Alternative Cow-Calf and Stocker Production Systems in the Georgia Piedmont Area

Abstract

Economic analyses indicated that costs and returns were closely related to age of cattle, quality of forage, and cattle market prices in the Southeast. Brood cow-calf and stocker calf operations performed best when annual winter grazing was included in the production systems. Returns per acre to capital, land, and management during the 1966-1970 period were $18.37 for the winter cow-calf system with annual winter grazing and $10.87 for the summer cow-calf unit. Returns per acre to capital, land, and management during the 1963-1970 period were estimated at $6.46 for the summer stocker calf system and $41.00 for the winter stocker calf system with annual winter grazing. The summer cow-calf system and the winter stocker calf system were the best combination of systems to increase total beef production for the Piedmont area.