Files
Abstract
The drought of 2011 forced many
cow-calf producers in the U.S.
Southern Plains to liquidate cow
herds. Rebuilding cow herds poses
financial challenges for many, perhaps
most, producers. While liquidation
strategies varied between individuals,
producers who completely liquidated
breeding herds will likely face
significant cash flow challenges to
rebuilding. Here, we develop and
analyze three rebuilding strategies,
including slow-rebuilding using
summer stockers, fast-rebuilding by
purchasing bred cows or cow-calf
pairs, and cow leasing with heifer
retention. Our analyses indicate that
rebuilding appears to be financially
feasible for producers with healthy
pre-drought financial positions.