Cow-calf profit per head in Colorado

Colorado cow-calf producers are riding one of the strongest calf markets on record heading into 2026, with 500-600 lb feeder steers trading near $3.20/lb at Colorado auction barns. Applied to a CSU Extension assumption of an 88-90% weaning rate and ~550 lb average weaning weight, gross revenue per exposed cow lands near $1,360 once cull cow and heifer sales are blended in, according to Colorado State University Extension's 2024 cow-calf enterprise budget.

The cost side is where Colorado diverges from cheaper-to-run states. USDA ERS Commodity Costs and Returns data for the Basin and Range region place total cash costs around $1,195 per cow, driven primarily by feed, which represents 55-60% of operating costs. Colorado's 5-6 month winter feeding window and private pasture rents averaging $24-$28/AUM keep harvested forage and grazing charges structurally high versus the Southern Plains.

After subtracting roughly $260 per cow in non-cash charges (depreciation on bulls and equipment, unpaid operator labor, and a land charge), net cash income settles near $165 per head while total economic profit remains modestly negative at about -$95. Per the Livestock Marketing Information Center's 2025 returns outlook, that pattern - positive cash flow, negative full economic profit - is typical across the Mountain West even at current cycle-high calf prices, because the land and labor opportunity costs embedded in ERS budgets are rarely covered in a single year.