By Glennis McClure
Understanding the true cost of production is essential to making informed decisions in today’s cattle business. Whether you're raising replacement heifers, backgrounding calves, or evaluating whether to retain or sell at weaning, the Agricultural Budget Calculator (ABC) now has you covered.
Recently launched by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Center for Agricultural Profitability, the new livestock module in the ABC program gives producers the tools they need to build detailed cattle enterprise budgets. The tool allows users to assess economic performance based on either cash or total economic cost approaches—providing flexibility for different operations and decision-making styles.
“Producers can now create various budgets for cow-calf operations, backgrounding and finishing programs, and retained breeding stock,” says Glennis McClure, Extension Educator and Farm and Ranch Management Analyst. “It’s a practical tool that supports profitability planning and makes cost-of-production data more accessible.”