By Eric Iversen
My wife asked me the other day how much money we were actually making ranching these last few years. Haven’t calculated breakevens in a while so thought it was a good time to do it while I was sitting in the tractor feeding cattle this morning.
Calculated on a per head basis:
Feed/pasture 365 days x $2 = $730
Hired help $36000 / for every 500 cows = $72 (Should be 2 per 500 he)
Property Tax $4 acre x 19 acres = $76
Breeding cost = $50
Mineral = $34
Using the above numbers my initial break even is $987 per calf sold
Divide this by a 95% calf weaned survival rate (which is generous) becomes $1039 per head break even.