COW-SHARE agreements can be profitable for both parties. The cattle owner gets someone to do the daily chores and heavy lifting; the person working on shares keeps his or her costs low. However, an agreement can get complicated quickly. Who pays for what, and how do the two parties split the calf crop? Who keeps the cash from cull cows and bulls? Who buys the bulls, semen and replacement heifers? There are many ways a beef-cow share agreement can be established, says William Edwards, Iowa State University Extension economist. One party may own the breeding herd while another party supplies the labor to take care of them. Facilities, feed, health costs and other resources can be shared in a variety of ways.
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