Heifer costs.

had e nuff

Member
Location
Durham
What do you think it costs to rear a heifer to calving at 2 years old. Boss where i milk at been at a meeting this week and was saying tonight that they were told roughly about £1950. Seems alot, are they on ad lib feed all their lives.
Think it wad Kite who did the figures.
 

I thats it

Member
You can make figures say what ever you want. If you included time and return on investment, then didn't calve till 30month plus I'm sure you could get to figures up that region
 
Location
East Mids
It costs us about £1.8k, to calve at 23 months, that's because as a small farm we are very labour intensive. Overheads and age at first calving usually much more of an issue than feed.
 

dinderleat

Member
Location
Wells
£1.5 per day until point of calving plus the value of calf when born you could also add in the loss of a possible beef calf from you dairy bulls unless you use all sexed.
But very much depends on the farm and system.
 
Last edited:

thewalrus

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Northern Ireland
Hard to compare this cost against the cost of buying as many costs are sunk costs. Eg If you’ve built a shed to house them it’s still there. Labour costs may not go down either especially if you’ve no paid staff.
 
There are many different ways to cost things. Mine are on rented ground where sfp and hls more than pay the rent so no land cost?

Mine are spring born and outside at a few weeks old on a trailer feeder with minimal calf rearing facilities.

I rear 200 a year

Milk powder 2 bags £80
Cake in year one. Upto 400kg. £100
Depreciation of calf equipment. £10
Workers/vaccine. £20
First year grazing.
Feet and reseed cost. £50
100 days kale and bales
1 bale. £20
0.1 AC kale £20
Second year grazing rent free
Topping thistles fencing. 5k £25
60 days housing prior to calving
600kg DM silage at @£100/t. £60
Building maintenance. £25
Labour. 40k? £200


Total. £610

Round it up to £700 What have I missed?
 

I thats it

Member
There are many different ways to cost things. Mine are on rented ground where sfp and hls more than pay the rent so no land cost?

Mine are spring born and outside at a few weeks old on a trailer feeder with minimal calf rearing facilities.

I rear 200 a year

Milk powder 2 bags £80
Cake in year one. Upto 400kg. £100
Depreciation of calf equipment. £10
Workers/vaccine. £20
First year grazing.
Feet and reseed cost. £50
100 days kale and bales
1 bale. £20
0.1 AC kale £20
Second year grazing rent free
Topping thistles fencing. 5k £25
60 days housing prior to calving
600kg DM silage at @£100/t. £60
Building maintenance. £25
Labour. 40k? £200


Total. £610

Round it up to £700 What have I missed?
What do you vaccinate your workers with? Some of mine look like they need vaccinating [emoji12]
 

thewalrus

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Northern Ireland
There are many different ways to cost things. Mine are on rented ground where sfp and hls more than pay the rent so no land cost?

Mine are spring born and outside at a few weeks old on a trailer feeder with minimal calf rearing facilities.

I rear 200 a year

Milk powder 2 bags £80
Cake in year one. Upto 400kg. £100
Depreciation of calf equipment. £10
Workers/vaccine. £20
First year grazing.
Feet and reseed cost. £50
100 days kale and bales
1 bale. £20
0.1 AC kale £20
Second year grazing rent free
Topping thistles fencing. 5k £25
60 days housing prior to calving
600kg DM silage at @£100/t. £60
Building maintenance. £25
Labour. 40k? £200


Total. £610

Round it up to £700 What have I missed?

The value of the calf
 

More to life

Member
Location
Somerset
There are many different ways to cost things. Mine are on rented ground where sfp and hls more than pay the rent so no land cost?

Mine are spring born and outside at a few weeks old on a trailer feeder with minimal calf rearing facilities.

I rear 200 a year

Milk powder 2 bags £80
Cake in year one. Upto 400kg. £100
Depreciation of calf equipment. £10
Workers/vaccine. £20
First year grazing.
Feet and reseed cost. £50
100 days kale and bales
1 bale. £20
0.1 AC kale £20
Second year grazing rent free
Topping thistles fencing. 5k £25
60 days housing prior to calving
600kg DM silage at @£100/t. £60
Building maintenance. £25
Labour. 40k? £200


Total. £610

Round it up to £700 What have I missed?
Fertility costs
 

dairyrow

Member
christ a contract rearer by us is on £1 a day to rear a big spring calving herd heifers upto i think bulling size. sounded very happy on that money.
 

Homesy

Member
Location
North West Devon
The value of the calf
Yep but most of them produce a calf so most of that is cancelled out. if using sexed semen they can become almost self replacing.
The semen cost needs to be included mind.
Also most people have land which is unsuitable for cropping or grazing cows. If that's the case summer keep is fairly cheap. The same with labour. If you have spare time during the day, the labour costs are negligible. If you are paying someone just to rear the heifers then that's different. Most dairy farms have peak requirement at milking times and surplus during the rest of the day.
No one farm is the same.
 

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