Cow size an ongoing debate

When the action gets slow, and cattlemen are together with nothing else to do, they debate cow size. Academicians stoke the debate constantly, but little concensus emerges about optimal dimensions.

Larger cows birth calves more easily, but eat more precious grass and can contribute to a trend toward bigger cattle that ultimately "don't fit the box." That's boxed beef, for the uninformed, and too big a ribeye results in cattle that "don't fit the box." There's big penalties from packers for this problem.

Smaller cows can have calving trouble, if bred to too big a bull, but do take less feed. They can also lead to downsizing of a herd, and the penalties from packers are just as severe for cattle that are too small. Packers are looking for an 1100 pound carcass, and little more or less.

There is no ideal size cow, and the ideal differs for where a ranch is located. how rough the terrain is and how severe the weather is. Personal preference, within reason, plays a big role too.

So when you hear the inevitable debate about cow size, realize it's not as simple as it sounds--and probably never going to be resolved to everybody's satisfaction.