Recent record prices paid for fed cattle, feeder cattle, and cull cows and bulls have a lot of industry folks talking and thinking we are at the bottom of the “10-year cattle cycle” and that we could see expansion in the future.

In the early 1980s, producers who raised Herefords and other breeds with red hides were hit with a significant discount at feedyards and sale barns.

Smaller producers often simply accept as fact that their production costs are going to be higher than their larger counterparts. However, there are ways to become more cost-effective and profitable.