Fact Sheet Written by:
David Lalman, OSU Cooperative Extension
Don Gill, OSU Cooperative Extension
And Provided by
Oklahoma State University
Feed and grazing cost make up 50 to 70 percent of annual production costs in typical cow/calf operations. Consequently, cow/calf producers must continually evaluate grazing and supplementation programs to ensure efficient use of available resources, while optimizing animal performance and minimizing supplemental feed costs. OSU Cowculator v2.0 is an Excel spreadsheet program designed to assist cattlemen in making informed decisions associated with beef cow nutrition. Animal criteria such as cow weight, body condition, stage of production, and breed, as well as the feed and forage library, can be customized to each operation, or to specific scenarios within an operation. Animal requirements and performance predictions are based on years of research data, which includes the 1996 and previous versions of the National Research Council’s (NRC) Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle.
Click Below for Fact Sheet