Holstein bull calves

[Ben04]

Does anyone have experience with buying Holstein bottle baby's and then selling them after being weaned or how far out do you take them? You don't hear about this much, bit with the large dairies in the west and smaller dairies everywhere, these calves have to be going somewhere. I'm sure someone will mention the work involved in getting calves going, but has anyone made it work financially or seen it work? Thanks in advance for your responses.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

I have raised well over a thousand baby Holsteins over the last 5 years, it can work out, but right now in this area it is cheaper to but a 200lb weaned Holstein to feed, than a baby and replacer, starter feed, and medicine.

 

[Ben04]

Are you putting them on grass at 200lbs or a drylot? What weight are you taking them to? Lastly, how are you selling them?

 

[denvermartinfarms]

Grass and 5lbs of feed a day at 200lbs and then working up to more feed as they grow. Depending on the market I will sell them Anywhere from 600 lbs to 850lbs. I sell most of them at my best local sale. But in the past when I have had full loads I have sold direct.

 

[Elliotb16]

What's your daily gain on them? And what kind of feed are you feeding them?

 

[denvermartinfarms]

What's your daily gain on them? And what kind of feed are you feeding them?

Depends on the set of cattle as to how they gain, I have got anywhere from 2lbs a day to almost 3lbs. My feed changes fairly often, I buy what I can afford. I have few cotton seed hulls and corn chops, I have fed peanut hulls and gluten, and right now I am not feeding as much do I am just buying bulk feed from a local mill, and it is a 12% pellet with bovatec.

 

[tom4018]

Denver,
What does 6 weight Holsteins bring at your local sale? What does the baby bulls sell for there?

 

[denvermartinfarms]

Denver,
What does 6 weight Holsteins bring at your local sale? What does the baby bulls sell for there?

The 600lb Holsteins are genarally around 1$cwt but they do get as high as 1.15cwt. Baby bulls are around 150$ a head right now so with that and then 75$ in replacer, about 20$ in grain before they are weaned,Medicine and supplies, and the higher risk of losing a baby rather than a 200lb calf, is why buying a 200lb weaned Holstein for 1.25 or 1.30 makes better sence.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

No I can't believe it either, I just said paying 1.30cwt for a Holstein made sence. Well it does, and as high as that sounds, it's plum cheap compared to the 1.60 they were bringing at okc last year.

 

[Double R Ranch]

For a while now our local auction, when they have them, they are going for $250-$350 as newborns. Absolutely ridiculous. Can't make any money at that price. Even if you used a nurse cow. I'm missing what's driving the price so high.
50# bag of milk is $87.99