In addition to the beef and forage information provided in the Latest Posts, For Producers and For Veterinary Teams sections of this website, the following tools can help you make production decisions that suit a specific beef operation. For an optimum user experience, tools are best viewed on a tablet or personal computer.
- Replacement Heifer Calculator
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This decision-making tool was developed to help a beef cattle producer estimate the total costs of developing a replacement heifer from weaning, through breeding to preg-checking. It is adapted from the Replacement Heifer Calculator by Western Beef Development Centre, now known as the Forage and Cow-Calf Research and Teaching Unit of the University of Saskatchewan’s Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence.
Learn More:
- Raising Replacement Heifers–What Does It Cost?
BCRC Article, September 13, 2023
- Raising Replacement Heifers–What Does It Cost?
- Value of Crops for Livestock Feeds Calculator
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This decision-making tool was developed to help beef producers work with their neighbors to determine a value for salvaged crops.
Learn More:
- Beef or Bin? Valuing Annual Crops for Feed
BCRC Article, July 25, 2022 - Salvaging A Crop? Here Are Some Things To Consider When Valuing A Crop For Feed.
BCRC Article, July 23, 2021
- Beef or Bin? Valuing Annual Crops for Feed
- Preconditioning and Backgrounding Calculator
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This decision-making tool is designed to identify economic opportunities and risks from backgrounding and preconditioning cattle by providing a summary of estimated net returns.
Learn More:
- What’s the Most Profitable Post-Weaning Choice for Your Calves?
BCRC Article, October 21, 2021
Related:
- Economic considerations of preconditioning calves
Canfax Research Services fact sheet (September 2015) - Economic considerations of preconditioning calves
Canfax Research Services fact sheet (September 2015)- [French version] Considérations Économiques du Préconditionnement
- What’s the Most Profitable Post-Weaning Choice for Your Calves?
- Tool for Evaluating Feed Test Results
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The following calculator was developed by the Alberta Beef, Forage and Grazing Centre. It allows beef cattle producers to enter results from feed tests to determine if that feed is of adequate nutritional value to be fed on its own.
Learn more:
- New Feed Testing Tools
BCRC Article, May 29, 2019
- New Feed Testing Tools
- Economics of Pregnancy Testing Beef Cattle
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The following calculator is based on the economics of preg-checking model which was developed by Ben-Ezra and Muzzin in 2015. It can help cow-calf producers determine which of the following three options is most economical for their operation:
- Preg-check and cull non-pregnant cows in the fall.
- Preg-check in the fall and feed non-pregnant cows separately to market at a later date.
- Do not preg-check – overwinter all cows and cull opens in the spring after calving.
A basic and advanced version are available. Both versions have the option to enter parameters for feeding cull cows as a separate group.
Learn more:
- Preg-Checking in a Drought Year with High Cull Cow Prices
BCRC Article, October 5, 2023 - Economics of Preg-Checking: a 2017 Update
BCRC Article, August 31, 2017 - Try This New Calculator to Determine When It Pays to Preg-Check
BCRC Article, March 23, 2016 - Economics of Preg-Checking
Canfax Research Services Fact Sheet, April 2017
- Tool for Evaluating the Economic Value of Feeds Based on Nutrient Content
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The following calculator was developed by the Alberta Beef, Forage and Grazing Centre. It helps producers to determine the value of feed that they may be considering purchasing compared to the value of standard feeds.
Learn more:
- New Feed Testing Tools
BCRC Article, May 29, 2019
- New Feed Testing Tools
- Winter Feeding Cost Comparison Calculator
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Beef cattle producers can use the Winter Feeding Cost Comparison Calculator to calculate and compare the costs of main feed ingredients in different rations.
Learn More:
- Winter Feed Cost Comparison Calculator: Managing Variable Costs
BCRC Article, November 15, 2021 - Winter Feeding Cost Comparison: Hay Vs. Alternative Feeds
BCRC Article, October 23, 2019
- Winter Feed Cost Comparison Calculator: Managing Variable Costs
- Impact of Body Condition on Cow Productivity and Profitability
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This tool demonstrates how various body condition scores can impact pregnancy rate, % showing estrus 30 days post-calving, and calf weaning weight. This tool also calculates the value of calf crops for cows maintained at each body condition score.
Learn more:
- Have You Had Your Feed Tested?
BCRC Article, October 17, 2012
- Have You Had Your Feed Tested?
- Cost-Benefit of BVD Vaccinations
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Producers can use this tool to calculate the costs, benefits and risks of different vaccination and disease BVD outbreak scenarios.
