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| There has been a lot of good discussion on how and why we have the small number of beef cows today and the resulting prices. But not touched on is how the huge slaughter weights have directly or indirectly affected them. Know a number of people that quit cows now run stocker cattle. Easier and often payed better. Or guys that could run more cows but choose to keep their calves and run even some as yearlings. Not that long ago stocker cattle were the peewees and runts no one wanted. Calf feds were the standard. You had to be careful about how big a animal you turned out on grass because by the time they were finished they might be over weight carcasses. Virtually no such thing today. People buy and turn out cattle at weights they used to be put on feed. And why not? If you have the grass, no cheaper gain. There are wild stories of how much gain some cattle got on southern plains wheat pasture this last winter and spring. Unlike the days when cattle went on feed at lighter weights, resources used to grow calves are in direct competition with running a cow-calf operation. See more and more calves run on cornstalks then run as yearlings on grass.
Will some go back to cows out of choice or necessity? Sure, but to think we have the same fundamentals we once had, just isn't true.
Edited by BLKCOW 6/7/2025 07:57
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Another reason smallest cow herd in over seventy years
