need advice- selling a 1 month old calve

[thatdoggJake]

need advice- selling a 1 month old calve

I lost a cow a couple of days ago and her calve is about 30 days old. After reading several previous post about bottle feeding I think it is best for me to cut my losses and sell the calve to someone who has the means/time to take care of the calve. I put a listing on Craigslist about 2 hrs ago and have already had several relies. How much should I be able to get for the calve? Is there anything else I need to take into consideration?

This is my post on craigslist:
"I have a small calve about 30-40 days old. It needs to be bottle feed. I have to do something with the calve soon. I beleive it is a heifer calve. Best offer gets her."

And this is what I replied to all the people who answered my listing:

"Her mom was a jeresy cross commercial looking cow (she got stuck in a drainage ditch). Her dad was a red brangus commercial bull. The calve is red and has a white marking on the tail.

I could e-mail you a picture in the morning when I go back out to the property. I'm going to decide what to do with the calve tomorrow as I don't have the means/time to bottle feed myself nor do I want her sucking on some of the other mammas in fear of the calve bring down another mamma trying to support two calves.

Thanks for the interest."

 

[Hawk]

It is my opinion that if a competent person, with some experience in raising orphan calves, offers to take it off your hands for free you should consider yourself lucky and be very grateful. Sorry about your loss.

 

[alftn]

I lost a cow ,sounds about the same as yours, calf about 6 weeks old..Calf would not suck, so I mixed it powder milk in with sweet feed and fed it that for about six weeks..I knew it was eating hay and had gained weight so turned it back in with the herd..When I sold my bull calves off he went also, he weight 229 lbs and brought 1.29 a lb... nearly 300$

 

[dieselbeef]

who is gonna wanna buy a calf from you if yer not even sure if its a hiefer or a bull calf..you do know that they are born one or the other and its usually pretty obvious which it is

 

[randiliana]

Well, there is usually a market for baby calves, especially if you are in calving season. Price depends on the year, I've seen baby beef calves sell for anywhere from $50 - $500 depending on their health,sex, size and quality. We almost always sell a few orphan or twin calves off the farm to someone who has lost one and wants to adopt a calf onto a cow. As far as someone buying to bottle feed, I don't really feel that they should buy the calf any cheaper because of their plans. Check with a couple of local sale barns and see what babies are bringing there.

How much Jersey is in this calf? If it is a heifer, and possible that it might turn into a milk cow for someone, there is a pretty big market in some areas for a calf like that.

 

[chippie]

I saw your ad at Craigslist. Rather than wait for offers, just go ahead and sell her. She can't go long without being fed.
If you can get $50. you are doing well. Good luck.

 

[TNfamilyfarm]

What part of the country are you in?
Can you post a picture?
I wouldnt sell it for less than 150.00, the calf will be easily weaned and is healthy even if it needs to be bottle fed for a short period of time.

 

[chippie]

What part of the country are you in?
Can you post a picture?
I wouldnt sell it for less than 150.00, the calf will be easily weaned and is healthy even if it needs to be bottle fed for a short period of time.

He is on the Texas Gulf Coast, south of Houston.

 

[thatdoggJake]

I sold the bull calve for $100 to a nice guy earlier today. The calf is really a brangus w a very small mix of jersey but I wanted to make clear that the calve had some jersey just to not be acussed of misleading someone. I think I could have done the powder mix trick but it worked out with the lack of time I have

 

[chippie]

Cool beans. You did good.