Cost to rear a heifer

[Jdunn55]

I reckon a lot of farmers under estimate the cost of rearing a heifer but I think this could be a slight exaggeration!
What's everyone elses thoughts?

 

[Princess Pooper]

We costed ours a couple of years ago and actually it was very close to that figure (autumn born heifers) and that is calving at 24 months. That said, we are small herd with old buildings and labour was a big element. (and of course then there is a question of how you value your labour....). If you do it properly and include everything you should do, it's surprised how it adds up. As we have contractors then things like mucking out loose yards for in-calf heifers are easy to put a finger on, but that building is only used for heifers, so its depreciation is part of the costings. Don't forget to add in the costs incurred by any mortalities....

 

[Holsteinfriesian90]

If that’s the case then we’re all doomed as a beef calf would cost the same to finish.

 

[Rossymons]

I would wager that figure came from an AHDB study conducted a couple years ago. We actually took part in previous studies and its probably not far off the figure that the study returned. They certainly ain't cheap to rear and why I always think a semen budget is always criminally undervalued on farm.

 

[Princess Pooper]

If that’s the case then we’re all doomed as a beef calf would cost the same to finish.

Which is why most beef finishers need high throughputs to make a profit, local guys are now using outdoor feedlots as it's cheaper than buildings and most beef farms make a loss before BPS if they cost their labour properly!

 

[Beef farmer]

I reckon a lot of farmers under estimate the cost of rearing a heifer but I think this could be a slight exaggeration!
What's everyone elses thoughts?

Scare figure being used to sell more expensive sexed semen

 

[Rossymons]

Some of that £1800 won't be a cash cost but an economic one - breeding and keeping a dairy heifer means you one less space for breeding and selling a beef calf and there will be a figure for that included in there too.

 

[Sandpit Farm]

Scare figure being used to sell more expensive sexed semen

I expect the Spring Calvers who manage the grazing perfectly would probably have a much lower cost but believe me, there will be many people rearing heifers at this rate and more. Some people don't calve until 30 months old!!

 

[Sid]

I've made this point to my local MP.

I gave her a copy of the AHDB data to show the true cost versus the tabular valuation for Tb. Then made the point of the loss of production, disease risk of buying in, organic, etc.

She is going to raise this point with George Eustace.

 

[Sid]

I've made this point to my local MP.

I gave her a copy of the AHDB data to show the true cost versus the tabular valuation for Tb. Then made the point of the loss of production, disease risk of buying in, organic, etc.

She is going to raise this point with George Eustace.

Maybe if we all did the same rather than just posting on here something may get done....but then the grazing guys might not be so happy?

I had 4 inc heifers and an AA bull taken with tb, I was paid the right amount but the valuation was wrong on every single animal IMHO

 

[Bald Rick]

We costed everything to rear a calf to her own calving when we were thinking about flying herds and came to a figure of around £1200 for a high genetic worth pedigree jersey which seeing as point of calving animals of similar genetics are around £1500-1600 made us stay with our own breeding programme

 

[Beef farmer]

Costing a jersey is easier than a black and white cow

 

[bobk]

We costed everything to rear a calf to her own calving when we were thinking about flying herds and came to a figure of around £1200 for a high genetic worth pedigree jersey which seeing as point of calving animals of similar genetics are around £1500-1600 made us stay with our own breeding programme

And even then they're not all winners .

 

[Bald Rick]

Costing a jersey is easier than a black and white cow

Why?

 

[Beef farmer]

Why?

Your beef calves have no value.
The beef calves from our proper jerseys always get rejected. Half bred they are fine

 

[Bald Rick]

Your beef calves have no value.
The beef calves from our proper jerseys always get rejected. Half bred they are fine

They do have a value ... just it isn’t very much

 

[betweenthelines]

For every hfr born you have a dairy bred bull calf worth less than a beef cross. Could the buildings be put to better use? Buying in straw and feed. Mortality. Labour costs-even yearlings have to be checked. Running a bull (or even more labour costs with AI.

But the biggest cost is the land used. If a 100 cow herd has a 25% replacement rate, that's probably 30% of the land area. Reduce the replacement rate to <20% and it's like getting another 10 or 12 acres for free!

 

[Beef farmer]

For every hfr born you have a dairy bred bull calf worth less than a beef cross. Could the buildings be put to better use? Buying in straw and feed. Mortality. Labour costs-even yearlings have to be checked. Running a bull (or even more labour costs with AI.

But the biggest cost is the land used. If a 100 cow herd has a 25% replacement rate, that's probably 30% of the land area. Reduce the replacement rate to <20% and it's like getting another 10 or 12 acres for free!

Its 2020, worthless bull calves are nearly inexcusable? Not sure. But I think sexed is proven now.
Sexed must have dramatically reduced the cost of replacements

 

[Rossymons]

Its 2020, worthless bull calves are nearly inexcusable? Not sure. But I think sexed is proven now.
Sexed must have dramatically reduced the cost of replacements

I'm not sure.

Fresh milk cows are still making stupid money. Herd sale in Holsworthy this week saw A lot baby calves avg 333 and weaned ones as much as yearlings at just shy of 500. I'm always being told to breed more.

 

[buffalo_soldier]

Ain't going to disagree with the figures. I know what my out of pocket cost is, by the time you start adding in labour, dep, rental equivalent on the land, opportunity cost, etc. the numbers add up.

They are using it to advertise genome testing though, which I do think is another expense that isn't necessary in most cases.