Based on a survey of cow-calf producers, Cattle-Fax recently reported the cash costs to carry a cow in various regions of the U.S. in 2004.

Table 1. Average Regional Cow Costs ($/Head), 2004^a

Region	Feed cost	Labor cost	Interest expense	Other costs	Total cash cost per cow
Northwest	206	63	19	91	379
Southwest	196	42	25	7	270
Midwest	219	37	19	51	326
Southern Plains	185	52	29	51	317
Southeast	165	45	26	46	282
U.S. avg.	194	48	24	49	315

^aAdapted from Cattle-Fax ^®, July, 2005.

Total cash costs were highest in the Northwest and lowest in the Southwest and Southeast. Feed costs were lowest in the Southeast and Southern Plains, and highest in the Midwest.

The national average for feed costs as a percentage of total costs was 62%. Therefore, working on reducing feed costs would appear to be a reasonable place to start in lowering cost of production and thereby enhancing profitability.