Feeding Cost?

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David Norred

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West Georgia
Just wondering what is average cost per year per head feeding wise? Taking in consideration hay, feed, mineral. I am looking at mine now for this past year and it looks like it is around $93.00 per head. Is that about average or am I not spending enough/too much? Thanks for any input/advice!
 
Just wondering what is average cost per year per head feeding wise? Taking in consideration hay, feed, mineral. I am looking at mine now for this past year and it looks like it is around $93.00 per head. Is that about average or am I not spending enough/too much? Thanks for any input/advice!
I would like to know how you can feed a cow at all for $93 a year? I spent more than that feeding longhorn cows.
 
LOL. I may be off some! I have a small herd and good grass. Also, I may have missed inputting some of my feed cost! Just trying to kind of find out what an average cost per head is. Thanks
 
Where I am in Arkansas I figure on 1 round bale weighing approx 1000 lbs per month per average size cow. I typically buy 5 bales per cow per winter, may only feed 3. I generally don't have to put out hay until after Thanksgiving and can quit mid March. They may eat more than one a month if the weather stays below freezing several days. So in my area just hay would run between $90-$150 annually, then there's generally some cost to growing grass, mineral, and a little grain even if it's just enough to entice them into the corral occasionally. You're further South than me so you may be able to get by with $93 a year depending on your cost of hay and how long you have to feed it if at all. I'm hoping to get more like @kenny thomas and stockpile fescue and cut back further on hay.
 
Last year it was right about $2 a day during the winter feed months and $0.75 a day out on pasture. That is just hay and minerals in the winter. And the cost of pasture rent and minerals during the grazing season.
 
I guess I should have clarified that I bought in March, so the cost didn't begin until then. That was 2 months of cold weather I wasn't feeding. I also didn't include my cost of fertilizer in the cost; I was just generally speaking about feed and round bales. Sorry for any confusion. Mine are grass fed for the most part- we were very fortunate this year to have plenty of rain to help our grass grow!
 
A question well asked is a question half answered. You are not there yet.
Tip, count your time and fuel a well. You can't feed them sitting on the couch!
 
@Caustic Burno is one of the best on here, over the years for figuring what it costs to keep a cow for a year.... being further south his costs are a little less than ours... but we are figuring that it is costing us nearer to 575/600 yr now to keep a cow for the year. Over 1.50 a day on a 365 day average.
 
@Caustic Burno is one of the best on here, over the years for figuring what it costs to keep a cow for a year.... being further south his costs are a little less than ours... but we are figuring that it is costing us nearer to 575/600 yr now to keep a cow for the year. Over 1.50 a day on a 365 day average.
Not this year girl friend.
Fertilizer cost along with fuel was bad. Already quoting 1K a ton for fertilizer this year.
That's double in two years.
 
A cow will consume at least a mineral tub per year (more likely one and a half). A good tub will ruin a $100.
That alone will take your $93. If you are using the calves for income you should figure them as combined and expense the
calves against the whole until you sell the cow. I would guess more like $800 unless you are short selling the calves in.
which case the gross profit will be less, if any. jmpv
 
A cow will consume at least a mineral tub per year (more likely one and a half). A good tub will ruin a $100.
That alone will take your $93. If you are using the calves for income you should figure them as combined and expense the
calves against the whole until you sell the cow. I would guess more like $800 unless you are short selling the calves in.
which case the gross profit will be less, if any. jmpv
I can't make a profit if the cost is 800.
 
What is a reasonable profit each of you can accept? Years ago steer guys would figure $100 pure profit would be ok. I'm not sure at the costs some of you quote that it's much better than that now.
$100 per cow and 40 cows is $4,000. Not much profit for the amount invested.
Let's double that to $200 per head. $8,000 still isn't much.
At $300 per head and $12,000 still not going to live off of it.
At $600 per head profit you might eat, but not good.
 
What is a reasonable profit each of you can accept? Years ago steer guys would figure $100 pure profit would be ok. I'm not sure at the costs some of you quote that it's much better than that now.
$100 per cow and 40 cows is $4,000. Not much profit for the amount invested.
Let's double that to $200 per head. $8,000 still isn't much.
At $300 per head and $12,000 still not going to live off of it.
At $600 per head profit you might eat, but not good.
Kenny realistic I believe it's about a 150 bucks if you get down to what we really spend on a cow.
One hurricane and that's wiped out for me.
 
Kenny realistic I believe it's about a 150 bucks if you get down to what we really spend on a cow.
One hurricane and that's wiped out for me.
So there as here most actually do it because they like it and have other income. Sometimes in this area the other income supports the cows.
 

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