Feed Cost Per Cow Per Day

Feed is usually the biggest bill on a cow-calf ranch. Knowing the daily cost per cow gives you a number to compare against, and a way to spot trouble early.

Key points

Divide total feed cost by cows and days to get a usable number.
Count labor, waste, fuel and pasture costs, not only purchased feed.
Compare feeds by nutrition delivered, not price per ton alone.
Track cow condition and calf results beside cost.
Change one thing at a time and record the effect.

Why track a daily cost

A yearly feed bill is hard to act on. A per-cow, per-day number tells you what a change in hay, supplement or feeding method actually does. It also lets you compare feeding a group of cows this way versus that way.

The figure is only as good as the records behind it, so keep them honest and keep them simple.

If you rent land or share equipment, include those costs in the number as well. A figure that leaves out half the expenses can be misleading.

The basic idea

Add up the cost of everything fed to a group over a period, then divide by the number of cows and the number of days. Cost of each feed comes from what you paid or, for homegrown feed, what it cost to produce or what you could sell it for.

Use your own current figures. Prices change, so do not borrow someone else's numbers.

Work the numbers separately for different groups. Heifers, dry cows and lactating cows rarely cost the same to feed.

Costs to include

The more of the real cost you count, the more useful the answer. Some costs are easy to forget.

Consider including:

Review the list each year and add anything new. Items that seem small, such as twine, wrap or bunk repairs, add up over a full season.

Hay, silage, grain and by-product feeds, with delivery
Minerals, salt and supplements
Pasture cost: rent, fertilizer, seed, fencing upkeep
Fuel, equipment and labor for feeding
Waste and shrink, such as spoiled hay
Interest on money tied up in feed

Pasture and stored feed

Grazed grass is usually the cheapest feed, but it is not free. Land, fence, water and management all have a cost. Compare the cost of a day on pasture with a day on hay to see how much extending the grazing season is worth.

For stored feed, account for loss. If a share of the hay is wasted, the cost of what the cow actually eats is higher than the price paid. How you feed matters as much as the price per ton.

Rotational grazing may lower the cost of a day on pasture, but it adds fence and water work, so count that as well.

Cost versus value

The cheapest feed per pound is not always the cheapest per unit of nutrition. Cheap, low-quality hay may leave cows thin and cost you in rebreeding. A nutritionist can help you compare feeds by what they supply, not just what they cost.

Keep an eye on the whole picture: cost per cow, weaning weights, pregnancy rates and cow condition. A saving that hurts the calf crop is not a saving.

Calf performance, rebreeding and cull rates are the true test of whether a feeding program is paying its way.

Ways to bring the number down

Common approaches include lengthening the grazing season, improving forage stands, testing feed so you do not overbuy supplement, cutting waste, matching feed to each cow group and culling cows that do not earn their keep. Each has tradeoffs, and your extension specialist can tell you which have worked in your area.

Make one change at a time and track the result, so you know what worked.

Share your numbers with a neighbor or an extension group. Comparing methods, not prices, often reveals a cheaper way to do the same job.

Common mistakes and what to ask

Common errors are ignoring labor and waste, using last year's prices, mixing groups with different needs and cutting feed so far that production suffers. Ask your accountant or lender how to account for homegrown feed, and ask your nutritionist whether your lowest-cost option really meets the cattle's needs. This is not financial advice, and program terms and prices change, so check current details.

Write the per-cow figure at the same point each month, such as the first of the month, so trends are easy to see and a jump gets noticed quickly.

If a number looks too high or too low compared with last year, check it against the feed records before changing anything, since a counting error is more common than a real change.

When to get help: Your accountant or lender can help with how to count homegrown feed and overhead, and a nutritionist or extension specialist can check that a lower-cost ration still meets the cattle's needs.

Sources and further reading

Organization homepages are linked so you can search them for current guidance on this topic.

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