ABSTRACT
Real cattle profit in today's economy can only be calculated when land inflation is deleted from profit-and-loss statements, along with "extra profits" — the increase in per capita beef consumption and outside income from minerals. The US commercial cow-calf segment is divided into two fairly equal groups in terms of total cow numbers. Efficiency in beef production must involve the whole equation — from conception to consumption. The industry has made great strides in some areas such as, seed stock genetics, vaccines, medicines, growth hormones, feed additives, and ionophores. Predictability of performance is difficult to achieve because many ingredients go into the makeup of cattle. The cattleman who is in the cattle business for true profit will not survive without predictable, genetically superior, efficient cattle.
