Can some one tell me about the price of bottle calves? I was looking to maybe get some in the future to raise and sell. Can you make money off the little things. I am not real serious about getting one yet, I was just thinking. Thanks kaneranch
Bottle Calves?
- Thread starter kaneranch
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Bottle calves will varie in price by breed. Jerseys usually between $40.00 and $60.00 depending where you get them. Holstines,Ayreshire are usually from $90.00 to $125.00. If you get them at the sale you will likely pay more for a calf that is likely to have problems. I raise a lot of bottle calves and usually make good money from them. I have also had a bad run on occassion and not done so well. But for the most part I've had good luck with them. Try to get about 4 days old calves from a dairy. This time of year is much worse for sickness. I'd much rather raise them in cold weather than hot. Good luck.
Rookie
Well-known member
If ya never done this before, avoid gettin ya calf in the summer. It be a tough go of it. We be doin a group right now and the heat is killin the little guys. Much easier ta be learnin in the fall and winter than in the heat a summer. Avoid sale barns and be getttin in with a dairy if ya can. I be payin my dairy man a little more than be salebarn price, but I be knowin all there is to know about the babies I be gettin, most of them be from registered stock, so it be worth it. Good luck, it's a tricky business ya be considerin, but it be alot a fun as well, and those little rascals will teach ya from day one :lol:
george
george
bgm
Well-known member
ctlbaron":25kghkgp said:
Dang, I wish we could get bottle calves that cheap here. Holsteins are going for $220 - $240 at the sale barn. Haven't seen any Jerseys. Angus, angus cross and other beef bottle calves are higher. They go for the $250 to $325 kind of range. We have a relationship with one place where we buy calves direct and get them considerable cheaper but nothing like those prices.
kaneranch":25kghkgp said:
I would wait for it to cool down some before I started. Mine aren't doing the best in the heat either. You've got to watch them extra close, a little scours combined with this heat can dehydrate one real quick. Still are fun to mess with though.
Good luck to you.
Bryan
farmgirl1307
Member
I know around our area, almost all bottle calves sell for over $100. We raise them, and we make money. It takes a lot of time and effort. If you can keep them alive, they are worth it.
La Donna
La Donna
Medic24
Well-known member
How many jerseys do you want? 30 bucks each. get em by the trailer load...almost not worth even feeding..even tho the marketprices are near record high levels for most breeds...Jersey steers and bulls sell like yesterday's newpapers. :cboy: I have ten in the hutches now, I am not even sure I will break even with.
:cboy: I have ten in the hutches now, I am not even sure I will break even with.MoGal
Well-known member
When I was a kid I had some bottle calves and thoroughly enjoyed them, you will too. The hardest part was when my folks decided to butcher two of them and then mom fixed the tongue..... I just couldn't eat that as they had licked my hands, sucked on my fingers, etc...
I've gotton all my calves (all beef calves) this year from a local trader and paid anywhere from $100 to $200 each for them and it has been lower than sale barn prices. Six bull calves, 2 heifer calves and I lost one of each and I've learned that if they have scours when I buy them, then chances are I will end up losing them.....
If you decide to buy some, be sure to also get some electrolytes to keep on hand as you'll definitely need it at some point. Best of luck to you.
I've gotton all my calves (all beef calves) this year from a local trader and paid anywhere from $100 to $200 each for them and it has been lower than sale barn prices. Six bull calves, 2 heifer calves and I lost one of each and I've learned that if they have scours when I buy them, then chances are I will end up losing them.....
If you decide to buy some, be sure to also get some electrolytes to keep on hand as you'll definitely need it at some point. Best of luck to you.
Crowderfarms
Well-known member
If and when you get into them, use the best of the best Milk Replacer, and Starter Feed. I saw some Calves sell the other day, that had been weaned and were real "Pot Bellied" they sold real cheap. This is because of cheap Replacer and improper feed. This time of year problems arise with flies and respiratory problems. Been lucky so far, we have 4 we're raising and have had no problems. They can be a lot of fun to raise, but on the other hand, can be a lot of work too. Be ready for a loss now and then.
Medic24
Well-known member
Hey Baron...perhaps we should make a deal on some Jersey , eh? ;-) :cboy: could likely make it worthwhile, say, 50@ 200-250 lb at a time? ;-)
Can you get them looking better if you feed 'em right, or is the damage already done? Seems like someone could make some decent money if they knew what could be improved with a little quality feed. :?:
Over here - Jersey/Holstein crosses (bulls) were $85/calf @ day-week old last I checked. Holstein $120-150 or so. Holstein/Brown Swiss cross $170 at one dairy - that's too much. I like the Brown Swiss cross but you can't make money buying them at that price. Beef breeds upwards of $200 if you can find 'em.
