# Cost of raising cattle in Arkansas

> Arkansas cow-calf operators spend roughly $912 per cow per year in total cash costs, driven largely by hay and purchased feed during the winter feeding period typical of the Fescue Belt.

**Headline:** $912 per head/year

## Key Figures

| Metric | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Feed and hay | $385 |
| Pasture and lease | $185 |
| Labor | $175 |
| Veterinary and health | $72 |
| Miscellaneous (fuel, repairs, supplies) | $95 |

## Detail

Arkansas sits in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 6b through 8a and falls within the humid subtropical Fescue Belt, where Kentucky 31 tall fescue and common bermudagrass form the backbone of most cow-calf forage systems. The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension's 2023 beef enterprise budgets place total cash costs near $912 per cow per year, with feed and hay accounting for roughly $385 of that figure due to the 120 to 150 day winter feeding window.

According to USDA NASS, Arkansas carried approximately 1.67 million head of beef cows in its 2024 inventory, making it one of the larger cow-calf states in the Southern Seaboard region. Commercial herds in the state are dominated by Angus and Angus-influenced crosses, with Brangus, Hereford, and Charolais cross cattle common in the Ozark and Ouachita foothills where heat tolerance and fescue adaptation matter. Typical operations run 40 to 150 head, though operators scaling to the 200 to 2000 head range benefit from improved labor efficiency, bringing per-head labor cost near $175.

Pasture and land costs in Arkansas run lower than the national average, with extension budgets assigning roughly $185 per cow for pasture, lease, and fertility maintenance on improved fescue-bermudagrass stands stocked at one pair per 2 to 3 acres. Veterinary and health expenses, including vaccinations, parasite control, and breeding soundness, average around $72 per head per year per the University of Arkansas budgets, while miscellaneous costs covering fuel, repairs, minerals, and supplies add approximately $95. Per USDA ERS Southern Seaboard cost-and-return estimates, these figures are consistent with regional benchmarks for 2024.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How many months of hay feeding should an Arkansas cow-calf operator budget for?

University of Arkansas extension budgets assume 120 to 150 days of hay feeding per year, reflecting the dormant season for tall fescue and bermudagrass pastures across the state.

### What is the typical stocking rate on Arkansas pasture?

Arkansas pastures in the Ozark and Ouachita regions typically carry one cow-calf pair per 2 to 3 acres on improved fescue or bermudagrass, with lower rates on unimproved ground.

### Does fescue toxicosis affect production costs in Arkansas?

Yes. Kentucky 31 tall fescue dominates northern Arkansas pastures, and endophyte toxicosis reduces weaning weights and conception rates, raising effective cost per weaned calf.

## Sources

1. USDA ERS Cow-Calf Production Costs and Returns, Southern Seaboard (2024) — https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/commodity-costs-and-returns/
2. University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension — Beef Cattle Enterprise Budgets (2023) — https://www.uaex.uada.edu/farm-ranch/economics-marketing/farm-planning/budgets/livestock-budgets.aspx
3. USDA NASS Arkansas Cattle Inventory (2024) — https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Arkansas/

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Source: Vellum — https://vellum.app/cost-of-raising-cattle/arkansas