Yes, that particular cow was less than a 6 frame. Pretty small for a Limousin. About 1200 pounds in good condition
It seems to me that I have read from several knowledgeable sources that a 1150 - 1350 pound beef brood cow is ideal for standardizing the most profitable size - taking into consideration that the cost of maintaining the mamma cow must be charged against the returns of her calf. A honkin' huge mamma cow consumes a honkin' huge amount of forage in the nine months prior to bringing forth a new, profitable addition to the bottom line of your bank account. The least amount of expense she can cost you - AND STILL PRODUCE A PROFITABLE CALF - the more valuable she is and will remain to be in the
production end of your business.
What is the difference in cost to maintain a 1400 lb. cow vs. an 1150 lb. cow??
Increase in cow size of 20%.
Cow feed cost per year ($225 / year. 5% on land cost, plus hay, property tax. etc).
$36.00 for Cow Feed
Run 116 small cows or 100 big cows on the same land and feed!
This just a summary. A little more specificially defined can show Profit per cow per year, if you would care to go that deep into the differences between large vs. smaller size cows. We seem to get hung up on cow size because "pounds" is what 'they' pay for at the market, but there is 'pounds', and then there is "$Profit" at the end of the year!
I am not demeaning Limousin, or ANY other breed of beef cattle, but just thinking a little more deeply about breeds, crossbreeding, and "Profit-Sized" brood cows. With feed costs, Fuel Costs, and ALL overhead expenses what they are, and are GOING to be - it may be time to re-think what we "used to do", and start thinking about what "we ought to do!"
DOC HARRIS
