Smaller Cattle May Perform Better In Drought Prone Areas

A recent study involving rangeland researches in Oregon, Wyoming and Oklahoma indicates bigger is not always better for cattle.  Leticia Henderson with OSU Extension in Baker City says those who use drought prone rangeland saw more success with smaller animals.

“If you have smaller cows, you can run more cows in the herd and use the same amount of forage.  So, you wean more calves, you spread your variable costs and your fixed costs over a larger number of animals.  So, your cost per unit go down.

Henderson added transitioning to smaller cow breeds is only one part of the puzzle for a successful operation.

“There are certainly hundreds of other decisions that you have to consider when you think about the kind of cow you want to run, what does the ideal cow look like to you? And I think if I were to ask that question in a room of 20 producers, can you describe the ideal cow, I’d probably get 30 different answers.”

Henderson said any such change would be a long-term investment.  You can check out the study by Clicking Here.

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