by Mark Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension

Low cow inventories, little evidence of replacement heifer retention and record-high prices for cattle during the close of 2024 are all positive signs for commercial cow-calf operations in 2025.

That being the case, here are my New Year’s resolutions for commercial cow-calf operations to unlock greater profit potential in the coming year:

1. Evaluate your marketing plan and resolve to market better. Consider when to market (weaning, yearlings or as-fed cattle) and how. Investigate marketing opportunities that can add value through documented health and/or genetic values.
2. Keep better records, both financial and production. Evaluating cow productivity in the form of percent calf crop weaned or the percentage of mature weight weaned on a herd-wide basis are vital to unlock profit potential.
3. Find the optimum balance of mature cow weight/cow productivity to your available pastureland and forage/feed resources. Selection pressure applied to keep mature cow size in balance can be effective, as this is a highly heritable trait.
4. Monitor nutrition and cow body condition — don’t let cows lose weight during the last trimester of pregnancy.
5. Improve the health of your entire grazing ecosystem (soil, plants and cattle). Most Oklahoma rangeland has been drought-stressed during two of the past three years. Manage warm-season grasses accordingly this spring.

Editor’s note: Mark Johnson is an Oklahoma State University Extension beef cattle breeding specialist. This article is reprinted with permission from the Dec. 30, 2024, OSU Cow-Calf Corner newsletter published by OSU Extension. [Lead photo by middelveld from Getty Images.]

Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA, Vol. 17, No. 1-A