Cow-calf profit per head in Arkansas

Arkansas ranks among the top 15 cow-calf states with roughly 900,000 beef cows, concentrated on fescue and bermudagrass pastures across the Ozarks, Ouachitas, and Delta. University of Arkansas Extension's 2025 cow-calf budget projects gross revenue near $1,050 per cow at an 85% weaning rate and 525 lb average weaning weight, with cash costs of about $885 leaving roughly $165 in net cash income per cow. Once depreciation on the cow herd, unpaid operator labor, and a land charge are layered in, total economic profit lands near negative $95 per cow, consistent with USDA ERS Southern Seaboard regional averages.

Calf prices in 2025-2026 are the strongest in a decade, with 500-600 lb steer calves bringing $280-310/cwt at Arkansas auction barns as the national beef cow herd sits at a multi-decade low. That revenue tailwind is partly offset by fescue toxicosis, which University of Arkansas Extension research ties to 30-50 lb lower weaning weights and reduced conception rates versus cleaner forage bases, meaning Arkansas herds wean fewer pounds per cow exposed than Plains counterparts even in a strong price year.

The state's cost structure is the decisive factor. USDA ERS Commodity Costs and Returns data for the Southern Seaboard region show feed (hay and supplement) running near $400 per cow, pasture and forage costs near $150, and cash overhead including veterinary, fuel, repairs, and interest adding another $335. Non-cash charges for herd depreciation and unpaid family labor routinely exceed $250 per cow. The result, documented across Arkansas Cattlemen's Association outlook reports, is an industry where cash flow is healthy in 2026 but full economic profit remains thin, rewarding low-input graziers who minimize hay feeding days and cull open cows aggressively.