were herd size, yield per cow, type of ownership, and education. A typical dairy farmer using all the management practices had a larger herd producing above the average, was younger than average, was in a farm partnership, and had a college education.

Supply management for milk is defined in this paper as any method used to attempt to balance supply with demand. Price supports, voluntary dairy farmer programs, and mandatory programs were evaluated for the South. Partially as a result of government programs, milk production in the South increased 5% in the 1976 to 1986 while production in the United States increased 20%. Southern dairy farmers participated at a higher rate than US dairy farmers in both the milk diversion and dairy termination programs. Long-term average returns to southern dairy farmers in 1976 to 1985 were well under returns to dairy farmers in other regions, which partially explains the high participation. Southern dairy farmers indicated a poor future in dairy farming and retirement age as major reasons for dairy termination program participation. Southern dairy farmers are expressing mixed opinions regarding supply management programs for the future. “Let the 1985 program work” is one expression. Another group shows concern about low prices, adequate but not excessive supplies for the fluid market, and the family dairy farm. Some prefer mandatory supply management including marketing quotas. Milk price, used alone as the supply management policy, may be a harsh adjustment method for dairy farmers and the dairy industry in the South.