Get reliable rangeland science

A new University research project seeks to obtain information on the costs and returns of cattle ranches in central Idaho. A business analysis of these ranches will help all cattlemen in Idaho to plan and organize their businesses for maximum profit. It will also help them to decide more wisely what course to follow in meeting continually changing price, weather, and feed supply situations. The increasing size and complexity of cattle ranching operations make it essential that business managment decisions be carefully made. Information provided by this study will assist the rancher in making his decisions.
This progress report of the first year's results is prepared primarily for the 24 ranchers who cooperated on this study. It is exploratory in form and may be considerably altered in future years of the project. 
All of these ranches are located in the mountain valleys in Lemhi and Custer counties in east central Idaho. Typically, they have spring range from about May 1 to June 1 on Bureau of Land Management permits in the foothills. Summer range from about June 1 to October 1 is at the higher elevations under Forest Service grazing privileges. Pasture and hay aftermath on the home ranch will typically provide grazing in the fall until January first or later. From January through April, hay is fed. Even in the winter period, a part of the ranches have winter pasture that provides up to one-half their feed requirements The light snow cover usually makes it possible to obtain some winter pasture on many ranches. Most ranchers estimate the winter hay requirement at one ton to one and one-half tons per head.