Hay producers who sell to the beef cattle market will be interested in American Angus Association research that indicates the typical U.S. cow-calf operation will spend $35 more per cow in 2007 to meet herd nutritional requirements as compared to the beginning of the decade. The study, reported by BEEF magazine, says combined pasture, harvested forages and other feed costs have been increasing at the rate of $5/beef cow/year since 2000. Annual feed costs were estimated at $209/cow in 2000. The average jumped to $239 by 2006. If the trend continues as expected, feed costs are nearly $245/cow in 2007, according to the study.

Read more about the study online at beef-mag.com/cowcalfweekly/rising-feed-costs/index.html.