Cow-calf profit per head in Maine
Maine cow-calf operators averaged roughly $95 net cash income per bred cow in 2024, but once depreciation, unpaid labor, and land charges are included, total economic return runs about -$180 per head.
$95 net per head (economic loss of -$180)
Key figures
| Gross revenue per cow | $1,045 |
| Cash costs | $950 |
| Non-cash costs (depreciation, labor, land) | $275 |
| Net cash income | $95 |
| Total economic profit | -$180 |
Maine cow-calf operations in 2024 posted gross revenue near $1,045 per bred cow, reflecting the historic rally in CME feeder cattle futures that pushed 550-lb steer calves to $2.70-$2.90/lb, according to USDA ERS Commodity Costs and Returns. That revenue line assumes the University of Maine Extension's standard 88% weaning rate on a spring-calving herd, well below the 92-94% rates used in Plains budgets.
Cash costs for a Maine cow averaged roughly $950 per head, driven primarily by winter feed. UMaine Extension's enterprise budget pegs hay at $220-$260 per ton delivered, and a dry cow consumes 2.0-2.5 tons across the 200+ day housing season, pushing stored-feed cost alone past $500/cow before grain, mineral, vet, or bedding. The Maine Beef Producers Association 2024 survey confirmed fuel and fertilizer inputs added another $60-$80/cow versus 2022.
After subtracting $275/cow in non-cash charges (depreciation on bulls and facilities, unpaid operator labor, and pasture land charge) reported in the ERS New England region table, total economic profit lands near -$180 per head. Net cash income of about $95/cow means most Maine herds pay the bills in a record-price year but do not fully cover opportunity cost of labor and land, which is why the state's beef cow inventory has declined for six consecutive years per USDA NASS.
Frequently asked questions
- Why are Maine cow-calf margins thinner than Plains states?
- Short 150-day grazing season forces 6-7 months of stored feed, and hay costs in Maine average $220-$260/ton versus $140 in Nebraska, adding roughly $180/cow in winter feed.
- What weaning percentage should Maine producers budget?
- UMaine Extension budgets assume an 88% weaning rate on 550-lb steer calves, below the 92% Plains benchmark due to tick-borne anaplasmosis and wet-spring scours pressure.
- Are 2024-2025 calf prices offsetting Maine's cost disadvantage?
- Yes partially. CME feeder calves hit record $2.70-$2.90/lb in 2024, lifting Maine gross revenue above $1,000/cow for the first time, but hay and fuel inflation absorbed most of the gain.
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Sources
Machine-readable mirror: https://vellum.app/m/cow-calf-profit-per-head/maine.md