Cost of raising cattle in Oklahoma

Oklahoma sits in the Southern Plains cow-calf region, where USDA Economic Research Service data for 2023 pegged total cash costs near $924 per bred cow. The state's herd is dominated by Angus and Angus-cross genetics, with Hereford, Brangus, and Charolais crosses common in the western counties where the climate shifts from humid subtropical in the east toward semi-arid short-grass prairie near the Panhandle.

Feed and harvested hay are the largest single line, averaging around $382 per head per year according to the ERS Southern Plains budget. Oklahoma State University Extension estimates a mature cow will eat 1.5 to 2.5 tons of hay across a 90 to 120 day winter feeding window, and pasture cash rent on non-irrigated grass averaged roughly $14.50 per acre in the 2023 NASS Oklahoma survey, translating to about $214 per cow when stocked at typical 8 to 12 acre-per-pair rates.

Labor runs about $168 per head combining hired and operator labor, reflecting BLS Oklahoma agricultural worker wages near $15 per hour in 2023. Veterinary and medicine costs are comparatively modest at roughly $41 per head, while miscellaneous cash expenses — fuel, repairs, supplies, and marketing — add another $119. Mid-size Oklahoma operations of 200 to 2000 head generally fall near these Southern Plains regional averages, though western Panhandle ranches carrying larger pasture footprints typically see higher lease and fuel exposure than eastern operations with improved bermudagrass pasture.