CAN U MAKE ANY $$$$$$$$$

[piedmontese]

can u make any $$ buying holstein bull calves from the dairy for $95.00 and weaning them at 8 weeks and then feeding them up 2 around 800lbs? milk replacer is about a dollar a pound.

 

[TexasBred]

can u make any $$ buying holstein bull calves from the dairy for $95.00 and weaning them at 8 weeks and then feeding them up 2 around 800lbs? milk replacer is about a dollar a pound.

Sounds way to high for the cost of the calf but don't know the market in your area. Down here you can get them all day long from $5.00 to $25. Other than that, yes you can make money if you work it hard and do it right.

 

[novaman]

I think you can make money if you know what your doing. I sell all my bull calves but I really should keep them because it could be another source of income. My problem is I struggle to keep up with things the way it is. Feeding calves gets to be a lot of work, more than one would think.

 

[dun]

You will "make money" maybe even more then you've invested.

 

[hillsdown]

The person to ask is Larryshoat he does it ,has an amazing operation and does very well at it. BUT it takes alot of commitment, you need to be on the ball at all times if you are buying newborns . I would make sure that all calves are a minimum of 3 days old have had at least 4 feedings of colostrum within the 1st two days of life and preferably have them be given calf guard and colimune or first defence. We had buyers fighting over each other to get our bull calves but they were also well cared for from day one. If you are in the US that price is way to high unless you are buying calves that have the above treatment and are a least a couple of weeks old.

 

[piedmontese]

i live n kansas and that is the going rate around here.people even get that and more out of jersey calves,which is really crazy considering how slow they grow and how bad they look even when they r growing and healthy.

 

[francismilker]

I've done it. Depending on large or small scale, the key to turning a profit is having grass. If you intend on getting those calves up to 800lbs. on grain you're gonna go in the tank with losses. If you can turn them out on grass and forget about them after they're bottle-fed, you'll do quite well.

I've raised as many as 60 per year and as few as 10. (depends on the prices) The key issue for me has always been "how well the grass grows" that year.

 

[piedmontese]

I've done it. Depending on large or small scale, the key to turning a profit is having grass. If you intend on getting those calves up to 800lbs. on grain you're gonna go in the tank with losses. If you can turn them out on grass and forget about them after they're bottle-fed, you'll do quite well.

I've raised as many as 60 per year and as few as 10. (depends on the prices) The key issue for me has always been "how well the grass grows" that year.

how long does it take u 2 get a calf to 800 on grass only?

 

[ozarkbulls]

I do much better selling them just past weaning. Like to have them at about 200-225 pounds, and I have regular buyers fighting over mine! I demand top dollar, but sell top quality, and people pay.
I have a flat rate purchase price set up with the dairy, and take all their bull calves. $80 each, all year, no matter what the market does. Milk replacer is pricey, I pay over dollar a pound, but have a "technique" for weaning. My average this year is weaned in 39 days. Saves a bunch of $$$.
Problem is you really got to be on top of your game. People that just throw milk and hope for the best ain't gonna break even. Too many things can go wrong, you lose one and your profits are in the toilet.
And there's a lot more to weaning and just "toss them on grass", like so many "hobbyists" do out here.
Your never gonna "get rich", but you can turn a fair profit, for an awful lot of labor!!

 

[TexasBred]

Ozark wish you'd have been my neighbor years ago. We could have worked a good deal. I was giving bull calvs away. You probably heard the old joke about putting a pen out by the road with 4 bull calves in it with a sign that said "free calves". Went to town and came back and had 12 bull calves in the pen. ;-) Best wishes.

 

[piedmontese]

I do much better selling them just past weaning. Like to have them at about 200-225 pounds, and I have regular buyers fighting over mine! I demand top dollar, but sell top quality, and people pay.
I have a flat rate purchase price set up with the dairy, and take all their bull calves. $80 each, all year, no matter what the market does. Milk replacer is pricey, I pay over dollar a pound, but have a "technique" for weaning. My average this year is weaned in 39 days. Saves a bunch of $$$.
Problem is you really got to be on top of your game. People that just throw milk and hope for the best ain't gonna break even. Too many things can go wrong, you lose one and your profits are in the toilet.
And there's a lot more to weaning and just "toss them on grass", like so many "hobbyists" do out here.
Your never gonna "get rich", but you can turn a fair profit, for an awful lot of labor!!

how do u wean at 39 days? we go 60.r u feeding more than twice a day? we offer fresh water from day 1 at all times and calf starter.do u house yours individually?

