Bottle Calves -

[MissouriExile]

Went to local sale barn last evening. Observed 30 or so bottle calves going through the mill. Amazed by the price spread. Given that all looked reasonably healthy and lively.

Holsteins went for $100 - 130 a head. (maybe a week or so old)
A couple of Jersey's went for $70 - 75 a head. (maybe a little smaller)
Solid Black (mixed holstein) $200-230 a head. (any size)

Do Jersey s make good freezer beef?

Can a black mixed holstein pass for............ (dare we say it?)

Jon

 

[bigbull338]

yes jerseys make good freezer beef.now itll take over a year to get them to butcher weight.an yes a black holstein cross can an will pass for an angus.

 

[Jovid]

Went to local sale barn last evening. Observed 30 or so bottle calves going through the mill. Amazed by the price spread. Given that all looked reasonably healthy and lively.

Holsteins went for $100 - 130 a head. (maybe a week or so old)
A couple of Jersey's went for $70 - 75 a head. (maybe a little smaller)
Solid Black (mixed holstein) $200-230 a head. (any size)

Do Jersey s make good freezer beef?

Can a black mixed holstein pass for............ (dare we say it?)

Jon

Yes they can be CAB...I don't mind saying it.

 

[MoGal]

Yes, and its very likely how the angus got them "funnel butts".

Hubby's holstein cow has a really, really nice 3 week old heifer, solid black, out of our Galloway bull and we'll never know if she qualifies for CAB because I'm sure she'll stay on the "keeper" list.

 

[MissouriExile]

Yes, and its very likely how the angus got them "funnel butts".

Hubby's holstein cow has a really, really nice 3 week old heifer, solid black, out of our Galloway bull and we'll never know if she qualifies for CAB because I'm sure she'll stay on the "keeper" list.

The solid black ones were sure tempting but even with the black ones, how can you turn a buck when 50 lbs of milk replacer is $90.00 ?? My wife just called to tell me what she had to pay.

The feed store said she was lucky, the price was higher and had just come down......

So if a black bottle calf is $230.00 and you feed it $90.00 worth of milk replacer, $$ ??? of Calf starter, hay, labor, etc for 6 months how much will it be worth?

Jon

 

[backhoeboogie]

Jon,

If you have a nurse cow, 4 calves to weaning is $220 feed for the cow.

Those prices seem a bit steep for baby calves. I have better luck buying splits from an aged pair at the sale barn. Angus were really cheap last year but I am in the Texas climate. I bought a week old angus heifer for $60 because no there one wanted her. Eared calves were high. The following week some guy was there from Stephenville buying up everything and some other guy was bidding against him. I should have brought some baby calves back that week.

I bought a really good baldy with ear over in Cleburne for $110. Her navel was already dried and gone. I figure she was about 3 weeks old.

The nice thing about buying splits is that most all of them have had their doses of colostrums. All you have to do is get them grafted to the nurse cow. A week on a good nurse cow and you can turn them all out to pasture.

When I retire and get out of this Hobby Farming thing, I can afford to spend more time than the 50 hour part time thing I do now. Hopefully I can run several nurse cows along with the beef cattle I now run. In my opinion, you can make a few nickels doing that.

 

[MissouriExile]

Jon,

If you have a nurse cow, 4 calves to weaning is $220 feed for the cow.

Those prices seem a bit steep for baby calves. I have better luck buying splits from an aged pair at the sale barn. Angus were really cheap last year but I am in the Texas climate. I bought a week old angus heifer for $60 because no there one wanted her. Eared calves were high. The following week some guy was there from Stephenville buying up everything and some other guy was bidding against him. I should have brought some baby calves back that week.

I bought a really good baldy with ear over in Cleburne for $110. Her navel was already dried and gone. I figure she was about 3 weeks old.

The nice thing about buying splits is that most all of them have had their doses of colostrums. All you have to do is get them grafted to the nurse cow. A week on a good nurse cow and you can turn them all out to pasture.

