# Cost of raising cattle in Maryland

> Maryland cow-calf operators spend roughly $1,024 per head per year to maintain a beef cow, driven by hay-heavy winter feeding and relatively high pasture lease rates compared to the national average.

**Headline:** $1,024 per head/year

## Key Figures

| Metric | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Feed and hay | $412 per head/year |
| Pasture and lease | $198 per head/year |
| Labor | $214 per head/year |
| Veterinary and health | $68 per head/year |
| Miscellaneous (fuel, repairs, supplies) | $132 per head/year |

## Detail

Maryland sits at the transition between humid continental and humid subtropical climate zones, which shapes cow-calf economics far more than headline cattle prices. Winters on the Piedmont and in Garrett County require 120 to 150 days of stored hay feeding, while Eastern Shore operations get a longer grazing window but pay more for land. The 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture recorded roughly 37,000 beef cows across about 2,400 Maryland operations, with Angus and Angus-cross genetics dominating alongside Hereford and Simmental in the western counties.

Land cost is the single biggest reason Maryland cow-calf costs run above the national mean. USDA NASS Cash Rents data for 2023 put Maryland pasture and non-irrigated cropland rents near $60 per acre, roughly four times the US pasture rental average of about $15 per acre. At a conservative 2.5 acres per cow-calf pair on Piedmont pasture, that translates to the $198 per head pasture line above, before any hay is cut or purchased.

Feed and hay dominate variable cost at around $412 per head per year based on the University of Maryland Extension beef cow-calf enterprise budget, reflecting both purchased hay and harvested forage valued at market. Labor at $214 per head, veterinary at $68, and miscellaneous fuel, minerals, fencing, and repairs at $132 round out a total near $1,024 per cow per year for a well-run commercial operation. Operators running 200 to 2,000 head can compress labor and vet costs through scale, but pasture rent and winter hay remain structurally high in Maryland relative to the Plains states.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is the typical pasture rental rate in Maryland?

USDA NASS reports Maryland non-irrigated cropland and pasture cash rents averaged around $60 per acre in 2023, well above the US pasture average of $15 per acre, reflecting dense land use on the Eastern Shore and Piedmont.

### How many beef cows does a typical Maryland operation run?

According to the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture, Maryland had about 37,000 beef cows spread across roughly 2,400 operations, averaging 15 head per farm — far smaller than the 200-2000 head commercial range.

### What breeds dominate Maryland cow-calf herds?

Angus and Angus-cross cattle dominate Maryland herds, with Hereford, Simmental, and Red Angus common on Piedmont and Western Maryland operations suited to humid continental and humid subtropical transitional climates.

## Sources

1. USDA NASS Cash Rents by County, Maryland (2023) — https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Maryland/Publications/Cash_Rents_by_County/
2. USDA Census of Agriculture, Maryland State Profile (2022) — https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2022/Full_Report/Census_by_State/Maryland/
3. University of Maryland Extension — Beef Cow-Calf Enterprise Budget (2023) — https://extension.umd.edu/resource/beef-cow-calf-enterprise-budget

---

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