Decision Tools and Software

These tools assist producers in making best choices for their operations.

Worksheets

  • Extension Beef Replacement Heifer Cost Spreadsheet (xls) 12-04-20
    The Beef Replacement Heifer spreadsheet tool is designed to help producers calculate their cost of raising replacement heifers from weaning to calving.  It calculates costs from weaning until the group of heifers calve into the cow-calf enterprise.  It provides farmers with information for benchmarking and making informed management decisions for raising replacement heifers, and making decisions to retain ownership of calves versus purchasing replacements.
    Video Explanation
  • Extension Stocker Cattle Closeout Spreadsheet (xls) 11-01-20
    The Beef Stocker Closeout spreadsheet is designed to help producers who graze stocker calves (weaned calves on pasture) calculate their cost of production and determine profit or loss for each group of stocker calves.   It is intended to be used after a group of calves is marketed to evaluate performance and profitability of that group. It provides farmers with information for benchmarking and making informed management decisions for the stocker enterprise.
  • Stocker Spreadsheet Instructional Video on YouTube
  • Extension Herd Size Growth Evaluator (xls) 07-15-19
    The Herd Size Growth Evaluator spreadsheet is designed to help beef cow calf producers estimate herd size changes based upon heifer retention rate, purchase of replacements females, and herd culling rate. Users have the option to project future herd growth based upon percent of the herd, or on a per head basis. It provides farmers with information for making informed beef cow calf herd management decisions.
  • Extension Feedlot Closeout Spreadsheet (xls) 03-17-21
    The Feedlot Closeout spreadsheet is designed to help producers calculate their cost of production and determine profit or loss for a group of cattle they have fed out, or backgrounded in a drylot management system.  It is intended to be used after a group of calves is marketed to evaluate performance and profitability of that group.  It provides farmers with information for benchmarking and making informed management decisions for the feedlot enterprise.
  • Extension Stocker Enterprise Budget (xls) 02-01-17
    The Beef Stocker Enterprise spreadsheet is designed to help producers who graze stocker calves (weaned calves on pasture) to project their cost of production, profit or loss, and breakeven prices for stocker calves on a per head basis.  It is intended to be used before a group of calves is purchased (or ownership retained) to budget for that group. It provides farmers with information for making informed management decisions for the stocker enterprise.
  • Extension Cow-Calf Enterprise Budget (xls) 11-21-19
    The Cow-Calf Enterprise spreadsheet is designed to help producers calculate profit or loss, both past actuals and future projections, for a beef cow calf enterprise.  It is intended to be used for annual budgeting, and to project herd performance, profitability, and breakeven prices.  It provides farmers with information for making informed management decisions for the cow calf enterprise.
  • Yardage Calculator (xls) 04-29-19
    The Yardage Calculator spreadsheet is used to calculate yardage costs for the feedlot enterprise. Users input information to calculate their overhead costs; which include equipment and facility leases, equipment and facility depreciation, labor, and related operational costs excluding feed and cattle values. It provides users with the feedlot’s yardage expense per head, per day for making informed decisions regarding feedlot management.
  •  Extension Feedlot Enterprise Budget Spreadsheet(xls)  updated 07-29-20
    The Feedlot Enterprise spreadsheet is designed to help producers calculate profit or loss projections for a group of cattle they have on feed, or plan to purchase and place on feed on a per head basis.  It is intended to be used before a group of calves is placed on feed (purchased or retained ownership) to project thier performance, profitability, and breakeven prices.  It provides farmers with information for making informed management decisions for the feedlot enterprise.
  • Grass Fed Enterprise Budget xls– courtesy of Jim Munsch
  • Forage Inventory Tool – The forage inventory and needs tool helps farmers determine baled and ensiled forage inventories and forage needs and helps determine if there are shortages or surpluses of various forages. It is comprised of a set of complimentary spreadsheet tools that assist with estimating various baled forage inventories and tools to calculate silage inventories in commonly used storage structures. Forage needs are determined by entering in planned ration information for the herd through the forage feeding season.  It also includes an intake estimator that will provide an estimated daily intake if a forage is provided free choice to animals.
  • Natural Service Bull Expense Calculator (xls) 06-01-2021 – This spreadsheet is intended to help producers analyze their natural service bull expenses per cow or heifer exposed for the breeding season.