When I retire and get out of this Hobby Farming thing, I can afford to spend more time than the 50 hour part time thing I do now. Hopefully I can run several nurse cows along with the beef cattle I now run. In my opinion, you can make a few nickels doing that.

I'm sure you're right about the nurse cow. I'm on the lookout for one now.
I wonder how many of us are doing this "Hobby Farming" thing waiting for retirement? I have 18 months to go. Hope I can learn enough between now and then to enjoy raising cattle full time. Wait a minute.... If I am enjoying myself is it still a Hobby Farm? What I need is a life long cattle person who longs to retire from it into writing computer systems!! We could swap and both be happy.

Jon

 

[dyates]

Jon,

If you have a nurse cow, 4 calves to weaning is $220 feed for the cow.

Those prices seem a bit steep for baby calves. I have better luck buying splits from an aged pair at the sale barn. Angus were really cheap last year but I am in the Texas climate. I bought a week old angus heifer for $60 because no there one wanted her. Eared calves were high. The following week some guy was there from Stephenville buying up everything and some other guy was bidding against him. I should have brought some baby calves back that week.

I bought a really good baldy with ear over in Cleburne for $110. Her navel was already dried and gone. I figure she was about 3 weeks old.

The nice thing about buying splits is that most all of them have had their doses of colostrums. All you have to do is get them grafted to the nurse cow. A week on a good nurse cow and you can turn them all out to pasture.

When I retire and get out of this Hobby Farming thing, I can afford to spend more time than the 50 hour part time thing I do now. Hopefully I can run several nurse cows along with the beef cattle I now run. In my opinion, you can make a few nickels doing that.

I'm sure you're right about the nurse cow. I'm on the lookout for one now.
I wonder how many of us are doing this "Hobby Farming" thing waiting for retirement? I have 18 months to go. Hope I can learn enough between now and then to enjoy raising cattle full time. Wait a minute.... If I am enjoying myself is it still a Hobby Farm? What I need is a life long cattle person who longs to retire from it into writing computer systems!! We could swap and both be happy.

Jon

I'm also waiting on retirement, but I've got about 30 years to wait :cry2: Oh well, at least I have youth for now.

 

[bigbull338]

you guys talking bout retiring.theres only 1 thing you retire from an thats your day job.you retire from cattle when you die.

 

[TexasBred]

you guys talking bout retiring.theres only 1 thing you retire from an thats your day job.you retire from cattle when you die.

Well it is a pretty strong addiction. :)

 

[backhoeboogie]

you guys talking bout retiring.theres only 1 thing you retire from an thats your day job.you retire from cattle when you die.

Well it is a pretty strong addiction. :)

Oh heck yes. Out on the highway I am just another peon. When I pull off into the pasture with a bale of hay and honk the horn, I am king of the pasture. A hero. They all come a running at my beckoning. It makes you want to circle a few times just to savor the moment :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[FarmGirl10]

Holsteins went for $100 - 130 a head. (maybe a week or so old)
A couple of Jersey's went for $70 - 75 a head. (maybe a little smaller)
Solid Black (mixed holstein) $200-230 a head. (any size)

Jon

:shock: I'm suprised that they are going that high, but I guess you are from a different part of the country. You can pick up holstein calves for <$40.00 around here. I have a couple counties north of me that pretty much all of the farms are dairies. With our $10 a bale (small) hay, high grain prices and the large numbers of dairies, they aren't worth anything. Some dairies are shooting their bull calves bcuz they can't get rid of them and can't afford milk replacer to keep them. :cry2: I wish I could find out who's doing it...i could save them a bullet. :cry:

 

[MissouriExile]

Holsteins went for $100 - 130 a head. (maybe a week or so old)
A couple of Jersey's went for $70 - 75 a head. (maybe a little smaller)
Solid Black (mixed holstein) $200-230 a head. (any size)

Jon

:shock: I'm suprised that they are going that high, but I guess you are from a different part of the country. You can pick up holstein calves for <$40.00 around here. I have a couple counties north of me that pretty much all of the farms are dairies. With our $10 a bale (small) hay, high grain prices and the large numbers of dairies, they aren't worth anything. Some dairies are shooting their bull calves bcuz they can't get rid of them and can't afford milk replacer to keep them. :cry2: I wish I could find out who's doing it...i could save them a bullet. :cry:

