Garvo, apologies - I was not referring to you with the "cheap calves" comment. That's just a phrase I've heard from others way too often.  No argument with you at all.

You are certainly entitled to a fair return on your investment and labors. My only point is I think that the profit needs to come from an increase in the selling price of the end product, not by passing losses back to cow calf people.

In any business, when your costs go up and can not be or are out of your control to be reduced, the selling price needs to be increased. Or something else in the system needs to change.

Please watch those hours in the chopper. Stuff tends to happen when we get over tired.

Jim at Dawn