The U S Beef Cow Calf Industry

Extract: The number of beef cows in each of the four major U.S. cow-calf production regions declined by about one-fifth between 1975 and 1980 in response to sharp reductions in feeder cattle prices and increases in production costs during the midseventies. Several physical measures of performance indicate that most resources were used more efficiently in beef cow-calf production in 1980 than in 1975. This report identifies the structural characteristics and operating practices for beef cow-calf production operations in the United States.

Beef cow-calf production in the U.S. is widespread, occurring in every State. Nearly 765,000 farms, about 35% of the 2.2 million farms in the U.S., had a beef cow inventory in 2007. Most of these were small, part-time operations. This study examines the structure, costs, and characteristics of beef cow-calf producers. Many small operations are "rural residence farms" that specialize in beef cow-calf production, but their income from off-farm sources exceeds that from the farm. Most beef cow-calf production occurs on large farms, but cow-calf production is not the primary enterprise on many of these farms. Operators of beef cow-calf farms have a diverse set of goals for the cattle enterprise. Charts and tables. This is a print on demand report.