I can and do buy quite a few bottle calves. Lately I've been raising everything on a nurse cow - much much cheaper that way. For instance, typical milk replacer is $40-45/50lbs. 1lb/day = 50 days of feed, runs you about $6/week or a little over last I pulled out the calculator and figured it. Nurse cow on pasture - grain bill $8-9/week, divided by 4 calves = $2/calf/week or a little over. Save yourself $4/hd/week x 4 calves, that's saving $60 month in milk replacer. Initial cost of cow does have to be considered, though. ;-)
Crowderfarms
Well-known member
MilkMaid,
In my opinion, I'd say they will remain poor quality, when they're pot bellied.I dont think they'd be worth the time or money to straighten them out.If they were not weaned you might could do something with them. Might be an experiment you could try, putting one on your nurse cow,By the way, I like your feed calculations. You're getting to be one sharp Cattlewoman. ;-)
In my opinion, I'd say they will remain poor quality, when they're pot bellied.I dont think they'd be worth the time or money to straighten them out.If they were not weaned you might could do something with them. Might be an experiment you could try, putting one on your nurse cow,By the way, I like your feed calculations. You're getting to be one sharp Cattlewoman. ;-)
MoGal
Well-known member
Prices are a little better here. Nutrena Milk Replacer is $19.16 for a 40 lb sack and Milk Starter Plus (which is a pelleted form of Milk Replacer) is $15.96 for a 50 lb bag. Crimped corn is $3.20/50 lbs and sweet feed 9.50% protein is $4.50 a bag. I mix a bag of each all together and feed with free choice minerals.
Two of the calves I've gotton are 2 to 3 weeks old and are not interested in drinking milk and go after the grain and I feel that they are getting what they need thru the Milk Plus. If I'm wrong, someone please correct me and thanks.
I also feed electrolytes in the water about 2 times a week about 1/2 a pkg at a time. But I've also done that for my cows a couple of times during this hot humid weather.
Two of the calves I've gotton are 2 to 3 weeks old and are not interested in drinking milk and go after the grain and I feel that they are getting what they need thru the Milk Plus. If I'm wrong, someone please correct me and thanks.
I also feed electrolytes in the water about 2 times a week about 1/2 a pkg at a time. But I've also done that for my cows a couple of times during this hot humid weather.
farmgirl1307
Member
milkmaid":3cw6k19a said:
We have an old Jersey cow, she is about 5 years old, tame as can be. We wait until she has a calf, and then we buy two more calves to put on her, she takes all 3. She raises them up and does a damn good job at it. This makes us quite a bit of money. She was only a $500 cow (3rd period) in the first place, so she has already paid for her self.
La Donna :hat:
PLORTIZ1955
Member
I'm bottle feeding a Watusi Calf right now, can anyone tell me how long I am suppose to keep him on the bottle? He has always been allowed to graze with the other cows, seems real healthy, but I can't seem to get him started on pellet or calf starter. Open for suggestions-
Medic24
Well-known member
How old is it now? Basicly... most calves can be weaned at 8 weeks........ but it may vary according to your desires, as well as the condition, and abilities of the calf.....
I sometimes wean calves at 4 weeks, if they are doing very well eating grain, or frankly, if they are of little value, such a jersey bull calves. Ironicly, if you were to sell these jersey calves directly after weaning or at about 200 lbs. you won't even pay for the milk replacer and grain, let alone your time... thats the case around here anyway. :cboy:
I sometimes wean calves at 4 weeks, if they are doing very well eating grain, or frankly, if they are of little value, such a jersey bull calves. Ironicly, if you were to sell these jersey calves directly after weaning or at about 200 lbs. you won't even pay for the milk replacer and grain, let alone your time... thats the case around here anyway. :cboy:
PLORTIZ1955
Member
Thanks for the response, he was born the 28TH of May, I would have to guess that he only weighs about 100#, but like Longhorns the the Watusi birth weight is not that high. I have compared him to others his age and he doesn't look bad. If I remember right at some point I am suppose to cut him to one bottle a day to increase his desire to eat mpre solid food, but I can't get him to even taste it. I don't mind bottle feeding him even knowing it costs a small fortune, I have a buyer for him, but haven't yet decided if I want to keep him. I am halter breaking him now something that I was told I wouldn't be able to do, so you might say I'm one who likes a challange.
MoGal
Well-known member
Dun, sorry for the late reply.... I checked out the bag and although it does say its a replacer for dairy calves 21% protein, medicated... it also has soy protein in it so I will have to get something different. The bag I normally get they were out of and its 26% protein but I'm gonna have to check and see if its got soy protein in it. Thanks for bringing that to my attention.
