The Professional Animal Scientist 21 (2005):286–296
Factors Affecting Beef Cattle Performance and Profitability H. KOKNAROGLU*,1, D. D. LOY*, PAS, D. E. WILSON*, M. P. HOFFMAN*,2, PAS, and J. D. LAWRENCE† *Department of Animal Science and †Department of Economics, Iowa State University, Ames 50011
Abstract Close-out information, consisting of data from 1836 pens of cattle that were placed on feed between January 1988 and December 1997, which had been submitted by Iowa cattle producers using the Iowa State University Feedlot Performance and Cost Monitoring program, was examined to determine factors affecting beef cattle performance and profitability. Information provided on close-out sheets included start and end date, cattle per pen, sex, housing type, days on feed, initial and sale BW, feed efficiency (FE), percentage of concentrate, ADG, percentage death loss, feed cost and total cost/ 45.4 kg of BW gain, breakeven sale price, non-feed variable cost, non-feed fixed cost, and corn price. Feeder cattle prices were calculated as feeder cattle price = [(breakeven sale price × sale BW) − (total cost of gain × gain)]/initial BW. Gains in 45.4-kg increments were calculated as gain = (sale BW − initial BW)/45.4. Fed cattle prices were obtained weekly from the report published by the USDA for Southern Minnesota and Iowa. Profit per head was calculated as profit = (sale BW × fed price) − [(total cost of gain × gain) + (feeder price × initial BW)]. Steers consumed more feed
1
Present address: Suleyman Demirel University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science, Isparta, Turkey. 2 To whom correspondence should be addressed:
[email protected]
(P