 

[TexasBred]

Pied...we always weaned holstein heifers at 6 weeks. Did it for years. Feed and water in front of them from day one. Once weaned we put them in small field with a creep feeder with a grower ration in it.

 

[piedmontese]

Pied...we always weaned holstein heifers at 6 weeks. Did it for years. Feed and water in front of them from day one. Once weaned we put them in small field with a creep feeder with a grower ration in it.

when did u start offering hay? i think i might try to start weaning a little earlier.a 25lb bag lasts us 3 feedings and we pay $27.00 per bag.

 

[francismilker]

I've done it. Depending on large or small scale, the key to turning a profit is having grass. If you intend on getting those calves up to 800lbs. on grain you're gonna go in the tank with losses. If you can turn them out on grass and forget about them after they're bottle-fed, you'll do quite well.

I've raised as many as 60 per year and as few as 10. (depends on the prices) The key issue for me has always been "how well the grass grows" that year.

how long does it take u 2 get a calf to 800 on grass only?

It takes me a year give or take. Depends on the breed. The best rate of gain on grass I've gotten is from a group of Milking Shorthorn bull calves. They weighed 1000lbs at about 14 months. (On grass alone) That's cheap rate of gain!

 

[ozarkbulls]

Grain and water from day one. They get interested just looking at it.
I use a 17% calf-starter, probiotics, and top quality milk replacer, costs more but have much healthier calves, and wean earlier. They get past the "hump" just after weaning and pack on 3 pounds a day easily.

 

[TexasBred]

Grain and water from day one. They get interested just looking at it.
I use a 17% calf-starter, probiotics, and top quality milk replacer, costs more but have much healthier calves, and wean earlier. They get past the "hump" just after weaning and pack on 3 pounds a day easily.

We always fed the calves milk right out of the pipeline before it reached the bulk tank. Had a valve build in so we could access it. We used probiotics as well and an 18% textured calf starter medicated with Deccox.

 

[novaman]

Grain and water from day one. They get interested just looking at it.
I use a 17% calf-starter, probiotics, and top quality milk replacer, costs more but have much healthier calves, and wean earlier. They get past the "hump" just after weaning and pack on 3 pounds a day easily.

We always fed the calves milk right out of the pipeline before it reached the bulk tank. Had a valve build in so we could access it. We used probiotics as well and an 18% textured calf starter medicated with Deccox.

Not trying to hijack the thread but what kind of probiotics did you use?

 

[ozarkbulls]

I use ProBios, mainly. Easy to dispense, use, but a bit pricey.As far as I'm concerned, well worth the extra cost. An old-timer once told me he used to mix in a quart of just plain yougurt in with each mixed bucket and let sit for a couple hours. Don't know if it worked, but couldn't hurt I suppose.
Luckily, shaving some $$ of this batch. worked out a deal with the dairy to take all their catch-milk for the next few weeks.

 

[TexasBred]

Grain and water from day one. They get interested just looking at it.
I use a 17% calf-starter, probiotics, and top quality milk replacer, costs more but have much healthier calves, and wean earlier. They get past the "hump" just after weaning and pack on 3 pounds a day easily.

We always fed the calves milk right out of the pipeline before it reached the bulk tank. Had a valve build in so we could access it. We used probiotics as well and an 18% textured calf starter medicated with Deccox.

Not trying to hijack the thread but what kind of probiotics did you use?

Nova it's been awhile and I dont' remember the exact name but it was a Fastrack product mixed into the milk fed the calf. We didn't use milk replacer so felt like we needed them. Must have worked great as wife only lost 3 one year. (Notice "I" was not doing the calf raising). :lol2:

 

[TexasBred]

I use ProBios, mainly. Easy to dispense, use, but a bit pricey.As far as I'm concerned, well worth the extra cost. An old-timer once told me he used to mix in a quart of just plain yougurt in with each mixed bucket and let sit for a couple hours. Don't know if it worked, but couldn't hurt I suppose.
Luckily, shaving some $$ of this batch. worked out a deal with the dairy to take all their catch-milk for the next few weeks.

Funny the different terminology we use. You referred to 'catch-milk'. We always called it "dump-milk". Raised some hogs on it one year. Nothing but fat.