Cow-calf profit per head in Ohio

Ohio cow-calf operators sit in USDA's Corn Belt reporting region, where 2024 ERS Commodity Costs and Returns data pegged gross value of production near $1,180 per bred cow and total cash costs near $1,015, leaving about $165 in net cash income before depreciation and unpaid labor charges. Once those non-cash allocations are layered in, total economic profit turns negative by roughly $85 per head, consistent with the long-run pattern in the Corn Belt cow-calf series.

The bottom line hinges on weaning performance and calf price. OSU Extension's 2024 cow-calf enterprise budget assumes an 88% weaning rate and 550 lb weaning weights, and with Ohio auction barns reporting 550 lb feeder steers at $2.80-3.10/lb through 2024, gross revenue per exposed cow climbed meaningfully over the prior cycle. That price strength is the single biggest reason Ohio herds flipped from negative to positive net cash income this year.

Ohio's cost structure is what keeps economic profit underwater. The OSU budget and ERS Corn Belt series both show feed (hay, stockpiled fescue, and purchased supplement) running over 50% of cash costs, with pasture charges reflecting Ohio's higher land values versus the Plains. The Ohio Cattlemen's Association notes most state herds run 50 head or fewer, so fixed costs for equipment and facilities spread thinly, amplifying the depreciation drag that pushes total economic profit negative even in a strong price year.