# Cost of raising cattle in Mississippi

> Mississippi cow-calf operators spend roughly $913 per cow per year in total cash and economic costs, driven primarily by purchased feed, hay, and pasture maintenance on humid-subtropical bermudagrass and bahiagrass pastures.

**Headline:** $913 per head/year

## Key Figures

| Metric | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Feed and hay | $358 per head/year |
| Pasture and lease | $196 per head/year |
| Labor | $171 per head/year |
| Veterinary and health | $62 per head/year |
| Miscellaneous (fuel, repairs, supplies) | $126 per head/year |

## Detail

Mississippi sits in USDA hardiness zones 7b-9a with a humid subtropical climate, giving cow-calf producers a 240-plus day grazing season on warm-season perennial forages. According to Mississippi State University Extension beef cattle enterprise budgets, total annual cow cost averages approximately $913 per head, with feed and hay representing the single largest expense at roughly $358 per cow.

The state's roughly 17,000 beef operations run about 910,000 beef cows according to USDA NASS, with an average herd size near 38 head — far smaller than the 200-2000 head commercial operations this analysis targets. Larger operations achieve lower per-head labor costs through scale, but pasture lease rates across the Black Belt and Piney Woods regions still push land costs near $196 per cow annually per MSU Extension budgets.

Angus and Angus-influenced cattle dominate Mississippi herds, with Brangus and Hereford-Brahman crosses common because Bos indicus genetics tolerate the heat, humidity, and horn fly pressure better than straight British breeds. USDA ERS cow-calf cost-and-return data confirm Southeast region veterinary and health costs average near $62 per cow annually, with fly control, internal parasites, and anaplasmosis driving most of that spend in Mississippi's wet climate.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is the average herd size in Mississippi?

Mississippi's average beef cow herd is roughly 38 head, though commercial cow-calf operations typically run 100 to 500 head across the state's 17,000 beef operations.

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

Angus, Brangus, and Hereford-Brahman crosses dominate Mississippi herds because Bos indicus influence provides heat tolerance and parasite resistance in the humid subtropical climate.

### How much pasture does a cow-calf pair need in Mississippi?

Mississippi stocking rates on improved bermudagrass or bahiagrass pasture average 1.5 to 2 acres per cow-calf pair, better than western range but requiring fertilization and weed control.

## Sources

1. Mississippi State University Extension — Beef Cattle Budgets (2023) — https://extension.msstate.edu/agriculture/livestock/beef
2. USDA NASS — Mississippi Cattle Inventory (2024) — https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Mississippi/
3. USDA ERS — Cow-Calf Production Costs and Returns (2023) — https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/commodity-costs-and-returns/

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