TABLE 12 - 5
                                  Livestock Enterprise Analysis, 2000                           
                        North Dakota Farm Business Management Education Program                    
                                             State Report                                         
                                 (Farms Sorted By Net Return Per Unit)                             
                             Beef, Background Beef -- Average per Head                         
                                           Avg. Of                                                 
                                          All Farms              Low 20%               High 20%      
Number of farms                              108                    21                    22         
                                     Quantity     Value    Quantity     Value    Quantity     Value
Backgnd Beef sold (lb)                 474.26    394.76      471.69    398.20      685.45    558.11
Transferred out (lb)                    89.95     68.47      138.72     98.50       93.57     75.43
Cull sales (lb)                          2.03      1.79          -         -           -         - 
Butchered (lb)                           2.04      1.50        5.47      4.10        1.37      1.17
Less purchased (lb)                   -108.02   -100.02     -122.51   -110.89     -271.32   -246.65
Less transferred in (lb)              -337.09   -325.60     -339.98   -327.97     -346.72   -334.10
Inventory change (lb)                   50.44     52.96        5.33     10.52       88.38    101.04
Total production (lb)                  173.61     93.85      158.72     72.47      250.74    154.99
Other income                                       0.30                  0.85                    - 
Gross return                                      94.14                 73.32                154.99
Direct Expenses
  Barley (bu.)                           2.12      3.04        2.18      3.47        0.97      1.43
  Corn (bu.)                             3.47      6.12        8.52     16.16        2.57      4.13
  Corn Silage (lb.)                    459.08      3.73      704.49      6.56      401.58      3.01
  Hay, Alfalfa (lb.)                   109.56      2.31      159.52      3.68       22.72      0.46
  Hay, Grass & Other (lb.)             776.38     12.40    1,258.57     20.26      452.39      6.39
  Haylage, Grass & Other (lb.)          19.11      0.24       58.19      0.44          -         - 
  Oats (bu.)                             3.88      3.65        5.88      6.06        3.19      3.02
  Pasture (aum)                          0.38      3.99        0.97     10.79        0.07      0.70
  Sorghum Silage (lb.)                  12.12      0.09          -         -        54.85      0.41
  Stover (lb.)                          16.13      0.17       34.95      0.66          -         - 
  Straw (lb.)                           61.32      0.35       76.68      0.51       17.89      0.12
  Wheat, Spring (bu.)                    0.57      0.59        1.53      1.79        0.13      0.15
  Complete Ration (lb.)                499.85     12.07       98.77      5.29    1,837.89     38.65
  Creep / Starter (lb.)                 28.77      1.88       19.39      1.17        0.33      0.04
  Protein Vit Minerals (lb.)            30.19      3.71       39.24      5.27       12.37      1.60
  Other feed stuffs                                0.53                  0.11                  0.18
  Veterinary                                       3.15                  4.66                  1.77
  Livestock supplies                               1.49                  2.84                  0.22
  Fuel & oil                                       1.50                  1.87                  1.92
  Repairs                                          2.61                  3.32                  2.85
  Custom hire                                      0.63                  0.59                  0.39
  Hauling and trucking                             0.35                  1.32                  0.29
  Marketing                                        2.94                  3.39                  2.01
  Bedding                                          0.22                  0.17                  0.44
  Operating interest                               3.04                  3.28                  7.06
Total direct expenses                             70.92                103.67                 77.71
Return over direct expense                        23.22                -30.35                 77.28
Overhead Expenses
  Hired labor                                      1.58                  1.99                  3.60
  Farm insurance                                   0.55                  0.95                  0.34
  Utilities                                        1.05                  1.40                  0.97
  Interest                                         1.50                  2.85                  0.64
  Mach & bldg depreciation                         1.87                  2.32                  2.53
  Miscellaneous                                    1.10                  1.45                  0.74
Total overhead expenses                            7.64                 10.95                  8.82
Total dir & ovhd expenses                         78.56                114.62                 86.53
Net return                                        15.58                -41.30                 68.46
Other Information
No. purchased or trans in                           125                    92                   187
Number sold or trans out                            115                    92                   168
Percentage death loss                               0.6                   1.5                   0.5
Avg. daily gain (lbs)                              1.51                  1.21                  1.70
Lbs of conc / lb of gain                           5.89                  6.42                  8.69
Lbs of feed / lb of gain                          12.25                 17.42                 11.29
Feed cost per cwt of gain                         31.67                 51.80                 24.23
Feed cost per head                                54.98                 82.22                 60.76
Average purchase weight                             575                   638                   567
Average sales weight                                725                   724                   750
Avg purch price / cwt                             92.60                 90.51                 90.91
Avg sales price / cwt                             83.24                 84.42                 81.42