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Update on "Anyone doing this" thread
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<blockquote data-quote="backhoeboogie" data-source="post: 684829" data-attributes="member: 3162"><p>Gee I hate to get into this thread. </p><p></p><p>I have bought 29 beef calf splits in one day at Dublin, TX. All of the calves looked 1 to 3 weeks old based on size, structure and naval cords. It took sitting through 17 hours of auction to do that. None were dairy crosses and way to many were angus. I took the angus calves only because they were really cheap. There were a couple of dairy crosses there but most dairy crosses go to the dairy sale. There were some younger calves. </p><p></p><p>When I buy calves to graft onto my nurse cow, I go to the beef sale and not the dairy sale. When aged pairs come through and no one bids, the split the cow and sell her for hamburger and sell the calf individually. Sometimes there are angus buyers at the sale but most folks don't want pure angus cows nursing a calf through the summer here. </p><p></p><p>When I go to the sale I am looking for eared heifer calves and brangus is optimum for me. I like to stay in the $1 per lb range. July 10 I spent way to much but got exactly what I wanted in two calves to graft onto my nurse cow who was about to calve. They have grafted nicely and will go into my herd. </p><p></p><p>The only reason to take a dairy heifer is when you want to cultivate a new nurse cow. </p><p></p><p>There is not much money in dairy bull calves in my opinion. </p><p></p><p>Quality milk replacer is expensive. I don't know how a person can come out doing that. If you wean early you have to put creep in them or they will doggy on you (have big bellies and bring less when sold). </p><p></p><p>The ONLY person I know that comes out ahead on this is a widowed lady who runs nurse cows. I am seriously considering doing the same thing she does when I retire. She has been doing this for many years and most all local cattlefolks know her. She gets rejected twin calves, orphans and such from locals. She has also occasionally nursed a pure bred for a fee. I have mentioned her in other threads. Vets know her and she gets referrals. She is also a wealth of knowledge for someone wanting to know anything about this. </p><p></p><p>Going into a business such as this is a commitment and facilities and pens are expensive so you had best make up your mind to go in to it long term. </p><p></p><p>If you go down to the thread I have on nurse cow cost per calf, you can see what it costs me to raise a calf on a nurse cow. You can also see the crate I use. At this point, my cow no longer has to go into the crate. She is allowing all three to nurse her in the pasture. If I had 12 nurse cows, they would have to be put into 12 different lots with the calves or else calves would be jumping from cow to cow. </p><p></p><p>If there is any profit to bottle feeding calves, it is marginal at best. You can go to the Cleburne Sale on Saturday and spot doggied calves that have been raised on the bottle. They don't bring much when they go through the ring.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="backhoeboogie, post: 684829, member: 3162"] Gee I hate to get into this thread. I have bought 29 beef calf splits in one day at Dublin, TX. All of the calves looked 1 to 3 weeks old based on size, structure and naval cords. It took sitting through 17 hours of auction to do that. None were dairy crosses and way to many were angus. I took the angus calves only because they were really cheap. There were a couple of dairy crosses there but most dairy crosses go to the dairy sale. There were some younger calves. When I buy calves to graft onto my nurse cow, I go to the beef sale and not the dairy sale. When aged pairs come through and no one bids, the split the cow and sell her for hamburger and sell the calf individually. Sometimes there are angus buyers at the sale but most folks don't want pure angus cows nursing a calf through the summer here. When I go to the sale I am looking for eared heifer calves and brangus is optimum for me. I like to stay in the $1 per lb range. July 10 I spent way to much but got exactly what I wanted in two calves to graft onto my nurse cow who was about to calve. They have grafted nicely and will go into my herd. The only reason to take a dairy heifer is when you want to cultivate a new nurse cow. There is not much money in dairy bull calves in my opinion. Quality milk replacer is expensive. I don't know how a person can come out doing that. If you wean early you have to put creep in them or they will doggy on you (have big bellies and bring less when sold). The ONLY person I know that comes out ahead on this is a widowed lady who runs nurse cows. I am seriously considering doing the same thing she does when I retire. She has been doing this for many years and most all local cattlefolks know her. She gets rejected twin calves, orphans and such from locals. She has also occasionally nursed a pure bred for a fee. I have mentioned her in other threads. Vets know her and she gets referrals. She is also a wealth of knowledge for someone wanting to know anything about this. Going into a business such as this is a commitment and facilities and pens are expensive so you had best make up your mind to go in to it long term. If you go down to the thread I have on nurse cow cost per calf, you can see what it costs me to raise a calf on a nurse cow. You can also see the crate I use. At this point, my cow no longer has to go into the crate. She is allowing all three to nurse her in the pasture. If I had 12 nurse cows, they would have to be put into 12 different lots with the calves or else calves would be jumping from cow to cow. If there is any profit to bottle feeding calves, it is marginal at best. You can go to the Cleburne Sale on Saturday and spot doggied calves that have been raised on the bottle. They don't bring much when they go through the ring. [/QUOTE]
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