Stocking rate and marketing dates for yearling steers grazing rangelands: Can producers do things differently to increase economic net benefits?

Abstract

• The combination of stocking rate and marketing date that maximizes average net return per head will not necessarily maximize average net return per hectare. • The combination of stocking rate and marketing date that maximizes average net return per hectare often comes with risk-related tradeoffs, such as a higher risk and magnitude of negative net returns. • The combination of stocking rate and marketing date will have implications (not quantified in this study) for the quantity of standing forage residue, which could be used for fall/winter grazing within the same year or for drought preparedness in the following year. © 2022