Economic Analysis of Keeping a Nonpregnant Cow

Authors

Trenton Bohling, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Darrell R. Mark, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Richard Rasby, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
David R. Smith, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

2012

Comments

Published in 2012 Beef Cattle Report (2012) p. 35-36. Copyright © 2012 The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska.

Abstract

Abnormally large numbers of nonpregnant cows in cow-calf herds may be caused by diseases like trichomoniasis or a culmination of environmental factors such as heat stress during breeding and abnormally cold winters and wet spring conditions. Typically, producers sell nonpregnant females and replace them with bred heifers or cows. The five-year cash flow budgets developed in this study suggest that in some circumstances it is economically feasible to keep a nonpregnant cow.