What tips should I keep in mind?

Cost of gain should stay below sale price per pound — if it costs $1.10/lb to gain and cattle sell at $1.55/lb, the margin is thin. Cattle cycle averages 10 years — buy breeding stock when prices are low. Death loss of 1-2% is normal; 3%+ signals management or health problems.

Profit Per Head Calculator

Calculate net profit per head for feeder cattle, cow-calf, or other livestock enterprises based on all revenue and costs.

Enterprise Type

Purchase Cost ($/head)(Buy price or calf value)

Total Feed Cost ($/head)

Vet & Health ($/head)

Overhead & Other ($/head)(Trucking, yardage, interest, death loss)

Sale Price ($/head)(Expected market value at sale)

Number of Head

Results

Visualization

How It Works

Profit per head is the fundamental metric for livestock enterprises. In feedlot cattle, feed is 55-65% of total cost. Cow-calf operations have lower feed costs but spread over a full year. Profitability swings widely with market cycles — breakeven years are common.

The Formula

Net Profit = Sale Price - (Purchase + Feed + Vet + Overhead)
Cost of Gain = Feed Cost / Lbs Gained

Variables

Purchase Price — Cost to buy the feeder or calf value for cow-calf
Feed Cost — Total feed consumed x cost per unit (typically 55-65% of total cost in feedlot)
Cost of Gain — Feed cost per pound of weight gain — key efficiency metric

Example

Buy 550 lb steer at $1,100, feed $650, vet $45, overhead $120 = $1,915 total. Sell at 1,350 lbs for $2,100. Profit = $185/head x 100 head = $18,500.

Tips

Cost of gain should stay below sale price per pound — if it costs $1.10/lb to gain and cattle sell at $1.55/lb, the margin is thin.
Cattle cycle averages 10 years — buy breeding stock when prices are low.
Death loss of 1-2% is normal; 3%+ signals management or health problems.
Lock in feed prices with forward contracts when corn is below $4.50/bu.
Interest on cattle purchases adds $50-100/head at current rates — factor it in.