Best place to buy calves

[FarmerK]

Im in the north east and I’m hopefully going to be buying a couple of batches of calves this year. I was just curious as to where people get their calves from. Do folk use the dealers etc?
The dairy farmers round us seem to want a lot of money for calves

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Buy direct from farm if you can , calves can carry a lot of bugs and your safer with one farms bugs that everyones who go to the mart

 

[Bald Rick]

Define “lot of money”

 

[Werzle]

Im in the north east and I’m hopefully going to be buying a couple of batches of calves this year. I was just curious as to where people get their calves from. Do folk use the dealers etc?
The dairy farmers round us seem to want a lot of money for calves

Market drayton, carmarthen , whitland. Probably get run abit if your a new face by the dealers though. Buy very good continental hfrs for £200 and average bulls £220

 

[lloyd]

Define “lot of money”

More than f.o.c

 

[Bald Rick]

More than f.o.c

Yeah, ain’t that the truth.

 

[FarmerK]

Define “lot of money”

Around the £300-£350 mark. Personally I think that’s a bit pricey

 

[Zippy768]

Around the £300-£350 mark. Personally I think that’s a bit pricey

Breed? Sex??

 

[nelly55]

What breed and price are you looking at,have more calves coming in that I need

 

[haggard143]

TB status ? we're tb4 and would like to stay so however years ago used to have calves from sw, honiton.taunton always very strong calves but a few trace to deal with pain if out at marsh

 

[pappuller]

Around the £300-£350 mark. Personally I think that’s a bit pricey

I know @Buffalo Soldier has a good selection of blues in the Cumbria area but he calves in the autumn. Alot of calves sold in the northern marts are generally older stronger calves, plenty over 42 days but not required to be tb tested as from tb4 parishes.

 

[buffalo_soldier]

Month old male blues named sire will have averaged over £300 for me this year.
Mixed sire probably more round the £220-£250 mark.
Hfrs maybe £40 less.

2 week old market was brutal though.

 

[Rowland]

Leyburn used to have a decent sale on a Friday morning. Not sure these days.
Good memories of going down there with my parents and buying calves then lunch and a wander around the market.

 

[HarryB97]

I buy all of mine through a 'dealer' which works really well for me. I ring them up 3-4 weeks in advance and the calves are delivered straight to me from the dairy farm. Helps reduce disease and stress from a market and wasting the best part of a day at market hoping that they have what you are looking for.

 

[Raider112]

Always plenty of choice at Carlisle and maybe not too far for you.