Livestock Enterprise Analysis, 1999
North Dakota Farm Business Management Education Program
State Report
(Farms sorted by Return to Overhead)
Beef Cow-Calf -- Average per Cow
Average For Average For Average For
All Farms Low 20% High 20%
Number of farms 175 35 35
Quantity Value Quantity Value Quantity Value
Beef Calves sold (lb) 206.06 170.02 166.71 134.97 171.91 141.65
Transferred out (lb) 300.72 265.95 322.22 277.97 331.86 296.08
Cull sales (lb) 61.29 73.48 51.93
Butchered (lb) 1.05 1.18 0.96
Less purchased (lb) -61.43 -63.51 -72.01
Less transferred in (lb) -41.21 -45.56 -32.90
Inventory change (lb) 31.58 -10.13 79.74
Total production (lb) 427.25 368.41 465.44
Other income 1.82 0.33 0.00
Gross return 429.08 368.74 465.44
Direct expenses
Barley (bu.) 1.20 1.67 2.06 2.83 0.50 0.77
Corn (bu.) 1.45 2.44 2.44 4.00 1.39 2.23
Corn Silage (lb.) 1259.26 10.35 1885.41 14.77 1075.94 9.00
Hay, Alfalfa (lb.) 487.79 10.64 551.11 11.65 515.68 10.92
Hay, Grass & Other (lb.) 5704.80 91.95 5507.94 91.48 5453.70 86.88
Haylage, Alfalfa (lb.) 6.10 0.05 33.52 0.25 0.00 0.00
Haylage, Grass & Other (lb.) 51.60 0.45 34.03 0.27 25.34 0.38
Oats (bu.) 2.85 2.79 2.36 2.34 5.10 4.92
Pasture (aum) 6.17 65.51 6.60 66.96 5.53 55.08
Stover (lb.) 81.90 0.69 227.69 1.91 65.53 0.42
Straw (lb.) 275.89 1.80 330.56 2.40 244.01 1.33
Complete Ration (lb.) 85.68 3.12 77.52 3.53 45.12 2.26
Creep / Starter (lb.) 19.85 1.26 10.73 0.69 40.29 2.82
Protein Vit Minerals (lb.) 61.36 8.53 49.91 8.32 57.22 7.91
Other feed stuffs 0.29 0.40 0.21
Breeding fees 0.75 0.04 0.92
Veterinary 14.72 14.07 13.42
Livestock supplies 7.62 10.44 6.64
Fuel & oil 8.14 9.36 8.81
Repairs 18.17 22.57 15.40
Custom hire 3.48 5.13 2.62
Hired labor 0.21 0.45 0.01
Livestock leases 5.44 13.97 1.71
Hauling and trucking 0.10 0.08 0.08
Marketing 1.77 2.57 0.87
Bedding 0.85 1.39 0.15
Operating interest 8.31 12.87 7.40
Total direct expenses 271.10 304.73 243.12
Return over direct expense 157.97 64.01 222.32
Overhead expenses
Hired labor 5.67 7.51 4.86
Machinery & bldg leases 1.15 1.42 1.21
RE & pers. property taxes 0.99 1.17 1.76
Farm insurance 5.46 5.08 4.90
Utilities 7.72 8.49 7.36
Dues & professional fees 1.47 1.35 1.30
Interest 17.32 14.26 20.79
Mach & bldg depreciation 14.05 15.93 14.08
Miscellaneous 7.12 7.58 10.25
Total overhead expenses 60.95 62.80 66.52
Total listed expenses 332.05 367.53 309.64
Net return 97.03 1.21 155.80
Other Information
Number of cows 123.3 112.2 124.0
Pregnancy percentage 96.9 97.2 96.0
Pregnancy loss percentage 2.6 3.0 3.4
Culling percentage 13.5 18.6 10.4
Calving percentage 94.4 94.4 92.8
Weaning percentage 89.1 87.8 87.8
Calves sold per cow 0.91 0.91 0.90
Calf death loss percent 5.5 6.8 5.1
Average weaning weight 548 533 550
Lbs weaned/exposed female 488 468 483
Feed cost per cow 201.54 211.79 185.11
