Items by Kenny Burdine | Extension Professor
Prospects for Winter Backgrounding 2023-2024
By Greg Halich | Associate Extension Professor and Kenny Burdine | Extension Professor
Published on Oct. 30, 2023
After several years of cattle selling at frustratingly low price levels, continued herd liquidation has led to tight supplies and much higher calf prices in 2023. While markets have pulled back in recent weeks, calves and heavy feeders are moving at prices $50 to $70 per cwt above what was seen a year ago.
Dairy Margin Coverage Provides Some Help in Challenging Milk Market
By Kenny Burdine | Extension Professor
Published on Jul. 28, 2023
Dairy producers continue to struggle with decreasing farm-level milk prices and high feed costs. For the first five months of 2023, the US All Milk price averaged $21.16 per cwt, which was more than $4 per cwt lower than the first five months of 2022. In fact, US All Milk dropped below $20 per cwt in May for the first time since October 2021.
Stocker Outlook for 2023
By Greg Halich | Associate Extension Professor and Kenny Burdine | Extension Professor
Published on Mar. 30, 2023
Spring has officially arrived in the Commonwealth, which always brings questions about stocker profitability. Calf prices typically increase seasonally as we move into spring, but have increased at a larger-than-normal rate since the end of 2022.
Cow-Calf Profitability Estimates for 2022 and 2023 (Spring Calving Herd)
By Greg Halich | Associate Extension Professor,
Jonathan Shepherd | Extension Specialist,
and Kenny Burdine | Extension Professor
Published on Feb. 28, 2023
The purpose of this article is to examine cow-calf profitability for a spring calving herd that sold weaned calves in the fall of 2022 and provide an estimate of profitability for the upcoming year, 2023. Table 1 summarizes estimated costs for a well-managed spring-calving cowherd for 2022. Every operation is different, so producers
U.S. Beef Cow Herd at Lowest Level Since 1962
By Kenny Burdine | Extension Professor
Published on Feb. 2, 2023
USDA-NASS released their January 1, 2023, cattle inventory estimates on the afternoon of January 31st. There was really no question that the beef cattle herd had gotten smaller; it was really just a question of how much smaller it had gotten.
Prospects for Winter Backgrounding 2022-2023
By Greg Halich | Associate Extension Professor and Kenny Burdine | Extension Professor
Published on Oct. 31, 2022
Feeder calf prices in Kentucky showed a great deal of strength for much of 2022. In August, a 550 lb steer was selling in the low-mid $180’s per cwt on a state average basis. However, worsening drought conditions have combined with seasonal tendencies and that same weight steer calf is now selling for $15 to $20 less per cwt.
USDA-FSA’s Livestock Indemnity Program
By Kenny Burdine | Extension Professor
Published on Aug. 9, 2022
USDA’s Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) is administered by the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) and is intended to help compensate producers for greater than normal levels of livestock deaths from adverse weather, disease outbreaks, and predator attacks. The program can also partially compensate producers for lost value resulting from injury.
Mid-Year Cattle Report Continues to Show Decreasing Cattle Inventory
By Kenny Burdine | Extension Professor
Published on Aug. 3, 2022
In late July, USDA-NASS released their mid-year estimates of U.S. cattle inventory. As expected, the report showed lower inventory across most all cattle types. All cattle and calves were estimated to be down by just under 2%, while beef cow inventory was estimated down by 2.4%.
Summer Stocker Outlook for 2022
By Greg Halich | Associate Extension Professor and Kenny Burdine | Extension Professor
Published on Mar. 31, 2022
Driving through the Commonwealth it is clear that spring has arrived and we are seeing signs of pastures growing. Stocker operators are starting to place calves on pasture, which typically pushes calf prices to their seasonal highs. As of late March, calf prices have increased by more than $20 per cwt from their lows last fall.
Cow-Calf Profitability Estimates for 2021 and 2022 (Spring Calving Herd)
By Greg Halich | Associate Extension Professor,
Jonathan Shepherd | Extension Specialist,
and Kenny Burdine | Extension Professor
Published on Feb. 28, 2022
The purpose of this article is to examine cow-calf profitability for a spring calving herd that sold weaned calves in the fall of 2021 and provide an estimate of profitability for the upcoming year. Table 1 summarizes estimated costs for a well-managed spring-calving cowherd for 2021. Every operation is different, so producers should