tncattle
Well-known member
Though I would post this because alot of people have already read the thread and won't go back to it.
Here is a bend in the story, I went and met the guy this morning so my 3 yr. old could bottle feed one and this guy is brand new to it! He has NO EXPERIENCE doing this! He has a decent business plan and some good mentors that live very near him but his first 4 calves are Holstein bull calves. Two of them are 1 week old and the other two are 2 weeks old. He hasn't cut them or banded them yet, he told me the vaccinations he was going to give them (should he already have done that)? He has them secure with good bedding in a barn but not secure from predators! His goal is to get around 10-12 every 3-4 weeks and sell around 10-12 each month when they reach around 700 lbs. He said he thinks he can start selling in about 8 months and keep a rotation like that. He also said he will not take anything else but all black calves and no more Holsteins. I asked him what he thought he would have in a 700 lb. calf when he sold it and he said about $180-$200 and thinks he can sell them for about $450-$500 each at 700 lbs. Yes, he has asked me to go in this with him but I'm very leary about this cause I've never done it and neither has he. I think sickness and death are going to be a bigger factor than maybe he thinks. Will a all black Angus/Holstein 700 lb. steer bring .70 a lb.? I know they will be leggy.
Here is a bend in the story, I went and met the guy this morning so my 3 yr. old could bottle feed one and this guy is brand new to it! He has NO EXPERIENCE doing this! He has a decent business plan and some good mentors that live very near him but his first 4 calves are Holstein bull calves. Two of them are 1 week old and the other two are 2 weeks old. He hasn't cut them or banded them yet, he told me the vaccinations he was going to give them (should he already have done that)? He has them secure with good bedding in a barn but not secure from predators! His goal is to get around 10-12 every 3-4 weeks and sell around 10-12 each month when they reach around 700 lbs. He said he thinks he can start selling in about 8 months and keep a rotation like that. He also said he will not take anything else but all black calves and no more Holsteins. I asked him what he thought he would have in a 700 lb. calf when he sold it and he said about $180-$200 and thinks he can sell them for about $450-$500 each at 700 lbs. Yes, he has asked me to go in this with him but I'm very leary about this cause I've never done it and neither has he. I think sickness and death are going to be a bigger factor than maybe he thinks. Will a all black Angus/Holstein 700 lb. steer bring .70 a lb.? I know they will be leggy.