📊 Tracking Cow Costs

Diagnosing Cattle Loss, Screwworm Case Spurs Caution, Developing Heifers, Skin Conditions, and Educating the Next Generation from Ranching.com by CattleMax.

July 16, 2025

Ranching.com is your weekly dose of trending news, seasonal tips, and community content put together by our team of ranchers.

IN THE NEWS

Aaron Berger - Feedlot Magazine

📊 Tracking Cow Costs - Recent analysis from LMIC shows a big jump in cow-calf production costs—up 33% since 2020, reaching over $1,000 per cow annually. While market returns are also up, rising expenses in feed, labor, and overhead continue to challenge profitability. Understanding and managing these costs is key to long-term success.

đŸŒŸ Hay Cost Made Easy - Knowing your true hay cost is key to managing winter feed expenses. This article walks through a simple, practical formula to calculate what you're really spending per bale and per head—helping you make better decisions come feeding time.

đŸ©ș Diagnosing Cattle Loss - When a cow turns up dead, it’s easy to chalk it up to a fluke—but investigating the cause can help prevent future losses. This article shares how to approach a post-mortem exam, what signs to look for, and when to call in a vet for further insight.

🐄 Dairy x Beef: Market Shift - The overlap between dairy and beef production continues to grow, creating both challenges and new opportunities. This article explores how producers can adapt to evolving market demands and take advantage of the expanding role of beef-on-dairy genetics.

đŸȘ± Screwworm Case Spurs Caution - A confirmed case of New World screwworm in Mexico—just 370 miles from the U.S. border—has prompted swift response measures and renewed biosecurity concerns. Learn what this means for cross-border livestock movement and U.S. herd health vigilance.

VIDEOS FROM AROUND THE WEB
RANCHING KNOW-HOW

Getty Images - Beef Magazine

Skin conditions in livestock can flare up fast during the summer heat. This article highlights three common issues—photosensitivity, warts, and ringworm—and how to recognize and manage them early to protect herd health and productivity.

BEHIND THE MIC

Beyond the Books: Educating the Next Generation of Ranchers

Podcast Episode · Ranch Stewards Podcast · 05/15/2025 · 51m

RANCHING AROUND THE WORLD RECAP
CATTLE COMMUNITY

High Card Ranch

This lifestyle’s not just ours—it’s theirs too. Let ‘em get dirt on their boots." #cowboykids #littlecowboy #cowboylife #brandingcalves.

@americanwagyu

Ranching is not a romantic western, it’s a lifestyle full of joys & discomforts. #farmtok #ranchlife #ranchlifestyle #realcowboys #mentalh... See more

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
❝

“Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress. Working hard for something we love is called passion.”

— Community Agriculture Alliance

READER POLL

Which input has increased the most in your cow-calf operation over the past few years?

💭 Let us know why in the comments!

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LAST WEEK’S RESULTS

Selling Cattle: What’s Your Strategy?

2%: Lock it in

38%: Watch the market

14%: Work with the buyer

28%: Just go with it

THOUGHTS FROM VOTERS
Watch the market

  • “I go to local sales in 2 markets near me. I watch and write down certain numbers on saling prices of the animals I would be saling I have data from years and times when market trines or up. I have current also. I use to buy at 4 livestock barns a week.”

Just go with it

  • “We sell when our calves are at the right weight”