# Cow-calf profit per head in Tennessee

> Tennessee cow-calf operations averaged roughly $215 net cash income per cow in 2024, with total economic profit closer to break-even once unpaid labor, depreciation, and pasture opportunity costs are charged against the enterprise.

**Headline:** $215 net cash income per cow (2024)

## Key Figures

| Metric | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Gross revenue per cow | $1,075 |
| Cash costs per cow | $860 |
| Non-cash costs (labor, depreciation, land) | $425 |
| Net cash income per cow | $215 |
| Total economic profit per cow | -$210 |

## Detail

Tennessee cow-calf producers entered 2024 with the strongest calf market in a generation. USDA ERS data for the Southeast region show gross revenue per bred cow near $1,075, driven by 550 lb feeder steers trading above $3.00/lb at Tennessee auction barns as the US beef cow herd fell to its smallest level since 1961. That revenue lift is what separates a 2024 net cash income near $215 per cow from the roughly break-even results of 2019-2022.

University of Tennessee Extension's PB 1815 cow-calf budget anchors the production assumptions: an 85% weaning rate, 525-550 lb weaned calves, and a spring-calving herd grazing KY-31 tall fescue. At those benchmarks, a 50-cow herd weans about 42 calves, and each open or lost cow pulls $900-$1,000 of potential revenue off the top line, which is why reproductive efficiency matters more than marginal price improvements in the Tennessee budget.

The bottom line is dictated by cost structure more than price. UT Extension pegs cash costs near $860 per cow, with winter hay feeding alone running $250-$325 because fescue pastures demand 90-120 days of stored forage. Once non-cash charges for unpaid family labor, machinery depreciation, and pasture land opportunity cost (roughly $425 per cow) are layered in, total economic profit swings to about -$210 per cow even in a strong price year, meaning most Tennessee operations are still subsidizing the cow herd with off-farm income or unpriced land equity.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Why is Tennessee cow-calf profitability higher in 2024 than in prior years?

Record-low US beef cow inventory pushed 550 lb feeder steer prices above $3.00/lb in 2024, lifting Tennessee gross revenue per cow by roughly 25% year-over-year even as hay and fuel costs stayed elevated.

### What weaning percentage do Tennessee extension budgets assume?

University of Tennessee Extension cow-calf budgets assume an 85% weaning rate and a 525-550 lb average weaned calf weight, reflecting fescue-belt forage conditions and typical spring-calving herds.

### What is the biggest cost driver for Tennessee cow-calf producers?

Winter hay feeding is the single largest variable cost, typically $250-$325 per cow annually, because Tennessee's KY-31 tall fescue pastures require 90-120 days of stored forage feeding each winter.

## Sources

1. USDA ERS Commodity Costs and Returns, Cow-Calf Production, Southeast Region (2024) — https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/commodity-costs-and-returns/
2. University of Tennessee Extension, Cow-Calf Enterprise Budget (PB 1815) (2024) — https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/PB1815.pdf
3. Tennessee Cattlemen's Association Market Report (2024) — https://www.tncattle.org/market-report

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