Dairy Calves

[Anonymous]

Hi,I can buy 2-3 day old holstein calves real reasonable.What's everyone's gut feeling on raising these "bottle calves"? Can one really expect a profit on them as steers? Do you think it is worth the time,and effort to raise them and then send them to the market? THANKS for any opinions!

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[Anonymous]

They can be very profitable or they can lose a lot of money as well. If you can develop a system which minimizes the death loss and you can keep them untill they are very large they will bring excellent money and will make more money than any other types of cattle. 35% of the beef in the US is dairy beef and the largest individual feedlot feeds only holstein cattle, so somebody has to be making money from them. If the bottle calves can be bought cheap enough fom the dairyman then this is the best avenue, because they have been exposed to the least amount of disease and are more likely to be healthy. If you get them past the first month you are out of the woods and they will grow asgood or better than anything else. The problem is learning a marketing system. I buy them at about 350 lbs. and run them on wheat and grass untill they weigh about 1000 lbs. then we feed barley for about a month and a half and direct market them. A fat Holstein will bring within 5-7 dollars of a premium steer when they are fat and you can make good money doiing this.

 

[Anonymous]

A neighbor has been doing this for years, yes he makes little money. Around here weaned Holstein bull calves bring the same price as a bottle calf, go figure. He discovered this year that he could buy colored calves (Beef X Holstein) for twice the money, the cost of raising them was the same as the Holsteins and he made more profit on them after all costs were figured in.

dunmovin farms

Hi,I can buy 2-3 day old holstein
> calves real reasonable.What's
> everyone's gut feeling on raising
> these "bottle calves"?
> Can one really expect a profit on
> them as steers? Do you think it is
> worth the time,and effort to raise
> them and then send them to the
> market? THANKS for any opinions!