Record Revenue Drives Historic Profits

An article by Angie Stump Denton on Drovers

Cow-calf producers navigated a high-stakes market in 2025, according to the latest CattleFax survey. The latest survey reveals a paradox in the 2025 cattle market: while it has never been more expensive to keep a cow, it has also rarely been more profitable to sell a calf. With data representing 300,000 cows across 40 states, the report provides a definitive benchmark for producers navigating today’s volatile environment.

“Surging calf prices in 2025 far outpaced the increase in cow costs leading to the strongest cow-calf profits recorded since CattleFax has been conducting this survey,” says CattleFax Analyst Matthew McQuagge.

The average herd size within this sample increased to 391 cows, which McQuagge explains is primarily due to a decrease in participants with 100 or fewer head.

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