Cow-Calf Production Costs & Returns

Jul 11, 2025

By Hannah Baker

In a recent Southern Ag Today article, the trends in farm operating costs over the last few years were discussed based on data released by the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) in May. The article focused mainly on row crops, but the data also includes operating costs for cow-calf production. So, the focus of this article will be looking at historical cow-calf production costs combined with forecasted costs for 2025 and 2026 from the Livestock Marketing Information Center.

Over the last five years, cow-calf operating costs per head have increased by 29 percent nationally, according to data from the ERS and LMIC. Looking back at the 10-year average (2015-2024), annual operating costs for a cow-calf operation have been $602.53 per head (does not include pasture rent) according to ERS survey data.

Source : osu.edu

Video: WARNING! Rough Start To Breeding Season!!

WARNING! Sheep Breeding Season Begins With A Bang! Breeding season is officially underway at Ewetopia Farms, but it didn’t exactly start the way we planned!

This vlog begins with us sorting through our rams to find the perfect match for a customer’s breeding program. What should have been routine quickly turned dangerous when one of our more nervous rams panicked. In seconds, Arnie’s knee was injured, and then I was slammed hard onto the concrete floor — both of us taken down by one ram!

Thankfully, it was just bruises, but it’s a reminder of how unpredictable and powerful mature rams can be. Once we recovered, it was time to get back to the real work — the start of breeding season.

We sorted the ewes into four breeding groups (two Suffolk and two Dorset), checking parentage as they ran through the chute, deworming those that needed it, and setting aside thinner ewes for session two of breeding season in a month’s time.This staggered approach keeps lambing organized and prevents overcrowding in the barns.

From rogue rams to the excitement of new breeding groups, this episode is full of action. Stay tuned for the next vlog, where we’ll share how we chose the rams for each group!