One of the most profitable management practices for cow-calf producers is pregnancy checking. Weaning season can provide the ideal time to complete this task and identify open cows so herd profitability decisions can be made. When cows are separated from their calves the opportunity to pregnancy check those cows without sorting them again is present. There are three main methods for pregnancy checking: palpation, ultrasound, and blood testing. All three methods are relatively inexpensive. The cost of carrying an open cow through the winter is much more than the costs involved with pregnancy checking.
The value of pregnancy checking becomes clear when producers consider the cost of keeping an open cow. According to projections from the Livestock Marketing Information Center, the expected cost to raise a cow-calf pair in 2026 is $1044/head including pasture rent. Enterprise budgets from various universities have projections on variable costs from $650 to $750 per cow.
Now, for easy math, let’s say 10% of a 50-cow herd is found open. That is 5 cows that would have been fed through the winter with no calf born to pay for those costs. Also, for easy math, let’s use $700 per cow in varia...