Contract rearing dairy hiefers
- Thread starter milkmate
- Start date
DRC
Member
TB might be your biggest problem as no one wants to get stuck with in calf heifers.
We did it for 35 yrs for one dairy farm . Had about 160 here. Came as weaned calves and left 6 weeks before calving . Had a linked holding in those days, but not sure if you can do that now. I packed it in 2010 after a hard winter on my own.
We did it for 35 yrs for one dairy farm . Had about 160 here. Came as weaned calves and left 6 weeks before calving . Had a linked holding in those days, but not sure if you can do that now. I packed it in 2010 after a hard winter on my own.
That be top rate in winter. Summer £1 round here.
Summers enough at £1
deleted user 837354
Member
If you are going to do this make sure you work with a serious dairy farmer who you know will provide a half decent calf to begin with and who expects you to do the best job you can. I've known people get into this job but trying to do it for the wrong people. I would not try to do it for 'the going rate'. You want someone who values what you do and who takes things like vaccination and animal health seriously.
TB is a serious consideration around here.
Milkcow365
Member
- Location
- Sw Scotland
What would people think is a fair rate if the calf/heifer owner supplied all feed,bedding and other costs. And the rearer just supplies sheds labour and summer grazing when needed? From day 14 till 6 weeks before calving
That’s a question! It’s basically building rent, acres of grazing rate, then labour. If they only want you to look after 10, you still have some high fixed costs, 100 and this gets diluted.
Tell us how many and a better figure can be given. I suspect if someone wanted me to look after 100, they’d be looking at £4K for building and water, £4K for grazing land, 3-4 hours per day labour (£18k/year) so £0.70/animal/day or it’s not worth it for me
buffalo_soldier
Member
- Location
- cumbria
Must have been worthwhile to do it for so long though? I mull it over sometimes as a retirement option.
All relative I guess, what you thought a hard winter, might seem a doddle to others.
Milkcow365
Member
- Location
- Sw Scotland
That would be over 1k without feed or bedding?
Milkcow365
Member
- Location
- Sw Scotland
Better just shopping in Europe at that rate
Misread on the move. So your supplying feed etc, hard one
@Thomas-milmain what is European trade for fresh animals? Some Jan heifer calves at Carlisle yesterday averaged 557
Durry cows
Member
- Location
- Derbyshire
Out of interest what did the in calf heifers/fleckvieh make? Also fresh calved heifers/the Ayrshire entry?
buffalo_soldier
Member
- Location
- cumbria
Watched a bit of that while having me dinner,
Anything half decent was £2k and up.
Milkcow365
Member
- Location
- Sw Scotland
Imports £1250 incalf 7 months
DRC
Member
We had a linked holding in those days. Not sure it's allowed now over a certain distance. It worked well, as we had an employee and my father was still around, but by the time i had packed it in, i was on my own and i think the 2 weeks of constantly thawing out water as it was seriously cold in that spell, was the straw that broke the camels back, so to speak. Got rid of the ewe flock as well as we wanted to travel more and didn't want the tie.
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