Feed Pricing Tools

  • Feed Cost Comparison for Protein and Energy (xlsx) 11-02-18
    The Feed Cost Comparison spreadsheet aids producers in comparing prices for multiple feedstuffs based on Crude Protein and TDN (energy). Corn is used as the benchmark energy feedstuff, and 44% Soybean Meal as the protein benchmark. Feeds are ranked by color coding by the spreadsheet relative to each other on prices based on user inputs, as Green (good $ value), Yellow (middle range) or Red (poorer $ value). It provides farmers with information for making informed decisions to formulate their most economical ration.
  • Hay Corn Substitution Calculator for Beef Cow Winter Rations (xls)
    The Hay Corn Substitution Calculator aids in determining a comparative $ value of the TDN (energy) value of hay compared to a range of corn prices. It is used for determining if it is economical to substitute some hay feeding with corn for the beef cow calf herd. This can be of importance when hay supplies are short, hay prices are high, and / or corn prices are comparatively low.
  • Pricing Standing Small Grains (xls)
    This Decision Aid is used to determine a fair price for buying or selling standing small grain for forage. Crop input expenses for growing the crop, harvest costs, and market value of the feed are input by the user to calculate price ranges for buying or selling.
  • Pricing Standing Hay (xls)
    This Decision Aid is used to determine a fair price for buying or selling standing perennial forage crops. Crop input expenses for growing the crop, harvest costs, and market value of the feed are input by the user to calculate price ranges for buying or selling.
  • Estimating Hay Usage Calculator (xls)
    This spreadsheet helps estimate winter hay needs, a new version will be released later this year.
  • Corn Silage Pricing Decision Aid (xls) updated 8-19-2021 The Corn Silage Pricing Decision Aid is used to help determine a fair price when buying or selling corn silage. Estimated yield per acre, differences in silage vs. Grain harvest costs, value of crop nutrients removed with silage vs. Grain harvest, and comparative feed market values (corn grain and poor quality hay / straw) are included in the calculations.
  • Corn Silage Pricing App (android)
    Both the aAndroid and Apple version of the Corn Silage Pricing App are used to help determine a fair price when buying or selling corn silage. It’s based off the Corn Silage Pricing Decision Aid Excel spreadsheet. The app includes links to current corn and hay market prices and allows buyers and sellers to enter their own yield estimates and harvest costs. The difference in value of soil nutrients removed when harvesting silage versus corn for grain is also calculated helping sellers fine tune their standing value per acre. The app is free.
  • Pricing Corn Silage (Apple iOS)
  • Pricing Wet Corn App (android)
    Determining the value of wet shell corn is important to farmers when making marketing and management decisions like buying, selling, feeding, drying and storage. The app quickly calculates a value for wet shell corn based on kernel moisture and price for local dry shell corn (a direct link to local elevator dry corn bid prices is included with the app). The equivalent wet corn price is then calculated in both price per ton and price per bushel. Additional costs for drying and/or shelling can be evaluated entering those input costs under the expense tab.
  • Pricing Standing Hay (android)
    Both the Android and Apple versions of this app provides easy access to current hay price information for the Midwest. The app quickly calculates a standing value per acre for each cutting, as well as the entire growing season, based on individual yield and harvest cost estimates.
  • Pricing Standing Hay (Apple iOS)

Direct Marketing Decision Tools

  • Freezer Beef Pricing Worksheet (xls) This spreadsheet is intended to help buyers and sellers determine sale prices for direct marketing wholes, haves, or quarters of grain fed beef animals. This spreadsheet can be utilized to calculate estimated returns for beef producers, as well as for beef producers to communicate with their buyers on the economics of purchasing beef direct from farm.
  • Freezer Beef Pricing Worksheet YouTube Instructional Video
  • Freezer Pig Pricing Worksheet (xls) This spreadsheet/worksheet can be used to help buyers and sellers determine sale prices for direct marketing of grain fed market hogs.

Other Resources

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