What is a commercial cow/calf operation?
A cow calf operation is a method of raising beef cattle in which a permanent herd of cows is kept by a farmer or rancher to produce calves for later sale. The goal of a cow–calf operation is to produce young beef cattle, which are usually sold.
How profitable is a cow/calf operation?
Weaning rate was estimated at 85%, meaning that it is expected that a calf will be weaned and sold from 85% of the cows that were exposed to the bull. Based on these assumptions and adjusted for the weaning rate, average calf revenue is $608 per cow.
How much does a calf cost in South Africa?
25 May 2019
| COMMERCIAL | AVERAGE | HIGHEST |
|---|---|---|
| Cow in Calf (3) | R 9 000 | R 10 000 |
| Cow + Calf (3) | R 11 000 | R 12 750 |
| Heifer (5) | R 7 350 | R 7 500 |
| Heifer in Calf (48) | R 9 297 | R 17 000 |
What is the difference between registered and commercial cattle?
As a general rule, purebred cattle are raised to produce breeding stock for other purebred producers and for commercial cattlemen. Bulls are sold both to purebred and commercial cattlemen to help them improve their herds. Commercial cattle are different. They tend to be managed less intensively.
What are the 4 cattle operations?
They are very adaptable to harsh climates. The beef production systems can be divided into 4 types of operations: cow-calf, backgrounder (also called ‘stocker’ or ‘grower’), feedlot, and seedstock.
How much is a 600 pound calf worth?
The long-term average is roughly 55 cents per pound of gain. For example, if the price of a 500-pound calf is $1.40 per pound and the price of a 600-pound calf is $1.26, the value of those 100 pounds of gain is $56 or 56 cents per pound.
How much is a black angus calf cost?
Glancing at a few of these ads, most farmers were selling their black angus cows for about $800 to $1,800….
| Type | Average Price |
|---|---|
| Angus Bred Heifers | $1,400 to $1,800 |
| Bulls | $2,500 to $5,000 |
| Cows | $1,200 to $1,500 |
| Cows w/calves | $1,300 to $3,000 |
How much does a Texas longhorn calf cost?
General Longhorn Prices
| Bred Cows | Starting @ $1400 |
|---|---|
| Weaning Heifers | Starting @ $750 |
| Weaning Steers/Ropers | Starting @ $275 |
| Bred Heifers | Starting @ $1200 |
| Weaning Bulls | Starting @ $450 |
How profitable is cattle farming in South Africa?
This could bring in R300 to R350 per animal for a further income of at least R30 000. At current slaughter or live selling prices of about R1 500, your gross profit would be R500/sheep, or R50 000 for the 100 lambs. You would therefore have made a gross profit of R95 000, and without the risks faced by a breeder!
Is cattle a good investment in South Africa?
By offering their investors the opportunity to own a cow, Livestock Wealth is tapping into the intrinsic value so many South Africans assign to cattle, a commodity which has been synonymous with wealth and prosperity for decades.
How long does it take for a cow to produce a calf?
An average of about 2.2 years elapses between the breeding of a beef cow or heifer to the time their offspring are ready for slaughter. Heifer calves may be retained for herd expansion or replacements, sold to other producers as replacements, or sold along with the steers to feedlot operators to grow out for slaughter.
What do you need to know about selling cow calves?
Uniform sale groups require tight breeding and calving seasons (all within 60 days), proper nutrition of the cow herd and the calf, and strict selection of replacement heifers and herd sires with desirable genetic traits.
When to use performance enhancers on beef cows?
However, the final market for your beef and consumer acceptance will dictate whether you should use performance enhancers. One of the advantages of a beef cow herd is that relatively low-quality forages can be fed to the bred cows after the calves have been weaned.
What do you need to know about cattle handling?
A cattle-handling system can be designed as a one-person operation using wing fences and crowding gates to assist in moving cattle to automatic head gates. For possible designs for cattle-handling facilities, consult the suggested references at the end of this publication.