Every figure on this page is the template's own, an extension estimate and not a measurement of any farm. Your own hours and harvests calibrate it once you log them.
Where the numbers come from
- TN · University of Tennessee Extension, Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2026 Cow-Calf Budget (D31), 2026 primary
- TN · University of Tennessee Extension, Fall Versus Spring Calving: Considerations and Profitability Comparison (W 419), 2017
- TN · University of Tennessee Extension, Starting and Managing a Defined Calving Season (SP 778), 2015
- TN · USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, Market News, Tennessee Weekly Cattle Auction Summary (AMS_2063), 2026
- KY · University of Kentucky, Department of Agricultural Economics, Cow-Calf Profitability Estimates for 2025 and 2026 (Spring Calving Herd), 2026
Figured at 50 cows, the size of operation the primary source describes. Full production from the first season.
Hours by week
50 cows of Beef cow-calf in 2026, week by week. The dashed line is 40 hours, one person's week. The busiest week holds 13 h (Sep 28 to Oct 4).
Weeks that cannot move
Biology or a booking sets these; nothing can reschedule them.
- Daily check: all year
- Feed hay: Dec 29 to Apr 5, Nov 30 to Jan 3
- Calving checks: Jan 12 to Apr 5
- Wean and work calves (fall): Sep 28 to Oct 4
Where it lands on a mixed farm
Each pair of templates is run together on a made-up farm of one person at 40 hours, the way Farm Draft runs a plan. A week is listed when the scheduler finds work that cannot move, at least 8 hours from each, adding up to more than 40. The weeks are computed, not written: change a template and they change.
| Collides with | Weeks | Worst week | This template | The other | Fixed work |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raspberries | 1 (Sep 28 to Oct 4) | Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Wean and work calves (fall), 9 h | Raspberry picks (fall), 88 h | 100 h |
| Pick-your-own and event days | 1 (Sep 28 to Oct 4) | Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Wean and work calves (fall), 9 h | Host event days (setup, check-in, field, parking, cleanup), 38 h | 50 h |
Not checked, because their sources state no size of operation: Cut flowers (bunches, direct), Hair sheep (pasture lambs), Pastured feeder pigs (whole and half hogs), Stocker cattle (summer grazing).
Tasks
| Task | Hours fixed | Hours per cow | When | Rigidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily check | 0.25 h | 0.004 h a cow | daily, Jan 1 to Dec 31 | Fixed |
| Feed hay | 0.25 h | 0.004 h a cow | daily, Dec 1 to Mar 31 | Fixed |
| Calving checks | 0.25 h | — | daily, Jan 15 to Mar 31 | Fixed |
| Work calves and cows (spring) | 2 h | 0.12 h a cow | once, Apr 15 to May 15 | Flexible, 14 days |
| Bull in, breeding checks | 1 h | 0.02 h a cow | weekly, May 1 to Jul 15 | Flexible, 7 days |
| Move the herd to fresh pasture | 0.5 h | 0.005 h a cow | weekly, Apr 1 to Nov 30 | Flexible, 3 days |
| Wean and work calves (fall) | 3 h | 0.12 h a cow | once, Oct 1 to Oct 31 | Fixed |
| Haul and sell calves and culls | 4 h | 0.05 h a cow | once, Oct 15 to Nov 30 | Flexible, 14 days |
Costs
| Line | Amount | Schedule F |
|---|---|---|
| Pasture fertilizer and lime (2 ac) | $280.00 a cow | Fertilizer and lime |
| Pasture herbicide | $24.34 a cow | Chemicals |
| Hay bought (2.25 t at $150) | $337.50 a cow | Feed |
| Bull's share of pasture and hay | $34.97 a cow | Feed |
| Supplemental feed (heifers, bulls, calves) | $20.66 a cow | Feed |
| Salt and mineral (91 lb, $41.98/yr) | $0.81 a cow | Feed |
| Vet and medicine | $33.09 a cow | Veterinary, breeding, medicine |
| Commission, insurance and hauling | $47.39 a cow | Marketing |
| Other supplies | $1.50 a cow | Supplies |
Revenue
| Line | Price | Yield | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weaned calves | $3.22 a lb | 377 lbs a cow | 1 lb a lb |
| Cull cows | $1.50 a lb | 192 lbs a cow | 1 lb a lb |
Farm Draft records the tax category of each line and leaves the choice of treatment to your CPA.
Run it on your own farm
Add Beef cow-calf next to the rest of what you grow and raise. Farm Draft puts every enterprise in one weekly calendar against the hours you actually have and names the week they collide.
The other templates
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Cut flowers (bunches, direct)
- Hair sheep (pasture lambs)
- Hay (tall fescue, custom baled)
- Honeybees
- Laying hens
- Market garden (mixed vegetables)
- Meat goats (pasture and browse)
- Orchard (apple and pear, semi-dwarf)
- Pastured broilers
- Pastured feeder pigs (whole and half hogs)
- Pick-your-own and event days
- Raspberries
- Stocker cattle (summer grazing)