Beef Science Commons^™

2025 Nebraska Custom Rates For Livestock-Related Agricultural Services, Glennis Mcclure

Cornhusker Economics

Conclusion

The 2025 livestock custom rates report serves as a valuable reference for cost benchmarking and service pricing in Nebraska’s livestock sector. While most rates have remained stable, producers and service providers should refer to multiple years’ reports to understand trends and regional variation. As always, actual service rates will vary based on job complexity, geographic location, provider availability, and market demand.

Participation in Future Surveys

To strengthen future reports, producers and service providers are encouraged to participate in upcoming surveys. Interested individuals may register at the following URL: https://cap.unl.edu/nebraska-custom-rates-survey-sign

The 2025 Custom Service Rates Related to Livestock Production in …

Nebraska Beef Cow Breeding Herd As Capital Stock, Richard Perrin, Margarida Noelia De Aguiar Cunha Souza, Lilyan E. Fulginiti

Cornhusker Economics

Throughout her lifetime, the capital stock value of a cow first rises as the size/quality of calves increase, then declines because there are fewer calves expected over her remaining lifetime. The value later in life begins to rise in anticipation of culling value.

We estimate the age distribution of the Nebraska cow herd every year, then we estimate the capital value of each cohort. Adding these values across ages and adjusting to 2015 prices, we obtain the series of capital values, measured in terms of 2015 dollars.

In addition, we calculate the value of the annual flow of services provided …

Be Aware Of Basis Volatility When Using Price Risk Management For Calves And Feeder Cattle, Jay Parsons, Aaron Berger

Cornhusker Economics

Understanding basis volatility and the impact it has on the actual price received for calves or feeder cattle in relation to the CME Feeder Cattle Futures is important when considering price risk management opportunities. Currently, cattle markets are in a time frame where volatility appears to be like market conditions experienced in 2014 and 2015. These conditions should prompt producers to think through how basis volatility could impact the expected price they will receive for their calves or feeder cattle.

Small Beef-Packer Resilience During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Evidence And Policy Implications, Azzeddine Azzam, Sunil P. Dhoubadel, Binod Khanal

Cornhusker Economics

As part of a larger research project on the economics of beef supply chain resilience to natural disasters, financed in part by a grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, we obtained information from 289 processing plants across the United States about their operations during the peak COVID-19 period of March to June 2020 via a telephone survey. We collected data on plant type (slaughter, processing, both), the dominant livestock processed by the plant (predominantly beef, pork, poultry, and sheep/goat), plant capacity (maximum and typical capacity in slaughter head/day), age of establishment, and, whether the plant ceased, …

Program Requirements For Beef Cattle Certified As Usda Organic, Carsten Loseke, Elliott James Dennis

Cornhusker Economics

This document provides an overview of the use and production of the USDA Certified Organic program for the beef cattle industry, with an emphasis on the state of Nebraska. We detail what cattle qualify, feed requirements, medical and health standards of cattle, and premiums paid by consumers for USDA certified organic products. All information is taken from the Organic Foods Production Act Provisions available in the Federal Register.

Heifers On Feed Indicate Long-Term Liquidation Still Occurring, Elliott James Dennis

Cornhusker Economics

This article was first published in the Livestock Marketing Information Centers' (LMIC) In the Cattle Markets newsletter on January 9, 2023.

Combining the historical quarterly percentage of heifers on feed and cattle inventory report can provide an indicator of how many heifers will be held back for replacement in the 2023 report.

Use Of Livestock Risk Protection Insurance For Cattle Continues To Grow, Jay Parsons

Cornhusker Economics

When used as a regular part of a market risk management plan, livestock risk protection (LRP) insurance can help protect profits in years where markets turn for the worse. The recent changes to the program have made LRP insurance more appealing to cattle producers and sales of LRP have subsequently increased dramatically. Strong price increases may make LRP unnecessary, but it is difficult to predict when the price increases will end. LRP insurance is a safety net, reducing downside price risk by providing a floor on national price expectations while also allowing producers to take advantage of higher national prices …

Beef Cow Operations During Drought: Dealing With More Than Dry Conditions, Matthew Stockton

Cornhusker Economics

The most recent drought conditions have grown to cover a large portion of the west and the central United States, as shown in Figure 1. Those depending on rain continue to watch and hope that conditions will change, while implementing and considering various strategies to preserve their livelihoods. Those who have been in the business for years have seen other occasions when dry conditions limited forage production and created hardship. Each occurrence has varying outcomes, depending on the many factors faced by individuals. While drought may produce the same dry conditions for many, its effects are individualized. There are as …