Due to death loss, infertility, poor performance, age, injury, and other factors, over time females in the breeding herd must be replaced in order to maintain the size of a breeding enterprise. The animals obtained for this purpose are called “breeding replacements”.

The cost of raising a breeding replacement female is a critical question for managers of breeding livestock operations, but it is often difficult to answer because many of the costs involved are hidden or not easily identifiable.

Ranch Vision calculates the various costs incurred in raising breeding replacements, including:

• The opportunity cost of not selling the weaned female at market value

• The opportunity cost of investment in that animal during development, prior to entering the breeding herd

• All associated cash and non-cash direct costs incurred during development including feeding, grazing, etc. and the proportionate costs involved in maintaining a breeding male

• Negative adjustments for death loss, infertility, and culling

• Positive adjustments for the sale of culled animals and any applicable products such as wool and mohair

With Ranch Vision, ranch managers are able to identify the true net cost involved in raising breeding replacement females.