Southeast Area Range & Livestock Report

Decisions, decisions, decisions…!            

It can always be said about those of us in agriculture, we are the eternal optimist! I have heard it said many times by the “old timers”, “This is pretty good next year country!” The long winter nights are a good time to do a little advanced planning for your operation, play the “What if ….?” game.

The Colorado State University Agriculture and Business Management (ABM) team has compiled sample crop enterprise budgets to be used as templates, adaptable for your specific operation. In our computerized society, it is relatively easy to convert these into a spreadsheet to facilitate making adjustments for your crop enterprise. If you need assistance, please contact your local Colorado State University Extension Office.

Livestock producers also are provided with some decision tools by ABM team. Can you afford to buy hay or would it be better to sell the cows? If you are looking at buying cows, what can you afford to pay? Of course the major question that needs to be answered with all of these scenarios is: what does it cost me to carry a cow for a year? This is a cow/calf enterprise budget tool. On a side note about the topic of what to do with cows, producers are reminded that cows function as grass harvesters. It takes a lot longer time for grass plants to recover from a drought than it does for a drought to destroy a healthy grass plant. Along with looking at the dollars involved, be sure to consider the condition of the basic resource that supports the livestock enterprise.

Other tools available on the ABM website (http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/ABM/) include the Put Option Decision Tool for marketing options and the Photovoltaic System Feasibility Calculator to determine the financial and economic benefits of installing a photovoltaic grid-tied system for a residence. If you have questions about any of these decision tools or need more assistance in their use, please contact your local CSU Extension Office.

In Southeast Colorado, CSU Extension office locations include: Baca County 719-523-6971, Bent County 719-456-0764, Cheyenne County 719-767-5716, Crowley County 719-267-5243, Kiowa County 719-438-5321, Otero County 719-254-7608, Prowers County 719-336-7734. Or find us on the web at: http://www.extension.colostate.edu/SEA. CSU Extension offers up-to-date, unbiased, research-based information to families in Southeast Colorado. CSU Extension programs are available to all without discrimination.