KEY
Answer Key – Updated February 2013
Ag Decision Maker Activity
Beef Cow-Calf
File B1-21
Name_______________________
Use the estimated prices in File B1-21, Estimated Costs of Livestock
Production and the Beef Cow-Calf Example and Blank spreadsheets to
find the differences below.
You have a small cow-calf operation. You’ve been feeding out calves, but
are looking at cutting back and possibly selling the calves instead and
doing something else with your time. You pull up the beef cow-calf
spreadsheet to look at the differences.
You are going to just use the estimated costs that are in the spreadsheet,
but update the corn price to $7.00 and modified distillers grains to $95/ton.
Calves Fed
Corn Cost
Total Feed Cost
Labor Cost
Total Variable Cost
Total Fixed Cost
Total Cost
Calves Sold
$392
$28
$1,018.38
$457.90
$140
$112
$1,318.93
$653.21
$195.30
$185.30
$1,514.23
$838.51
. . . and justice for all
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Agriculture. Cathann A. Kress, director, Cooperative Extension Service, Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Ames, Iowa.
Answer Key – Updated February 2013