Retained Ownership Decision Tool  
Sell at Hawaii Gate Price or Ship to Mainland  
Southwest Initial Stocker/Background Program  
by Dillon Feuz  
 
Hawaii Market Information  
What Month do you plan to ship cattle from Hawaii to the mainland?
 
 
What is the anticipated weight of the calves you will ship?  lbs.  
  Click Link below for Futures Prices  
Enter the "Last" price for  CME Feeder Cattle in $/cwt. CME Feeder Cattle      
An estimate for the Hawaii gate price is  per cwt. or per head  
Enter the estimated gate price or your expected gate price. per cwt.  
 
Enter your estimated shipping cost to the destination on the mainland  
  Ocean/Air Freight   /head  
  Trucking Freight   /head  
 
Stocker/Background program  
Enter the number of days cattle are expected to be in this program days  
Enter the expected average daily gain of this program lbs.  
 
Assuming a 3% transportation shrink, estimated ending weight is lbs.  
    Click Link below for Futures Prices  
Enter the "Last" price for  CME Feeder Cattle in $/cwt. CME Feeder Cattle  
Your Southwest price is estimated to be per cwt. or per head  
     
 
Estimated feed/pasture costs per head /head  
Estimated vet/med and other supplies per head /head  
Estimated death loss percent (including death loss for transportation)  
Interest rate you pay on cattle and feed expenses  
Any additional costs per head /head  
  Total feeding period costs /head  
     
Projected Returns per Head  
Estimated gross return for feeding period ending in /head  
Less initial calf cost /head      
Less transportation costs /head      
Less feeding period costs /head  
 
Estimated net return per head for the stocker/background program /head  
   
If you want to know your overall profitability, you would need to know your cost of running a cow and raising the calf. See the following publication and Excel workbook: Publication  
Calf-XL  
 
Cattle prices change over time due to changing market conditions.  The graph below is a simulation of your expected Net Return per Head based on historical price volatility in the feeder cattle market for the time frame of the designated feeding period.