yearling holestein heifer calf

[Patty0315]

Whats it worth ?


Thanks , Patty

[JeffNY]

Depends on several things. Is it registered? What is the calf's sire, dam's sire, and gdam's sire? If the dam was classified, what was her classification score. Does the dam have all GP-VG in her backround? Or does she have some Fair scores (low 70's). Lets say it isn't registered. A yearling holstein heifer calf, well grown, good body weight and good frame. She would probably bring 1500. If she is registered, she would probably bring 2000, with basic genetics, nothing super fancy. Even though milk prices are down, the big farms need animals, so many are buying them to resell. Now lets say that heifer of yours has good breeding in her backround. She could be worth anywhere from 2500-7000. The lower end would be good classification scores from the 78-82 range. If the heifer's backround had scores in the 82-84 range, the value increases some to 3000 or so. However as soon as you jump into the 85-89 range, more or less on her papers if it said VVVEV or VV+VV, that makes for a very valuable calf, especially the VVVEV. Now if her papers show ++FP+, she will be worth the bottom line. Now to a big farm, they will pay 1800 no matter what, they don't care about good genetics, just milk.



So as to a heifers worth? Especially a holstein. Fill in the blanks


Sire_____
Dam's Sire______
Gdam's Sire_______ If you know these two.
Registerd_______?
Good frame________?
Good Feet and Legs______? (straight, and strong looking).
Tall________?


The first 4 will increase value if they are all good, if not, the registered will make a difference in the $1500 or $2000.


Jeff

[Up North]

Originally Posted by Patty0315

Whats it worth ?


Thanks , Patty

Dairy Farmers in the Midwest are paying $1.25 to $1.75 a pound for this age Holstein Dairy heifers. This is for good practical cattle that are OPEN ( NOT BRED). So an average to good 600 pound heifer would bring $900-$1050, on average.
Naturally markets may vary by region.

[Patty0315]

Thanks . She is not registered but from a good farm. She is very nicely built and in graet shape. I was thinking of advertising her for 800-900 and I was not sure if this was out of line.

[Tango]

That's a good price Patty. What would make it worth it or slightly more for me (a homesteader interested in a milk cow hypothetically) would be if she were tame. Does she lead by halter, stand still for brushing and examination? Things like that make a good deal for a homestead milk cow.

[JeffNY]

At a local auction, and since this doesn't apply, considering these were springers. The springing heifers were averaging 1700 a piece. So depending on location, and if you live in the syracuse area, she could bring more than 900. Depends who buys, and depends what her dams production was like. Remember, if someone was to buy her, and her production potential was low, her value would be lower. Some small farms are even looking for a heifer replacement. What you might want to do, is to get her bred. So you can sell her as a bred heifer, over an open heifer.



Jeff

[uncle Will in In.]

Topeka Indiana has a large dairy heifer auction weekly. The springing heifers are going as high as $1925. They averaged around $1800.

The feeder heifers sell by the hundred pound. little 115 pound heifer calves brought $305 per hundred lb. Getting closer to your size, 469 lb heifers brought $187.50 per cwt. Closer yet, 625 lb heifers brought $128 per cwt. 825 lb heifers brought $101.50 per cwt.

Quality counts. It would be good if you knew her weight. As the weight goes up the price goes down.

[Gideon's War]

Originally Posted by uncle Will in In.

Topeka Indiana has a large dairy heifer auction weekly. The springing heifers are going as high as $1925. They averaged around $1800.

The feeder heifers sell by the hundred pound. little 115 pound heifer calves brought $305 per hundred lb. Getting closer to your size, 469 lb heifers brought $187.50 per cwt. Closer yet, 625 lb heifers brought $128 per cwt. 825 lb heifers brought $101.50 per cwt.

Quality counts. It would be good if you knew her weight. As the weight goes up the price goes down.

Why is that? I've seen that before and never understood why the price goes down if the weight is up.

[savinggrace]

That's per hundred pound. So that there is still a value in young stock.

[uncle Will in In.]

The price young cattle bring is governerd by the price they are selling for when fully grown. For dairy cattle that would be when they are ready to start milking. For beef cattle it's when they are ready for slaughter.
Many farmers buy yearling holstien heifers and feed them until they are full grown. They breed them so they will be ready to have a calf at that time which would be less than three years of age. These are called springing heifers when they start making a bag prior to calving. Some large dairys buy these at a price that is usually higher than a milking cow will bring.
The people who buy these heifers when they are growing up have to base what they pay for them on what they feel they can sell them for and pay the feed costs and show a profit.