Bottle calves

[pricefarm]

So I have been thinking of raising a group of bottle calves maybe 10 to start with. It has been 15 years or more since I have done it. I can get good bull Holsteins off dairy farm 1 week old for 120$ each. Iam I crazy ? Is there money to be made or would I be wasting time? What's best penning each calf in a pen by itself or as a group? What do u think they should weigh by around April of next year?
Lots of weekend farmers will buy smaller calves when the grass turns green in the spring and keep them till fall so thought that April would be a good time to sale. I have plenty of corn that I raised and can get DDGS to add with the corn for 200$ a ton.

 

[kenny thomas]

So I have been thinking of raising a group of bottle calves maybe 10 to start with. It has been 15 years or more since I have done it. I can get good bull Holsteins off dairy farm 1 week old for 120$ each. Iam I crazy ? Is there money to be made or would I be wasting time? What's best penning each calf in a pen by itself or as a group? What do u think they should weigh by around April of next year?
Lots of weekend farmers will buy smaller calves when the grass turns green in the spring and keep them till fall so thought that April would be a good time to sale. I have plenty of corn that I raised and can get DDGS to add with the corn for 200$ a ton.

Yes your crazy, but I hate bottle calves. That is until they are weaned of course. I will need about 20 250lb calves in April so go ahead.

 

[pricefarm]

So I have been thinking of raising a group of bottle calves maybe 10 to start with. It has been 15 years or more since I have done it. I can get good bull Holsteins off dairy farm 1 week old for 120$ each. Iam I crazy ? Is there money to be made or would I be wasting time? What's best penning each calf in a pen by itself or as a group? What do u think they should weigh by around April of next year?
Lots of weekend farmers will buy smaller calves when the grass turns green in the spring and keep them till fall so thought that April would be a good time to sale. I have plenty of corn that I raised and can get DDGS to add with the corn for 200$ a ton.

Yes your crazy, but I hate bottle calves. That is until they are weaned of course. I will need about 20 250lb calves in April so go ahead.

3$a pound right? :nod: ok deal!

 

[kenny thomas]

.03 a lb? sure

 

[Bigfoot]

Your not crazy if that is what you want to do. There's not a huge profit in them, and it's hard to achieve a volume of calves to make it worth your while.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

120$ a calf is fine as long as you sell them somewhere that has a Market for Holsteins. They should weigh about 450lbs in April if you buy some pretty quick. I use to raise about 50 of these at a time, I would t think of raising any without having enough pens for each calf to have his own. Your feed price is fine, you will make money doing this. Something I always did that I think is well worth doing is give all these a 5ml shot of baytril as soon as you get them, it will most likely keep them from ever getting sick.

 

[bigbull338]

ive raised bottle calves for years.but i would not pay that for calves that you could loose.ok to get 10 calves your looking at $1200.lose 1 or calves there goes your profit.

 

[Gerard Dawn]

For as long as I'm making profits then its not a problem with bottle calves.

 

[pricefarm]

I guess the bottle calf idea is out. Friend of mine told me about the 120$ calves but he must of miss heard they are 225$ each Don't see how u can make money on giving that much.

 

[backhoeboogie]

I guess the bottle calf idea is out. Friend of mine told me about the 120$ calves but he must of miss heard they are 225$ each Don't see how u can make money on giving that much.

Nurse cows.

But I would buy beef calves split at the sale barn. Cost more but easy to market later. Better returns. Keep your cost at $1.25 per day, per calf. Last one I saw sell went for $300. They were going for $600.