COST OF PRODUCING BEEF IN KANSAS 
25 
COW HERDS IN CHASE COUNTY 
It would be to the advantage of the Chase County farmer who 
owns or controls about the average acreage of crop land near his 
pastures, if he could follow some sure system of utilizing his feed 
and pasture. Risk attends the summer grazing of steers and there 
is always the chance, each year, that he may not lease his grass 
advantageously to outside men. With the pasture and feed that is 
available here, it is possible to reduce speculation in the cattle business 
by using part of the pasture and feeding the surplus hay, together 
with the small balances of grain, to cow herds and their calves. The 
limiting factor undoubtedly will be a stable supply of winter feed. 
Table 11. — Distribution of items which enter into the gross cost of producing calves 
on a few farms in Chase County, Kans., in 1922 and 1923 
Cattle 
Distribution of annual carrying costs per cow 
"S 
studied 
03 O 
H 
Year 
>2 
o 
o 
C3 
03 
a 3 
~ 03+j 
1 
a 
03 
S 03 
IS 3 
a 
o 
03 +? 
+3 O 
and 
ranch 
No. 
£-3 
o 
Q 
3 
03 
O 
1 
3 
o 
w 
O 
a 
03 
Eh 
03 
A 
03 
£ 03 
3 
o 
o 
a> 
Ah 
it 
o 
1922:2 
No. 
No. 
Pet. 
46.. 
201 
7 
$7. 18 
$10. 46 
$0. 03 
$2. 35 
$0.88 
$0.19 
$0.48 
$0.58 
$0.73 
$0.26 
$5. 20 
$28. 34 
80.0 
$35. 42 
47. . 
36 
2 
6.72 
7.57 
.02 
3.96 
1.30 
.37 
.16 
.45 
1.00 
6.25 
27.80 
80.5 
34.53 
48.. 
157 
11 
7.57 
8.24 
.04 
2.50 
1.43 
.26 
.08 
.40 
.66 
.24 
4.84 
26.26 
84.0 
31.26 
49.. 
119 
3 
9.08 
6.11 
.09 
2.69 
1.06 
.36 
.04 
.39 
1.51 
.25 
4.88 
26.46 
91.6 
28.89 
1923: 3 
46.. 
171 
9 
8.68 
11.54 
.07 
2.41 
1.00 
.18 
.32 
.42 
.88 
.56 
5.90 
31.96 
83.0 
38.51 
47.. 
36 
2 
8.26 
13.39 
.06 
2.65 
.87 
.72 
.39 
.33 
6.46 
33.13 
86.1 
38.48 
48.. 
169 
7 
7.80 
8.43 
.07 
2.09 
.92 
.47 
.05 
.44 
.70 
.43 
4.81 
26.21 
83.4 
31.43 
49.. 
114 
4 
8.03 
13. 58 
.07 
2.97 
1.02 
.30 
.03 
.37 
.66 
.14 
5.72 
32.89 
94.7 
34.73 
50.. 
118 
4 
4.46 
8.44 
.12 
1.87 
.77 
.16 
.05 
.32 
1.10 
3.76 
21.05 
64.4 
32.69 
51.. 
133 
3 
8.73 
10.48 
.06 
1.16 
.37 
.17 
.25 
.20 
3.68 
25.10 
87.9 
28.56 
1 Including 6 per cent interest upon capital invested in the breeding herd and in the equipment and 
buildings. 
2 The winter of 1921-22 and the summer of 1922. 
3 The winter of 1922-23 and the summer of 1923. 
Table 12. — The cost of maintaining breeding cows and of producing calves in 
specified areas of Colorado and Texas in 1922 and 1923 
State and year 
Gross 
annual 
carrying 
cost per 
cow 
Percent- 
age calf 
crop 
Gross 
cost per 
weaned 
calf 
Colorado: 
Prairie ranches — 
1922 . - 
$20. 51 
18.93 
24.09 
23.93 
27.22 
29.46 
Per cent 
56.0 
59i0 
56.7 
60.0 
66.9 
65.0 
$36. 62 
1923 
32.08 
Mountain ranches— 
1922 
42.49 
1923 ' 
39.88 
Texas: 
North central area— 
1922 . .. . . 
40.69 
1923.-. ... 
45.32 
The cost of producing calves was obtained on four farms in Chase 
County, Kans., in .1922 and six farms in 1923. (Table 11.) Only 
one farm averaged less than an 80 per cent calf crop. No other 
factor influences the cost of producing calves as much as the size of 
the calf crop. In this respect the Chase County farmer is at a decided 
