# Cow-calf profit per head in Alaska

> Alaska cow-calf operators typically run at a small economic loss of roughly $95 per head once non-cash costs are included, though net cash income stays modestly positive near $120 per head thanks to strong 2025-2026 calf prices offsetting the state's elevated feed and freight costs.

**Headline:** -$95 net per head (economic loss)

## Key Figures

| Metric | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Gross revenue per cow | $1,235 |
| Cash costs per cow | $1,115 |
| Non-cash costs (depreciation, labor, land) | $215 |
| Net cash income per cow | $120 |
| Total economic profit per cow | -$95 |

## Detail

Alaska's cow-calf economics in 2025-2026 are defined by a paradox: record national calf prices above $300/cwt for 5-6 weight feeder steers have pushed gross revenue per cow to roughly $1,235, yet the state's structural cost disadvantage keeps total economic profit negative at approximately -$95 per head according to USDA ERS cow-calf cost-and-return framework applied to Alaska inputs. Net cash income does turn positive near $120 per cow, meaning operations that have already absorbed land and depreciation costs can pencil out on a cash basis.

The weaning percentage assumption is the single biggest driver of Alaska's revenue line. UAF Cooperative Extension budgets typically use 82-85% weaned calves per exposed cow, compared to the 87% US average reported by USDA ERS, reflecting longer winters, predator pressure, and limited veterinary infrastructure outside the Mat-Su and Delta Junction hubs where roughly 70% of the state's 11,000 beef cows graze. A five-point weaning drop alone removes about $90 of gross revenue per cow at current prices.

Cost structure is where Alaska diverges sharply from the Northern Plains benchmark. Freight on hay, grain, and mineral into Anchorage and onward to producers adds an estimated $150-$250 per cow per year versus a Montana or South Dakota operation, and the 90-120 day grazing season means 8+ months of stored-feed dependence per UAF livestock budgets. Those two factors push cash costs to around $1,115 per cow, and once non-cash charges for depreciation, operator labor, and land opportunity cost (roughly $215) are layered in, the total economic profit line slips into the red even in a historically strong price year.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Why are Alaska cow-calf margins thinner than Lower 48 averages?

Freight on hay, grain, and mineral supplements into Alaska adds roughly $150-$250 per cow annually versus Great Plains operations, and a shorter 90-120 day grazing window forces 8+ months of stored-feed dependence.

### What weaning percentage should an Alaska rancher budget?

Alaska cow-calf budgets typically assume an 82-85% weaning rate, below the US average near 87%, reflecting harsher winter calving conditions and predator losses from bears and wolves in the Matanuska-Susitna and Kenai regions.

### How do 2025-2026 record calf prices change the Alaska picture?

USDA ERS reports feeder steer prices above $300/cwt in late 2025, lifting gross revenue per Alaska cow by roughly $200 year-over-year and pulling net cash income positive for the first time since 2021, though total economic profit remains negative.

### What share of Alaska beef cow inventory is in the Mat-Su and Delta Junction areas?

Roughly 70% of Alaska's ~11,000 beef cows are concentrated in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough and the Delta Junction agricultural district, per UAF Cooperative Extension livestock surveys.

## Sources

1. USDA ERS Commodity Costs and Returns - Cow-Calf Production (2025) — https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/commodity-costs-and-returns/
2. UAF Cooperative Extension Service - Alaska Livestock Production Budgets (2024) — https://www.uaf.edu/ces/agriculture/livestock/
3. USDA NASS Alaska Cattle Inventory (2025) — https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Alaska/

---

Source: Vellum — https://vellum.app/cow-calf-profit-per-head/alaska