NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RFD-TV) — Weaning weights alone can be misleading when comparing cow performance, especially in herds with wide variation in mature cow size. That’s a key point highlighted by Kenny Burdine, livestock economist with the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, as producers review records and make culling decisions.
Larger cows often wean heavier calves, but they also cost more to maintain. Bigger cows consume more forage, hay, supplements, and minerals — and they often carry higher indirect costs tied to health, handling, transportation, and yardage. When culling decisions are based strictly on calf weaning weight, smaller-framed cows are more likely to be removed, gradually increasing average cow size and pushing herd costs higher over time.
Burdine’s analysis suggests producers should view productivity relative to cow size, not just raw calf pounds. In a budgeting exercise, he found that for every additional 100 pounds of mature cow weight, a cow needed to wean roughly 50 more pounds of calf just to stay economically competitive. That relationship shifts with cattle prices, but the principle remains consistent.
Tracking individual cow-calf performance helps identify which cows are truly earning their place.
The Louisiana cotton crop is the smallest on record, but strong yields are a silver lining. LSU AgCenter’s Craig Gautreaux reports from northeast Louisiana.
October 17, 2025 04:48 PM
·
Soybean farmer and Arkansas Lt. Gov. Leslie Rutledge highlights why the U.S. trade standoff with China is especially critical for Arkansas producers.
October 17, 2025 04:07 PM
·
The National FFA Organization hosts the Washington Leadership Conference, where thousands of FFA members gather to learn how to be change makers in their communities.
October 17, 2025 02:22 PM
·
National Farmers Union (NFU) President Rob Larew discusses the urgent need for aid as farm families face mounting input costs and long-term market uncertainty.
October 17, 2025 01:08 PM
·
The new antitrust agreement between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) aims to enforce antitrust laws and monitor market activity across the ag sector.
October 17, 2025 12:27 PM
·
President Donald Trump says a deal is nearly done on lowering beef prices, but he has not released details.
October 17, 2025 11:31 AM
·
Large carryover stocks continue to put pressure on commodity prices, creating uncertainty for growers looking to market their grain.
October 16, 2025 04:20 PM
·
Peel says Mexico has a much greater capability to expand its beef industry than it did 20 or 30 years ago in terms of its feeding and packing infrastructure.
October 16, 2025 03:59 PM
·
The impacts of the government shutdown have reached commodity growers with crops to move, ag economists monitoring the harvest without key data reporting, and meat producers in need of new export markets.
October 16, 2025 01:03 PM
·
