I'm going to give my opinion from the other side. I am currently working with an outfit to raise my ET calves. I am paying $100 per cow to set up. So, if I do 10 cows, that is $1000. Then, they are palpated at 60-75 days. I pay $400 per pregnant recip at that time. When the calves hit the ground, I pay $500 per live calf. At weaning, I pay another $500 per weaned calf.
So, if a cow aborts, I don't pay after preg check. If a calf dies, I don't pay the weaning payment. It comes out to $1500 per weaned calf. That seems pretty good for the calf raiser with the market right now.
I couldn't find recip cows, get them bred, feed them, calve them, and get to weaning for $1500 each. If I had the recips, I would be doing it all myself.
Trans Ova charges like this, but instead of the $500, they are $700. The set up fee is higher too.
