Knowledge is power
Rick Rasby
Angus Journal
Cow costs continue to increase in the cow-calf enterprise. Fuel, labor and feed costs have caused the cost of producing a weaned calf to increase. Although pasture grazing costs have increased, it still appears more profitable to keep cattle grazing for as many months out of the year as possible compared to dry-lotting and carrying feeds to feed them. Producers can control the time of year when the nutrient demands of the cow herd are the greatest and when they are the lowest. Producers can determine when the cow herd will calve by determining when a defined breeding season will begin and end and when weaning will occur. Couple this with information on pasture quality, and producers may have the opportunity to keep unit cost of production in check as other costs continue to increase.