I was surprised as well. It was a small local sale barn (Last Monday evening, Sarcoxie, MO), lightly attended, cold, raining, The grown stock wasn't much to look at. I expected bottle calves to be a dime a dozen. Big difference from other times is they all looked healthy and alert. As I noted, the Holsteins were maybe a week old, alert, active. Auctioneer touted them as almost weaned??? (Not)... I was bidding on a couple for our freezer and friends. Bidding got out of hand and I dropped out. I picked up two of the Jersey's for more than I had wanted to pay. The sale barn is having a special auction in two weeks. 180 holstein bottle calves from one big dairy. If I could figure a way to turn a buck on them I would pick up a few. A lot of work and expense to get one on grass.

Jon

 

[backhoeboogie]

So if a black bottle calf is $230.00 and you feed it $90.00 worth of milk replacer, $$ ??? of Calf starter, hay, labor, etc for 6 months how much will it be worth?
Jon

Frequent the sale barns enough to note who's buying. Don't be surprised if you see the same someone getting expired milk from the grocery stores while you are sitting out in the parking lot with your grandson and wife is in shopping. Don't be surprised if you see the same person dropping off a bunch of doggied steer dairy calves at the sale barns the next day that came from the previous cycle. :shock: :shock:

It was just by accident that I was able to put two and two together.

 

[MissouriExile]

So if a black bottle calf is $230.00 and you feed it $90.00 worth of milk replacer, $$ ??? of Calf starter, hay, labor, etc for 6 months how much will it be worth?
Jon

Frequent the sale barns enough to note who's buying. Don't be surprised if you see the same someone getting expired milk from the grocery stores while you are sitting out in the parking lot with your grandson and wife is in shopping. Don't be surprised if you see the same person dropping off a bunch of doggied steer dairy calves at the sale barns the next day that came from the previous cycle. :shock: :shock:

It was just by accident that I was able to put two and two together.

Yes, this was the same sale barn with the ragged dairy calves. Must go weekly.

I am sure you are right. I have a lot to learn, Must find out what happens to out of date dairy around here. Thanks for the lesson.

Jon

 

[backhoeboogie]

Jon some of the milk replacer sold is junk as far as I am concerned. The calves may be better off with expired grocery store milk.

 

[FarmGirl10]

Holsteins went for $100 - 130 a head. (maybe a week or so old)
A couple of Jersey's went for $70 - 75 a head. (maybe a little smaller)
Solid Black (mixed holstein) $200-230 a head. (any size)

Jon

:shock: I'm suprised that they are going that high, but I guess you are from a different part of the country. You can pick up holstein calves for <$40.00 around here. I have a couple counties north of me that pretty much all of the farms are dairies. With our $10 a bale (small) hay, high grain prices and the large numbers of dairies, they aren't worth anything. Some dairies are shooting their bull calves bcuz they can't get rid of them and can't afford milk replacer to keep them. :cry2: I wish I could find out who's doing it...i could save them a bullet. :cry:

I was surprised as well. It was a small local sale barn (Last Monday evening, Sarcoxie, MO), lightly attended, cold, raining, The grown stock wasn't much to look at. I expected bottle calves to be a dime a dozen. Big difference from other times is they all looked healthy and alert. As I noted, the Holsteins were maybe a week old, alert, active. Auctioneer touted them as almost weaned??? (Not)... I was bidding on a couple for our freezer and friends. Bidding got out of hand and I dropped out. I picked up two of the Jersey's for more than I had wanted to pay. The sale barn is having a special auction in two weeks. 180 holstein bottle calves from one big dairy. If I could figure a way to turn a buck on them I would pick up a few. A lot of work and expense to get one on grass.

Jon

Well, Jersey is some of the best beef I've ever eaten, so the it's not all bad that you couldn't get Holsteins. I'm sure you know that Jersey's are really slow growers though.