Holstein bull calves

[Donna from Mo]

Bottle calves are sky-high now, and I never thought I would be paying $325 for a Holstein bull calf. However, my Jersey heifer is giving more milk that one calf can take, and I only need to steal a gallon or so a week; I'm too old to be milking every day, and besides, I don't want to be tied down. So I am paying that much. If you are in or near Lafayette county and are in a situation where you really NEED a healthy calf, Heins Dairy at Higginsville has healthy bull calves all the time. It's a huge dairy, so they are never without calves. My usual source won't have any calves until spring, so this was my only choice.

[CrabbyChicken]

Donna, we have raised CharloisX, Holstien and jersey calves.The best tasting and the most amount of beef we have gotten is from the holstien. And if you have a cow to feed him on, I think you are doing okay. The way prices are you could sell him in a while and get more than your money back.

[kycrawler]

we are in the same situation i just moved to missouri and cant get the cheap calves in indiana anymore so we are just dumping the milk to a couple feeder pigs we have i have some other heifers close to freshening but with the price of calves i may just calve them out and sell as fresh cows

[1shotwade]

FYI, I just saw in southern Ohio,bottle jersey bulls @ $75 and a week earlier same @ $ 80. I know they don't put on the weight of other breeds but then again you don't pay the big bucks like you would for other breeds. I thought this would be great if you were already set up for them.


Wade

[kycrawler]

this time of year for the last few years i was buying jersey bull calves off the farm for under 20 a head and holstiens for 80-100 depending on size

here in missouri they think jersey bull calves are worth 200 a head and 350 for holstiens at less than a week old i just cant seem to make those numbers pencil out to make any money off of them

[glenn amolenaar]

Originally Posted by kycrawler

this time of year for the last few years i was buying jersey bull calves off the farm for under 20 a head and holstiens for 80-100 depending on size

here in missouri they think jersey bull calves are worth 200 a head and 350 for holstiens at less than a week old i just cant seem to make those numbers pencil out to make any money off of them

I seriously doubt there are any cheap calves any where in the USA. Search the web prices are up all over.
I have yet to find any cheap or low priced calves unless they are sickly.
glenn

[chester5731]

The other day I saw an ad on craigslist from a fella looking for free bull calves. I am guessing he is still looking. I do have one free one but it died several months ago.

[Bret]

Shouldn't take too much feed, medicine and loss of sleep.

[idigbeets]

$50 jersey calves down the road from me... 10 day olds.

[chester5731]

Originally Posted by idigbeets

$50 jersey calves down the road from me... 10 day olds.

Can't give a Jersey away here. I figured by now people wouldn't care what kind they are.

[FarmerDavid]

Originally Posted by kycrawler

this time of year for the last few years i was buying jersey bull calves off the farm for under 20 a head and holstiens for 80-100 depending on size

here in missouri they think jersey bull calves are worth 200 a head and 350 for holstiens at less than a week old i just cant seem to make those numbers pencil out to make any money off of them

Who have you talked to? I haven't bought any but I know people that have and thought they were paying less then that.