By Dr. Kenny Burdine
Much has been written recently about the strength of the current cattle market. With beef cow inventory at a 60+ year low and demand being very strong, cow-calf operations are clearly in the driver’s seat. Calf values are more than double what they were three years ago, which speaks to considerable opportunity for cow-calf operators to invest in their cowherds.
Expansion is often the first opportunity that comes to mind in a strong calf market and there is likely merit in expansion, if doing so is consistent with the goals of the operation. However, some producers may not be interested in growing the size of their cowherds due to land and / or management constraints or other reasons.
This article will briefly walk through other opportunities that are worth consideration.
Source : osu.edu