Very tempted to get a heifer or two

[kwagner21]

Oaky, I need everyones opinion. Heifer calves right now are selling for very little. I know of a holstein heifer for 85 right now and a neighbor just bought 3 for 100 each. at this price i am so tempted to get at least 1. i have a goat i am milking now, and i have been back and forth on the idea of getting a milk cow as well. at these prices, i'm thinking i can take the chance and wait the 2+ years til shes old enough to milk or sell her at the point if i decide no. or i can get a few and sell them later. i just feel like thats too good a price to pass up. but if they are so cheap now, then when i go to sell in 2yrs there will probably be a ton of other heifers out there, so there might not be any $ in it. i don't know... thoughts???

[AverageJo]

Treat this like a business. Do an assessment as follows:

What are your expenses? How much will she/they need to eat? Think milk replacer if they're still young as well as any grains and hay needed. Think about any vet work you'll have done. Will you worm or do artificial insemination?

What income will you get in the end? If you are going to milk her/them, how much milk do you expect to get and what is the value for it? If you decide to sell, what is the going rate for either open or bred heifers?

Then put a value on the time you'll take feeding, watering, training, cleaning up after. Then do the simple math between the income minus the expenses and see if that's worth your work. For us, it was worth it to get raw milk from animals we knew were healthy and well taken care of. We also factored in the learning that our children would get. But knowing the monitary issues without putting in emotions can help you make a rational decision.

Good luck!

[mpillow]

Feed is going UP...unless you have plenty of land and plenty of feed already put up for winter..

Most folks here(maine) are getting $800 for dairy cow in milk...but there are much better deals to be had if you are patient

Is 85 or 100$ for just born... still needing milk?

[kwagner21]

yes, just a few weeks old. thats the thing, it seems like all cows right now are selling for cheap. i've been hearing about milkers selling for 600. a few months ago they were selling for 1200, and 2 yrs ago it was more like 2000 (at least the ones i see listed) so it is a hell or a gamble from what i can tell. but then i know my neighbor sold a bull just recently for 0.50/lb for meat. he was complaning that it was low, but that means the dairy cows are selling for meat prices? sometimes even less. seems screwy to me.

[sammyd]

Prices aren't like that around here, any cheap heifers would be suspect....free martins...

[kwagner21]

i was thinking that, but my neighbor was at an auction and a short bred heifer sold for 350. they are crashing here.

[Callieslamb]

If heifers were that price here, i would buy 4-5 of them. I am paying that for bull calves.

[Madsaw]

Originally Posted by sammyd

Prices aren't like that around here, any cheap heifers would be suspect....free martins...

Sammy,
The heifer market and bull market has crashed here in southern WI. Its hard to get even 50 for a really nice holstein bull calf right now. A nice heifer could be hard from 50 -100. Of course we got little one from first calf heifers that are red and white. They might bring 10 cents a pound, so about 6 to 10 each. My sister has been buying to young to be sold calves at Equity sale barn for the less then 10 each. Been haveing great luck with them. Also been grabbing a few of the kill pen calves to.
Bob

[sammyd]

must be the high grain prices...


buy em and ship em up to Stratford.....

[Madsaw]

Sam
Barrow someone mini van you don't like to well and head on down. We could get a few of these red and white heifers in there for you. They would love to go for a ride.
Bob

[sammyd]

very tempting