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Cow wintering cost

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Andy

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How much does it cost you to winter a dry cow? I have some extra feed and am going to be looking to take in some extra cows for the winter. When i figure in everything it takes to winter a cow I need about 1.75 a day. We have some fall grazing on pasture and cornstalks that will lower the total cost but does 1.75 for feed and care seem to be inline with what other folks are paying?
 
Andy said:
How much does it cost you to winter a dry cow? I have some extra feed and am going to be looking to take in some extra cows for the winter. When i figure in everything it takes to winter a cow I need about 1.75 a day. We have some fall grazing on pasture and cornstalks that will lower the total cost but does 1.75 for feed and care seem to be inline with what other folks are paying?

I don't see how a guy could stay in business paying a price like that or if his costs at home were that high.
 
Andy, that is a bit over 300 bucks for 6 months. Some hay is bringing that per ton, and you are going to do the labor. I would look at it if you were in my neighborhood.
 
You are probably in line there seems high but it is what it is. We were at 1.55 last winter but with the cost will have to rise with the cost of hay and feed grains. In my opinion keep the feed if you are at a breakeven or a loss. I havent sat down yet to figure our cost out.
 
If you plan to feed cows stored feed, I bet you are pretty close.
Figure out 35 pounds of hay per day at 0.04 per pound and you are at $1.40 already. By the time you add mineral/supplements, labour, depreciation on equipment, etc...
I guess a bit depends on where the price of feed goes in the end. $1.75 may be way lower than just selling the feed and taking the winter off.
 
I think 1.75 is to low to feed someone else's cows. As RSL said if that's all you can get sell the feed. nortexsook Do you not feed your cows? Spending a little on them in the winter is worth it. Wether you figure how the cows rebreed quicker or if you sell them. I sold heifer pairs last Feb at an auction. There was some there with the same type breeding and same age calves. Mine brought 200 a pair more because I fed them what they needed instead of just to get by.
 
RSL said:
If you plan to feed cows stored feed, I bet you are pretty close.
Figure out 35 pounds of hay per day at 0.04 per pound and you are at $1.40 already. By the time you add mineral/supplements, labour, depreciation on equipment, etc...
I guess a bit depends on where the price of feed goes in the end. $1.75 may be way lower than just selling the feed and taking the winter off.

:agree:

Here in Ontario hay is selling for 15 cents/lb.

If a guy doesn't have his own feed, the cows are gone.

If he has hay, he's wondering why he's feeding it to a beef cow.

We are thinning out a thin crowd.
 
No I do not feed my cows. I guess I am a true cake and grass operator. My cattle get some protein cubes in the winter that amounts to about 25 cents per head per day. (Figured on a daily basis, actually feed every three days).

$300 for a winter is too high (again jmho). Add your summer costs in and you have to sell a pretty high dollar calf just to breakeven, much less make a little dinero.

Guess not having to feed cattle in the winter is the prize I get for surviving all these 113* days here in paradise.
 
nortexsook said:
No I do not feed my cows. I guess I am a true cake and grass operator. My cattle get some protein cubes in the winter that amounts to about 25 cents per head per day. (Figured on a daily basis, actually feed every three days).

$300 for a winter is too high (again jmho). Add your summer costs in and you have to sell a pretty high dollar calf just to breakeven, much less make a little dinero.

Guess not having to feed cattle in the winter is the prize I get for surviving all these 113* days here in paradise.
The grass is free? Ok a rhetorical question. What do you value your grass at?
 
Most of it I value it at exactly what I pay for it which is around $250 per cow per year (or less).........

I guess that is FMV so that is what I should value my owned land at as well.........
 
Some of it a lot less actually. I have a couple of lease ranches that if you figure the number of head against what I pay for the place then I'm paying about $120 per cow per year.
 
Apologize for all the consecutive posts but I keep thinking of stuff to add.

I only feed cubes (NORMALLY) from December 1 through March 1.

This year with the drought, I am actually feeding protein cubes right now. Started about July 10th or so.........
 
nortexsook said:
Some of it a lot less actually. I have a couple of lease ranches that if you figure the number of head against what I pay for the place then I'm paying about $120 per cow per year.

I wouldn't be telling to many people that. :D
 
3 M L & C said:
nortexsook said:
Some of it a lot less actually. I have a couple of lease ranches that if you figure the number of head against what I pay for the place then I'm paying about $120 per cow per year.

I wouldn't be telling to many people that. :D

Remember he's in Texas and doesn't have to deal with the cold weather
all winter. That really helps.
 
I had a guy tell me he's got some to feed this winter for $2.50 a day. He's young and a bit full of it at times so who knows for sure.


Hay for sale in the local paper 1300# bales $40 each upland hay no rain if it's cold one cow will eat that easy per month
 
Would a person not be better off stocking more animals and feeding them some? I understand open winter, my uncle lives in southern oklahoma and is always blowing about it. But if you have enough grass for all year then couldn't you have twice the cattle in the summer. I don't know maybe my view would be different if I have never been crack deep in snow.
 
3 M L & C said:
Would a person not be better off stocking more animals and feeding them some? I understand open winter, my uncle lives in southern oklahoma and is always blowing about it. But if you have enough grass for all year then couldn't you have twice the cattle in the summer. I don't know maybe my view would be different if I have never been crack deep in snow.

LOL..my user name is nortexsook for North Texas Southern Oklahoma since that is where i live and run cattle. Where in southern Oklahoma?
 
I'm not sure of the town. He's been there only 2 or three years. I havn't been there to visit yet. It's about 40 miles north of lake texoma.
 
There are a lot of things that aren't going to pencil out this winter. Get used to it. Lock in what you need NOW. Waiting is only gonna cost $$$.

Dealer cost on creep feed went up over $50/ton last week. IN ONE WEEK! Quality tubs will soon be over $1,000/ton, if they aren't already. Wholesale on cubes is over $500/ton. Weaning/receiving feed is gonna get close to $700/ton retail, maybe more.

Makes $1.75/head/day look plumb cheap. Throw in some harsh weather and deep snow, and the wrong guy getting re-elected in November, and we have the makin's of one helluva year.
 
I have been out of the cattle business for a couple of years so the $1.75 figure sort of hit me between the eyes. But we have to re-calculate. Cattle prices are higher then they ever were. Feed costs for this winter will be higher then ever. Our cattle numbers will go down because of drought. Consumer prices for beef will raise. Unless incomes increase there may be a slump in sales, and if incomes increase so will input costs. A vicious circle.

Our packers and wholesalers will go elsewhere for beef, just like they did in the 1990's. US producers will make some feeble attempt to stop this again, and our Canadian friends will bitch about that. History repeats itself.
 

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