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: Sow Welfare and Group Housing Systems - Dr. Laya Alves

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Laya Alves from the University of São Paulo, in Brazil, discusses how animal welfare regulations are evolving globally and their impact on pig production systems. She explains challenges in group housing, pain management, and euthanasia decisions, while highlighting the role of training and management in improving outcomes and economic sustainability. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Translating welfare requirements into daily farm routines without compromising economic sustainability remains one of the biggest challenges faced by producers globally today."

Meet the guest: Dr. Laya Alves / laya-kannan is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, focusing on animal welfare in pig production, including pain management, euthanasia, and economic decision making. Her work integrates welfare science with practical farm management and sustainability. She collaborates globally to develop applied tools for producers.