How much for B&B dairy heifers?

[Rabbit Wolverine]

We have been approached by a local farmer today, asking if we'd be interested in rearing his dairy heifer for him,

• We would get them 3 mths old and keep them til 3 wks before calving
• They would supply a stock bull to keep here
• We supply the fodder and bedding, and labour
• They pay for vet, med and TB testing
• They would want to bring around 115 rolling (Coming and going all the time rather than all-in, all-out)

What should the ballpark figure we should be thinking about?

 

[Thick Farmer]

£1.50/head/day

 

[kill]

£1.50/head/day

To much for baby's. 3 to 15 months.
Are they grazing as well?
80pence per head/day would be far closer.

 

[Rabbit Wolverine]

Yes, they will be grazed

 

[Thick Farmer]

You will lose money at 80p. Need at least a quid to cover costs.

 

[kill]

You will lose money at 80p. Need at least a quid to cover costs.

Depends what type of animals? Jersey cross's or full blown giraffes? And if there are clause's for weight targets?
Still average's out at 9 months old

 

[Rabbit Wolverine]

Holsteins

 

[B&B Pig Man]

These threads always amaze me - I've looked into this many times, and most of the figures quoted just don't stack up!

Needs to be around £2/head/day for me to even consider it.

 

[DRC]

To much for baby's. 3 to 15 months.
Are they grazing as well?
80pence per head/day would be far closer.

That wouldn't come near, if you costed it properly .

 

[Zoofarmer]

This 80p a day amuses me. I have my heifers out from when they are 3 mths until they are 3 weeks from calving. The experts here in Ireland say it takes €1350 to get a heifer from birth to parlour. So talking €150 to get the animal to 3 months leaves € 1200 from three months to 24 months. That equates to €1.90 per day for me to rear my own calf. The labour cost that Teagasc include in this is rather high and one or two other variables don't make full sense, but even at that a figure of €1.60 a day seems reasonable!
At 80p a day from 90 days to two year old calving come to just over £500. Even talking calf value at £200 where are you going to get a heifer of two years old ready to calve for £700. It's like anything in life, if you want a job done right, pay the man!

 

[BELOWAVERAGE]

We have been approached by a local farmer today, asking if we'd be interested in rearing his dairy heifer for him,

• We would get them 3 mths old and keep them til 15 mths
• They would supply a stock bull to keep here
• We supply the fodder and bedding, and labour
• They pay for vet, med and TB testing
• They would want to bring around 115 rolling (Coming and going all the time rather than all-in, all-out)

What should the ballpark figure we should be thinking about?

If they are going back at 15 months old why do you need a stock bull?

 

[Rabbit Wolverine]

Sorry, my bad

Meant to read served at 15 mths, sent back 3 weeks before calving

Edit made to original post

 

[Six Dogs]

With this heifer rearing in mind how does the dreaded TB testing work?Ie could the rearer potentially be left with down calving heifers?

 

[Keepers]

Heifers here leave the farm at around 2-3 weeks of age and they aim to come back 6-8 weeks pre calving, although alot of the time its much closer to a week or so pre calving

They start off at £1 per day and end up at £1.50 per day, this averages out at £1.30 per day throughout the time being reared

@Six Dogs this happened a few times here, when it happend we took three young bull calves from the main herd over to suckle each heifer (so she has four calves on her) until she can come to the farm, of course it means its hard getting her used to the parlour but it seems to work well, with the heifer settling down after a week or so