# Cow-calf profit per head in Illinois

> Illinois cow-calf operations averaged roughly $215 in net cash income per cow in 2024, but after non-cash costs like depreciation and unpaid labor, total economic profit was slightly negative near -$95 per head.

**Headline:** $215 net cash income per cow; approximately -$95 total economic profit per cow

## Key Figures

| Metric | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Gross revenue per cow | $1,180 |
| Cash costs per cow | $965 |
| Non-cash costs (depreciation, labor, land charge) | $310 |
| Net cash income per cow | $215 |
| Total economic profit per cow | -$95 |

## Detail

Illinois cow-calf producers in 2024 realized gross revenue near $1,180 per cow, driven by feeder calf prices that climbed above $2.80 per pound as the national beef herd hit a multi-decade low. After roughly $965 in cash costs covering feed, hay, vet, and fuel, net cash income landed around $215 per cow, per University of Illinois farmdoc livestock budgets.

The farmdoc cow-calf budget assumes an 88 to 92 percent weaning rate with 550 pound steer calves, reflecting typical spring-calving herds on fescue and mixed-grass pasture in southern and western Illinois. That weaning percentage is the single largest driver of revenue variation; a five-point drop erases nearly $60 per cow from the top line before any cost changes.

Illinois cost structure is unique because pasture acres compete directly with row crops. USDA ERS Commodity Costs and Returns allocate a land charge reflecting local cash rent, and in Illinois that charge plus depreciation on the cow and unpaid operator labor typically adds about $310 in non-cash costs per cow. The result is a full economic profit near -$95 per head in 2024, meaning cash-positive herds still fail to fully cover the opportunity cost of land that could grow corn.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Why is Illinois cow-calf profit lower than Plains states?

Illinois pasture land carries high opportunity cost because the same acres can grow corn or soybeans, inflating the land charge in any full economic budget and compressing per-cow margins versus Nebraska or Kansas.

### What weaning percentage do Illinois budgets assume?

University of Illinois Extension cow-calf budgets typically assume an 88 to 92 percent weaning rate and a weaning weight near 550 pounds for spring-born steer calves.

### Have 2024-2025 calf prices improved Illinois returns?

Yes. Feeder calf prices above $2.80 per pound in 2024 pushed gross revenue per cow well above the 10-year average, turning net cash income positive even as hay and fuel costs stayed elevated.

## Sources

1. USDA ERS Commodity Costs and Returns, Cow-Calf (2024) — https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/commodity-costs-and-returns/
2. University of Illinois farmdoc Livestock Budgets - Cow-Calf Enterprise (2024) — https://farmdoc.illinois.edu/handbook/livestock-budgets
3. Illinois Beef Association Producer Resources (2024) — https://www.illinoisbeef.com/

---

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