“Male sexed semen is an opportunity to capture value,” said Kansas State University's Ken Odde, who also helps manage a family cow-calf ranch in South Dakota. “The opportunity’s greater when the price spread between steers and heifers is significant.”

A cattle operation's feeding and nutrition program is the single-largest ongoing production expense and the one that may require the greatest amount of time, focus and planning to manage. It may also be the most variable, depending on the region and operations themselves.

CattleFax Vice President of Research and Risk Management Services Mike Murphy’s message about feed prices and availability for the coming year was cautiously optimistic. Even as the end appears to be in sight for countless farmers and ranchers who have dealt with historic drought conditions across the country the past couple years, the economic effects of that drought remain.