Took one in

[Dave]

When we gathered off the hill last week there was one calf looking wimpy. Ran his mom into the chute. She had right next to no milk. So he is on the bottle and she got a ride to town today. Weighed 1,395 and sold for $1.35. I am not certain how much I paid for her so I used the average price I paid plus feed and pasture cost. I am still about $200 into the black and I have bottle calf who is around 5 or 6 weeks old. Got to love a market that makes you money on the losers.

 

[wbvs58]

When we gathered off the hill last week there was one calf looking wimpy. Ran his mom into the chute. She had right next to no milk. So he is on the bottle and she got a ride to town today. Weighed 1,395 and sold for $1.35. I am not certain how much I paid for her so I used the average price I paid plus feed and pasture cost. I am still about $200 into the black and I have bottle calf who is around 5 or 6 weeks old. Got to love a market that makes you money on the losers.

Should pay for a bit of milk powder.

Ken

 

[Dave]

Should pay for a bit of milk powder.

Ken

We already had about half a bag of milk replacer. Once that is gone we will decide. Another bag or a ride to town.

 

[MurraysMutts]

We already had about half a bag of milk replacer. Once that is gone we will decide. Another bag or a ride to town.

U NEED a pet Dave!

It can ride with ya to check cows along with that awesome dog of yours.

 

[Dave]

U NEED a pet Dave!

It can ride with ya to check cows along with that awesome dog of yours.

Cows are not pets. They are livestock raised to be butchered. All my decisions about cattle are made as business decisions. It will be a cold day in He77 when I make a pet out of a cow.

 

[puzzled in oregon]

Tis but a wee calf sir. The moment you brought it home an fed the wee calf, it became a pet.

 

[Rmc]

why keep the calf? Wouldn’t pay out to keep calf. Cost of milk replacer and risk of death wouldn’t be worth the minimum profit if any of keeping the calf. And that is if you figure your time is at no cost.

 

[MurraysMutts]

I guess bottle calf prices there are in the toilet from what Dave says.
Here a good solid calf is still bringing 500 bucks. 400 real easy.

It takes a while to get one to profit on a bottle. It's always worked better on a cow. Any cow that'll feed it.

My money is on Dave finding someone that needs it local. Friend, neighbor, heck one of his own cows may screw up. Pretty sure I've read he's done that before.
And that'll make money!

I was just fooling about with Dave. I'm pretty sure he knew that.
Until then, he's got a pet cow and it drives him nutz!!

 

[Dave]

I guess bottle calf prices there are in the toilet from what Dave says.
Here a good solid calf is still bringing 500 bucks. 400 real easy.

It takes a while to get one to profit on a bottle. It's always worked better on a cow. Any cow that'll feed it.

My money is on Dave finding someone that needs it local. Friend, neighbor, heck one of his own cows may screw up. Pretty sure I've read he's done that before.
And that'll make money!

I was just fooling about with Dave. I'm pretty sure he knew that.
Until then, he's got a pet cow and it drives him nutz!!

On Wednesday at the sale there was 3 bull calves with very visible but dry navels (3 -4 days old). The sold for $160. There was some older (4 or 5 week old) well started calves sold for $400+. Of course the older and bigger they were the more they sold for. 99% of the cows around here have calved out and are up in the hills. So there is no demand for graft calves. People who held back a bottle calf for a potential graft calf are getting rid of them. And anyone who actually raises bottle calves knows how to push a pencil.