So, you’ve raised your beef and now it’s time to sell. Where are you taking your final product? Are you selling your calves at the sale barn? Do you have a contract? Are you selling direct to consumers? There are numerous ways to sell your product. But what is the most profitable? This is an excellent question and a difficult one to answer. But just like any question in agriculture, it will all depend on the operation itself.

First lets decide what your end products are. Are you selling bawling calves? Yearlings? Bred heifers? Feeder calves? Grass-fed? Organic? Natural? Conventional? Do you background the calves on the ranch or ship directly from weaning?

Next, what is the marketing strategy? Is the ranch part of a co-op, association or organization? What is the relationship with the buyers? Do you know your performance indicators such as carcass quality and feed efficiency?

Speaking of performance indicators, recent examples show that steers looking similar but have higher quality performance indicators yield an average of $131/head higher. The premium paid for high quality beef will vary depending on the market, consumer demands and seasonality.

Selling and marketing your beef is an ongoing event. It cannot be overlooked and only thought about one-time per year. It is just as continuous as operating the daily tasks. The consumer market is driving an increase in quality of beef. It pays to consciously think about your end product and how the consumer will respond.