Cow Feed Costs

[RBT]

I was just curious. What does everyone figure it costs to feed a cow year round? I figure if I can run one for a buck a day on average I have done a pretty good job on feed costs. RBT

 

[gcreekrch]

That is about what our feed costs would average over the year.

 

[Grassfarmer]

Our cost this year will be $.80 day for 275 days on pasture but at least $1.55 for the 90 days we have to feed (ouch, we can normally do this for closer to $1.10/day. 365 day cost - $360 for the mature cow herd - bred heifers will cost more to winter feed. This is only for forage, no minerals figured in and more importantly no cost to deliver the winter feed to the cows.
My neighbors are charging $2.25/day to custom feed cows this winter and have plenty of takers - guess not everyone is selling their cows.

 

[Andy]

this winter it Should cost me 98 cents a day for a cornstalk and wet distillers grain ration. So about a 1.25 by the time you figure in fuel and equipment and all the little things that go with it. In the summer I have pastures that cost me 65 cents and some that cost 1.25. But we also get 2-4 months that we can run on stalks or cover crops and that is around 25cents.

 

[burnt]

I cannot raise a calf for the kind of costs you guys are talking about. What are you all figuring into your costs? Roughage only? Mineral? Salt?

 

[gcreekrch]

I cannot raise a calf for the kind of costs you guys are talking about. What are you all figuring into your costs? Roughage only? Mineral? Salt?

It costs us about $2.00 a day to winter a cow. We have 5 months grazing on crown land at $2.20 per hd. per month. Then a month or two of grazing on our private land.

 

[Grassfarmer]

Our cost this year will be $.80 day for 275 days on pasture but at least $1.55 for the 90 days we have to feed (ouch, we can normally do this for closer to $1.10/day. 365 day cost - $360 for the mature cow herd - bred heifers will cost more to winter feed. This is only for forage, no minerals figured in and more importantly no cost to deliver the winter feed to the cows.
My neighbors are charging $2.25/day to custom feed cows this winter and have plenty of takers - guess not everyone is selling their cows.

 

[Clarencen]

There is alot of different ways to winter cows, the cost vary a lot. but I would try to set a basic cost, then you can figure from that.
Here summe pasture runs from $30 to $35 a month for cow and calf pair. Some pay more. If you can winter cheaper, you can pay more, Competition sets the price.

Lets use $35 including salt and mineral, so we get $210. Here it takes 2 1/2 tons of hay to winter a cow, that depends on cow size and winter temperatures. At $60 a ton this gives us $150. Add .20 a day for feeding, then another $25 for supplement, salt and mineral, it comes out about $215 a head to winter a cow. $425 to feed the cow a year. If you wean a 500# calf you need $85 cwt. just to pay for the feed.

 

[RSL]

Varies from year to year here and based on what you include...
Native Grazing - November to January/February - $0.33 per day (includes land rent), $0.065 mineral (regular - not breeding), labour (15 minutes per day if no snow to pump water, 15 minutes per week with snow cover)
Swath grazing - January - March - $0.175 per day (includes seed, labour, equipment depreciation, fuel, cutting, etc), $0.065 mineral, 15 - 30 minutes per week labour
Hay/Straw feeding - March/April - $1.25 (includes labour, machinery - varies by crop per year), $0.065 mineral. We try to keep this under 45 days, and usually hit around 30.