Avg wgt/Beef Calf sold 595 577 586
Avg price / cwt 82.51 80.97 82.39
Livestock Enterprise Analysis, 1999
North Dakota Farm Business Management Education Program
State Report
(Farms sorted by Return to Overhead)
Beef Cow-Calf -- Average per Cwt Produced
Average For Average For Average For
All Farms Low 20% High 20%
Number of farms 175 35 35
Quantity Value Quantity Value Quantity Value
Beef Calves sold (lb) 39.78 32.82 33.64 27.24 35.59 29.32
Transferred out (lb) 58.05 51.34 65.03 56.10 68.69 61.29
Cull sales (lb) 11.83 14.83 10.75
Butchered (lb) 0.20 0.24 0.20
Less purchased (lb) -11.86 -12.82 -14.91
Less transferred in (lb) -7.96 -9.19 -6.81
Inventory change (lb) 6.10 -2.05 16.51
Total production (lb) 82.48 74.35 96.34
Other income 0.35 0.07 0.00
Gross return 82.83 74.42 96.34
Direct expenses
Barley (bu.) 0.23 0.32 0.42 0.57 0.10 0.16
Corn (bu.) 0.28 0.47 0.49 0.81 0.29 0.46
Corn Silage (lb.) 243.10 2.00 380.51 2.98 222.71 1.86
Hay, Alfalfa (lb.) 94.17 2.05 111.22 2.35 106.74 2.26
Hay, Grass & Other (lb.) 1101.31 17.75 1111.59 18.46 1128.89 17.98
Haylage, Grass & Other (lb.) 9.96 0.09 6.87 0.05 5.24 0.08
Oats (bu.) 0.55 0.54 0.48 0.47 1.06 1.02
Pasture (aum) 1.19 12.65 1.33 13.51 1.15 11.40
Stover (lb.) 15.81 0.13 45.95 0.38 13.56 0.09
Straw (lb.) 53.26 0.35 66.71 0.49 50.51 0.27
Complete Ration (lb.) 16.54 0.60 15.64 0.71 9.34 0.47
Creep / Starter (lb.) 3.83 0.24 2.16 0.14 8.34 0.58
Protein Vit Minerals (lb.) 11.85 1.65 10.07 1.68 11.84 1.64
Other feed stuffs 0.05 0.06 0.02
Breeding fees 0.14 0.01 0.19
Veterinary 2.84 2.84 2.78
Livestock supplies 1.47 2.11 1.37
Fuel & oil 1.57 1.89 1.82
Repairs 3.50 4.55 3.19
Custom hire 0.67 1.03 0.54
Hired labor 0.04 0.09 0.00
Livestock leases 1.05 2.82 0.35
Hauling and trucking 0.02 0.02 0.02
Marketing 0.34 0.52 0.18
Bedding 0.16 0.28 0.03
Operating interest 1.60 2.60 1.53
Total direct expenses 52.34 61.50 50.32
Return over direct expense 30.50 12.92 46.02
Overhead expenses
Hired labor 1.09 1.52 1.01
Machinery & bldg leases 0.22 0.29 0.25
RE & pers. property taxes 0.19 0.24 0.36
Farm insurance 1.05 1.03 1.02
Utilities 1.49 1.71 1.52
Dues & professional fees 0.28 0.27 0.27
Interest 3.34 2.88 4.30
Mach & bldg depreciation 2.71 3.22 2.91
Miscellaneous 1.37 1.53 2.12
Total overhead expenses 11.77 12.67 13.77
Total listed expenses 64.10 74.17 64.09
Net return 18.73 0.24 32.25
Other Information
Number of cows 123.3 112.2 124.0
Pregnancy percentage 96.9 97.2 96.0
Pregnancy loss percentage 2.6 3.0 3.4
Culling percentage 13.5 18.6 10.4
Calving percentage 94.4 94.4 92.8
Weaning percentage 89.1 87.8 87.8
Calves sold per cow 0.91 0.91 0.90
Calf death loss percent 5.5 6.8 5.1
Average weaning weight 548 533 550
Lbs weaned/exposed female 488 468 483
Feed cost per cow 201.54 211.79 185.11
Avg wgt/Beef Calf sold 595 577 586
Avg price / cwt 82.51 80.97 82.39