Rearing Heifer Calves to Sell In Milk

[unlacedgecko]

This spring I'd like to buy some heifer calves to sell in 24 months as fresh calved.

Will have to be an all out door system as I've no sheds. What breed would suit this best? And what would give the best economic return?

 

[happycows]

Calves seem crazy money compared to bulling heifers. Is buying bullers and selling before calving a option?
TB is the elephant in the room. Friends milking 11 in a cattle crush with portable Milker at the moment taking 3 hours a day, following a reactor at pmt. when he’s clear they will all be up the road.

 

[onesiedale]

Get in touch with a grazing dairy operator.(preferably just 1 farm)
Get them to supply the calves to you and you contract rear them for 21 months send them home pre calving.
Agree a pricing/cost structure and targets for hrowth and health.. Regular income for you. Risk nicely spread.
If you have a good arrangement and AHPA are in the loop 1TB issues can be minimised.

 

[unlacedgecko]

Get in touch with a grazing dairy operator.(preferably just 1 farm)
Get them to supply the calves to you and you contract rear them for 21 months send them home pre calving.
Agree a pricing/cost structure and targets for hrowth and health.. Regular income for you. Risk nicely spread.
If you have a good arrangement and AHPA are in the loop 1TB issues can be minimised.

Have advertised several times across multiple platforms and can’t find anyone interested.

 

[onesiedale]

What sort of number are you thinking you could take on

 

[unlacedgecko]

What sort of number are you thinking you could take on

100?

 

[Thick Farmer]

bought Bulling heifers and sold them at the point of calving for a few years. It paid very well until I had a Tb reactor and had 100 heifers calving in the next couple of months. I managed to get a licence to move them just in time but even I’m not thick enough to try it again!!

 

[som farmer]

depends on your skill at rearing calves, to be honest, bullers, or 'just' i/c hfrs, would be easier, less risk, and more profitable. You have been warned on TB. The other point, to consider, is not all of a bunch, will be easily sold, son used to help out a local dealer, selling 15/20 a week, and his view, was 30%, have a fault, 3/4, warty, slow, bad udder shape, mastitus, bad calving, low yield, bad tempered, or, dead slow milking. Faults, most of which, with homebred hfrs, would stay on farm, and tolerated, but, farmer, would not buy. Dealer, just milked them round. We sell a few fresh, it's not as easy, as it sounds. Contract rearing for a dairy, on the other hand, takes the financial risk out, regular income, and, as long as you are not calving them, unlikely, the risk of problems, at calving, are gone.

 

[egbert]

Used to be a way in fer a youngster if I recall.

Mind...I'd be asking why the breeder is selling females if they're any good.......?

 

[Blue.]

We’ve been selling heifer calves for the last 18months,had a fair few buyers will buy instead of beef calves as they say it’s a better margin.

Even my stronger Holsteins won’t suit outdoor rearing.

 

[TheRanger]

Non pedigree holstein calves were £350-£550 a head at 1-2 months old at Carlisle yesterday.

Cant see there being a big margin there.

 

[Henarar]

This spring I'd like to buy some heifer calves to sell in 24 months as fresh calved.

Will have to be an all out door system as I've no sheds. What breed would suit this best? And what would give the best economic return?

Much TB where you are ? if so you don't want to get caught with them,

 

[Derrick Hughes]

TB

 

[Llmmm]

This spring I'd like to buy some heifer calves to sell in 24 months as fresh calved.

Will have to be an all out door system as I've no sheds. What breed would suit this best? And what would give the best economic return?

Did you ever consider weather and milk price collapse either on its own will devalue your heifers the two together will be a disaster

 

[Beef farmer]

bought Bulling heifers and sold them at the point of calving for a few years. It paid very well until I had a Tb reactor and had 100 heifers calving in the next couple of months. I managed to get a licence to move them just in time but even I’m not thick enough to try it again!!

I hope the dairy farmer didn't take advantage of your situation

 

[unlacedgecko]

TB4 area. Not many cattle around

 

[Cows 'n grass]

The only way it would pay is to buy spring calving types that you will pick up for £100 and sell them in calf at 18m at this time of year before they start costing too much. I wouldn't budget on getting more than £750 though. Coming from multiple farms they will be less desirable.

 

[HasthorpeGrange]

Might be worth finding a good spring calving herd and asking them the carry on serving to dairy and you’ll take all the heifers. They may only do it if you take the bulls too though

 

[farmerdan7618]

Since TB4, then TB is likely to be less of an issue.

Unfortunately, the high yielding and equally highly priced Holstein's are not suited to being outdoors all the time, and will struggle, hence not making you much.

The grazing types that will do on an outdoor system are cheap, and hence making a return is difficult when you shift them on for less than 1k/head after buying the calf, milk powder, breeding etc.

Can see money in buying bullers and calving down though, so personally would go down that route.

 

[pappuller]

Non pedigree holstein calves were £350-£550 a head at 1-2 months old at Carlisle yesterday.

Cant see there being a big margin there.

How did the milking portion of the herd sell ?