With respect to cattle inventories and price levels for both cattle and beef, the cattle industry is experiencing unprecedented times. Certainly, there have been swings both upward and downward in the feeder calf market, but prices have generally been historically high the past couple years, with the same expectations for 2025 and 2026. 

In the last 75 to 100 years, we have seen cow size go from belt-buckle cattle to hat-brim cattle. Between 1975 and 2005, the average cow weight in the U.S. at slaughter increased from 1,050 to 1,350 pounds. Since 2005, cow size in the U.S. has probably pushed into the 1,400- to 1,500-pound range. 

We’ve all seen it. Top-layer spoilage – a rind of discolored, decomposing feed often laden with yeasts, molds and mycotoxins on the top of your silage bunker or pile.

Over the past decade, bovine congestive heart failure (BCHF) has emerged as one of the biggest threats to the health and productivity of cattle on feed.

Most farms and ranches have some woodlands. For centuries, cattle have been turned out in the woods to forage or to access shelter from extreme weather. With proper management, the benefits of grazing woodlands can be maximized.

During the farm crisis of the 1980s, the term “cash flow is king” drove home the importance of using cash flow to pay debt. That’s still important as we continue to ride the cycles of the industry, but a projection of earnings is equally important. As the calendar transitions to 2025, dive into the question of why both are valuable.

There’s no bigger reward in this industry than capitalizing on the decisions of last year, but like the tax collector, don’t pay attention to your herd in arrears. Now is the time to begin thinking of next year’s calf crop.

Shipwheel Cattle Feeders, under the stewardship of Andrea Stroeve-Sawa, exemplifies a modern approach to cattle farming that successfully integrates custom cattle feeding with flexible grazing strategies and continuously improves.

Regardless of how long you’ve been farming, your key goals include long-term financial success and stability. Achieving these goals will be easier if you create a comprehensive budget that enables you to plan your finances, manage risk and track profitability.