Sale Barn Question

[Alan]

I just got back from the sale barn where I sold 4 400lb calves @ 116 cwt. But my question is at the beggining of the sale they had the bottle calves selling and the first 3 where going $240 a head for bull calves granted they where beef breed, 2 hereford crosses and a black calf. But even the last went for $70. The Basic buyers where the same 2 guys I have seen before at the sale. Why buy a bottle calf at $240 and sell it 6 months down the road for $450 to $500? Seems like a lot of work for a couple of hundred bucks. Plus each buyer bought 10 to 15 head and they have been to every sale I have been to, which is 4 or 5. So I assume they buy regularly.

Thanks for the replies.
Alan

 

[Scotty]

They could be buying roping calves.


Scotty

 

[RichieMaGoo]

I buy bottle calves privately- but I would NOT pay that kind of money! Shoot...when all is said and done, I usually have less than that in a calf when I sell it at 500 lbs. Heck, after buying milk replacer and if they feed it any grain, where's their profit?

I see alot of people doing that very thing in my area too- and not for roping calves. I think alot of these guys are just bad at math- they don't keep track of what it costs to raise the calf. They just think "I bought it for $240 and sold it for $500, yippey!" but they don't realize, after all their expenses, they're probably just breaking even, or making a pitance for all their time and labor.

Lots of farmers are working for free. (And the sad thing is, their effect on the market makes it harder for us guys who have to make a living at it)

 

[dun]

Had the same basic conversation with a neighbor last sunday. Holstein bottle calves were selling for $200, 8 week old weaned Holstein steers, dehorned were $225-$250. I've seen the same thing for a number of years arund here. All we could come up with is that there are a lot of people that want to raise a bottle calf for the kids/cause they're cute/or whatever.

dun

 

[Dana Kopp]

Baby calves or bottle calves sell really high here too - up to $300 or more this spring. I have to admit though that last year when we lost the calf out of one of our best cows I paid $270 (yes, I know WAY too much) for a 3 or 4 day old heifer calf, very healthy, good coat and looking for mom. It took about a day locked together, a bottle of Calf claim and just a little patience and milking and we had a new very happy pair, probably only a two or three actual hours of our time total. The cow has incredible milk and that heifer calf grew to be our biggest heifer - she easily topped 600lbs at weaning and brought $700 - Return like that would be the ONLY way I could justify that initial expense.

 

[bigbull338]

yes alot of people buy calves to raise in the backyard.an alot of those guys you see buying baby calves are order buyers.if your raising cattle to get rich.your in the wrong business.you can make a living.alot of people raise cattle an work a job to.scott

 

[sidney411]

I bought a 2 week old black bull calf for $222 at the auction for a graft calf this year. Dairy bulls are $100 and sell a lot less then a beef calf. It makes up for it in the end, I don't think it would pay to buy them for a bottle calf though.

 

[skyeagle]

Some times it's not about money. It's in the satisfaction
of raising the calf.Heck when we got started we bought
bottle calfs for 14.00 bucks

 

[Alan]

Brings me to my next question... Why would you not sell week old calves at the sale barn instead of raising them to weaning? Could you possible get 3 calves every two years out of a cow? Would it hurt the cow? I would think if it is possible to do this you could run more cows since you won't have calves on your pasture.

I'm not into cattle to do this, I like looking at the calves on the pasture, just a thought.

I know it's more than one question, but thanks.

Alan

 

[ALACOWMAN]

You cant go by calves sold by the head. they will most always average more by the pound than your feeders. if they are decent calves.

 

[Dave]

Week old baby calves at the sale generally fall one of three categories. Straight bred dairy calves which are generally bulls or free martin heifers that the dairies don't want. Cross bred dairy calves which may look like a beef calf to the untrained eye but they are still half dairy. And then there are calves that are full bred beef calves. The beef calves are generally there because they lost their mom, were a twin, or they were brought in as a pair but mom was old, had a bad udder, or for some other reason they were split and mom was sent straight to the beef pen.
Dave