Bottle calf prices this year

I hauled many loads but you better be willing to take 50+.

I hauled for a lady in swmo that raised them by the 100's mostly out of California but a few loads out of Wi.

Weaned calves would be great but at current prices the cost is just too high for me.

Buying a weaned calf at $750-1100.00, then raising it and adding processing costs at the end puts them out of reach for me.

Thankfully feeder pigs are plentiful this year and I can get them for about 50-65 bucks weaned. So, This is going to be a pork chop year instead of steak.

I must be older than dirt.

Back in the day, we bought many a week old Guernsey for $8/head.

CR The guy who hauled mine made stops in various cities from his base in Wisc to at least St Joe Mo, dropping off pre arrainged schedules of who wanted how many calves. I suspect he didn't make a haul till he got a full truck load spoke for. It was raining when I picked up mine in my 47 Chevy pk. Didn't want to get them, but my word wuz my bond.

I remember when that was done, but haven't heard of it in years, price of transportation how would you charge?

When I was on the dairy we used to just take unwanted bulls and mixed heifers to the salebarn until Dad found a guy who would pick them up.

Get ahold of Hoards dairymen you might get lucky

Back then they placed ads in SF. and FJ. I havnt seen either in decades,

Just call up to the dairy 3 miles north of me, day old Holstein bulls $450 dollars and they don't see them falling anytime soon. The last time we checked about 6 months ago they were $300 and not expecting them to get any cheaper and they haven't. This put my boys out for a while. We have one that should be ready to go around aug sept. next year. Todd has a little black baldy we got out of the feedyard that is just weened

3 or 4 years ago I bought dairy calves for as low as 3 bucks each, of course I had to buy bagged milk...but not no more, they are all high....which is good for us, for the time being.... we went to the Durant sale last week...seen a little black bull calf maybe 45 days old bring 800.00.. I think we will be selling some next week

This is sad news i wanted to try a few bottle calfs this year but im seeing the same thing 300+ even for dairy breeds. At those prices and the risk of a loss id be much better of with 4 weaner pigs... Maybe next year

If you still want red meat, there are goats to be had. You can pick up Boers and crosses for less than $100, usually around $50-75. Quality meat, low feed prices b/c they browse, and they're a lot easier to care for.

Best of all, you can easily butcher out yourself, so no transport/processing fees.

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Je ne suis pas Alice

http://homesteadingfamilies.proboards.com/

So how long do y'all think it will be till they are giving them away again?

Quick search of CraigsList got me this:

Black Bull Calf - $750

I am selling a Black Angus Bull Calf that is weaned and weighs around 350 pounds . He is eating feed and growing good.
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I have a red beef calf born 8/01/15 mom was a red lim cross
And sire was a reg red angus she is aprox 400 lbs but will fill out great when she has been on green grass for a season she will make an awesome replacement heifer as this is why I have kept her this long. $1000 firm
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$1200 Nice Hereford cross bull calf here. Mom is a BWF cow and dad is a horned Hereford bull. Still on momma but will be weaned off when it dries up a little.


Couldn't find any ads for bottle calves.

We were about ready to get a couple of bottle calves and raise our own beef until the prices went through the roof. Guess we'll try pigs this year and of course butcher out wethered goats for our meat. Sure am glad we have neighbors that have full freezers and are giving us deer now!

-Sonja

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Wingnut Farms
Nubian Dairy Goats
New Market, Alabama

Until the cycle comes back around, feed lots and pastures are full and beef prices have dropped. Dairy farms are already starting to see milk prices drop due to overproduction. This will lead to herd size reductions in some places in the near future which should impact beef prices. It also takes a few years for those farmers who dumped cattle into the market a few years ago due to drought and other issues to get cattle numbers back up. It's not like a production line that can be turned on and off. It takes time for things to cycle. I'd say two to three years and I don't expect them to be given away then.