Learn more:
- The Cost-Benefit of Using Vaccines: BVD
BCRC Article, September 26, 2019
- The Cost-Benefit of Using Vaccines: BVD
- Johne’s Testing Decision Tool
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Johne’s disease is a serious, long-term disease that is difficult to eradicate from a herd once present but testing can be a useful practice. This decision tool helps producers compare benefits of different testing options for Johne’s disease in cow-calf herds.
Learn more:
- Johne’s Disease
BCRC Webpage - Johne’s Disease: Cheap to Buy, Costly to Live With
BCRC Article, August 15, 2019
- Johne’s Disease
- Cost-Benefit of Feeding BRD Vaccinated Calves
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Producers can use this tool to calculate the costs, risks and economic benefits of feeding calves that have been vaccinated for BRD compared to calves that have not.
Learn more:
- The Cost-Benefit of Using Vaccines: Bovine Respiratory Disease
BCRC Article, October 10, 2019
- The Cost-Benefit of Using Vaccines: Bovine Respiratory Disease
- Economics of Water Systems Calculator
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The following calculator is based on a study by Lardner et al. (2005) that reported calves whose dams drank from water troughs gained on average 0.09 lbs per day more than calves whose dams had direct access to the dugout. This calculator allows producers to:
- Compare the costs and benefits of installing three different watering systems on a cow-calf operation.
- Compare the costs and benefits of installing five different watering systems to use with yearling grassers.
- Determine how long it will take to pay off any of the above water systems on an individual operation.
Learn more:
- How Quickly Do Water Systems Pay for Themselves? New Calculator Available
BCRC Article, April 5, 2018 - Economics of Water Systems
Canfax Research Services Fact Sheet, March 2018
- Carrying Capacity Calculator
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The Carrying Capacity Calculator allows producers to determine the carrying capacity of pastures based on two methods: 1) estimates based on provincial guides and 2) field-based sampling.
Learn More:
- Two Methods, Four Steps For Calculating Carrying Capacity
BCRC Article, March 31, 2022 - Carrying or Grazing Capacity
BCRC Article, March 20, 2020
- Two Methods, Four Steps For Calculating Carrying Capacity
- Forage U-Pick
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Forage U-Pick is a tool designed to provide users with information for forage selection, forage seeding rates, and weed management.
While every effort has been made to compile accurate and useful information, this tool should be considered a starting point for decision-making. When selecting a forage or forage mix, the Forage U-Pick tool should be used in conjunction with additional feedback from local professionals, other available technical resources, and the latest forage research.
Learn More:
- Forage U-Pick Now Canada-Wide and Bilingual
BCRC Article, May 31, 2023 - Forage U-Pick: A New Interactive Forage Species Selection Tool For Western Canada
BCRC Article, June 8, 2020
- Forage U-Pick Now Canada-Wide and Bilingual
- Cow-Calf Production Indicators Calculator
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Producers can use the Cow-Calf Production Indicators Calculator to enter their own production numbers (only 15 numbers are needed) and compare them with an Industry Target and Regional Benchmark from the most recent regional cow-calf surveys.
Learn More:
- Improving Your Vision for the 2020 Production Year: New Tools for On-Farm Record-Keeping in Cow-Calf Operations
BCRC Article, January 29, 2020
- Improving Your Vision for the 2020 Production Year: New Tools for On-Farm Record-Keeping in Cow-Calf Operations
- Bull Valuation Calculator
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Identifying a fair price during sire selection contributes to higher efficiency in operation economics. This calculator helps to estimate break-even bull price based on different traits and the key parameters of an individual farm.
Learn more:
- What is a Bull Worth to Your Operation?
BCRC Article, February 23, 2023 - Bull Valuation
Canfax Research Services, March, 2019 - Bull Selection: Breeding Programs That Suit Operational Goal (Part One)
BCRC Article, February 7, 2019 - Bull Selection: What Are You Looking For? (Part Two)
BCRC Article, February 14, 2019 - Bull Selection: Using Economically Relevant Traits (Part Three)
BCRC Article, February 21, 2019 - Bull Selection: New Calculator to Determine the Value of a Bull (Part Four)
BCRC Article, February 28, 2019
- What is a Bull Worth to Your Operation?
- Value of Calving Distribution Calculator
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Each time a cow is not bred during a 21-day heat cycle, it can cost up to 39 lbs of weaning weight (assuming an average daily gain on calves of 1.85 lbs/day). This calculator will allow beef cattle producers to see what their current calving distribution is, and what the impact on their revenue would be if they move to the industry target of 60-25-10-5, or a condensed breeding season of three cycles.
Learn more:
- A Prolonged Calving Season Can Be Costly
BCRC Article, June 13, 2019
- A Prolonged Calving Season Can Be Costly