Value of calves

Buncha Fives

I have a few sheds at home that are idle over the winter and I was hoping to stock them up with calves...probably only ten initially, a local farmer I know of has limousine calves (bulls mainly and a few heifers) from his dairy herd the calves are about 2-3 weeks old.

I was going to call down and see him today because I know he sells his calves, anyone hazard a guess as to what they are worth because I don't want to be caught on the hop if he throws a price at me? I know people will say just go to the mart and buy them, but there isn't a great supply of calves in the mart at the moment and I would rather buy them off someone who i know has looked after them with beestings etc.

bbam

I'd be saying but from farm rather than the mart.
As for price it's hard at the moment as so few are moving about other than Fr. If they're good shaped from non holsten cows I'd be opening negotiations about €220 and see how it goes.

shy_boy

Buncha Fives wrote: »

I have a few sheds at home that are idle over the winter and I was hoping to stock them up with calves...probably only ten initially, a local farmer I know of has limousine calves (bulls mainly and a few heifers) from his dairy herd the calves are about 2-3 weeks old.

I was going to call down and see him today because I know he sells his calves, anyone hazard a guess as to what they are worth because I don't want to be caught on the hop if he throws a price at me? I know people will say just go to the mart and buy them, but there isn't a great supply of calves in the mart at the moment and I would rather buy them off someone who i know has looked after them with beestings etc.

hey buncha fives

Im no expert on picking out calves but was at the mart today
hers wat i wrote down
Fr bull 125
bb bull 235
ch bull 420
ch bull 360
aa bull 290
fr bull 195
fr bull 190
fr bull 150
ch bull 270
aa Hef 345
bb hef 330
fr hef 320
ch hef 440 weanling
aa bull 500 w
ch hef 455 w
again im no expert on calve condition but hope this helps you out in some way

Grecco

How are you going to feed the calves? At the prices quoted above you will make a loss as you can buy young bull Weanlings fully reared off a cow sub 500 euro now

bbam

Grecco wrote: »

How are you going to feed the calves? At the prices quoted above you will make a loss as you can buy young bull Weanlings fully reared off a cow sub 500 euro now

I'd agree.
Continental cross sucks would want to be sub €250 and HEX/AAX sub €200.
I was hoping that last spring would burn alot of lads away from paying silly money for sucks, but going by the above prices there are a few lads left with lessons to learn.

Too many lads just keeping themselves busy rather than making money.

jockey joe

i bought 2 aa hef for 180 today they were under a cows for 6 weeks i think i got a bargin

1chippy

cant ee much value in calves. Bought a good few last year and when all expenses, incl vaccinations, dosing, milk replacer, meal, grass and pure hassle i reckon i would have bought them a lot cheaper as weanlings at the backend. They are a lot slower to get the weight on too. i still wonder how that lad with the triple muscle calf off Done deal ever got on or even better the buyer.

Bogman Billy

Grecco wrote: »

How are you going to feed the calves? At the prices quoted above you will make a loss as you can buy young bull Weanlings fully reared off a cow sub 500 euro now

I'd like to be buying where you're buying :rolleyes:

No bull weanling worth lookin twice at in mohill for that kinda money

Buncha Fives

Ye its hard to know if there is any sense in buying suck calves because I don't want to be buying hardship...I will keep an eye out; I reckon 220 would be enough to pay for the limo bull calves that are 3 weeks old, if they are well looked after they will be a strong calf thats able to take advantage of the grass next March and they will be a good animal come the back next year.

I bought 4 limousin heifer weanlings out of British friesan cows the other day, I paid 440 I reckon that was just the right value of them. They are 5-6 months old and will make good replacements when there day comes.

Bodacious

Buncha Fives wrote: »

Ye its hard to know if there is any sense in buying suck calves because I don't want to be buying hardship...I will keep an eye out; I reckon 220 would be enough to pay for the limo bull calves that are 3 weeks old, if they are well looked after they will be a strong calf thats able to take advantage of the grass next March and they will be a good animal come the back next year.

I bought 4 limousin heifer weanlings out of British friesan cows the other day, I paid 440 I reckon that was just the right value of them. They are 5-6 months old and will make good replacements when there day comes.

id class the light weanlings at 440 far better buying than sucks just imo, no hassle bit of meal and silage 5 mins done, no slobbing with milk which is expensive plus calves are later ie weanlings, i paid 440 for a HEx red whitehead 6 week old calf last may to suck a cow

bbam

Bodacious wrote: »

id class the light weanlings at 440 far better buying than sucks just imo, no hassle bit of meal and silage 5 mins done, no slobbing with milk which is expensive plus calves are later ie weanlings, i paid 440 for a HEx red whitehead 6 week old calf last may to suck a cow

You should have had two for that money if things were right. Month old CHX bulls were making to €600, where did people see any profit in them.

There are some real horror stories out there. I was talking to a fella yesterday and he bought a springing Semental cross heifer in the spring €1800, she lost the calf and he bought a BBx heifer calf for €450 to put on her and couldn't get the calf to take. It died too. Taking in the vet he's down €2400+ for the whole escapade.

saranac1

bbam wrote: »

You should have had two for that money if things were right. Month old CHX bulls were making to €600, where did people see any profit in them.

There are some real horror stories out there. I was talking to a fella yesterday and he bought a springing Semental cross heifer in the spring €1800, she lost the calf and he bought a BBx heifer calf for €450 to put on her and couldn't get the calf to take. It died too. Taking in the vet he's down €2400+ for the whole escapade.

Same as, I answered an ad on done deal last march. 4 2wk old calves for sale from a dairy farmer, 405 euro each. I bought them but progressively over the year till sept they all died. The first one I sent to backwestin labs but no conclusive evidence came back such as bvd, pnenumonia etc. truth is I feel colustrum was not fed to them properly and there stomachs never developed. It was a big lesson learned for me as it was my first time buying calves. I rang farmer who sold them to me but he didn't want to listen.

Might be too late but should I notify the dept on him or take it on the chin. Total loss 2200euro

whelan1

saranac1 wrote: »

Same as, I answered an ad on done deal last march. 4 2wk old calves for sale from a dairy farmer, 405 euro each. I bought them but progressively over the year till sept they all died. The first one I sent to backwestin labs but no conclusive evidence came back such as bvd, pnenumonia etc. truth is I feel colustrum was not fed to them properly and there stomachs never developed. It was a big lesson learned for me as it was my first time buying calves. I rang farmer who sold them to me but he didn't want to listen.

Might be too late but should I notify the dept on him or take it on the chin. Total loss 2200euro

you live and learn, if i was buying calves would buy them about 6 weeks old ,at that stage they should be strong enough ... dont know what the department would do tbh

Bodacious

bbam wrote: »

You should have had two for that money if things were right. Month old CHX bulls were making to €600, where did people see any profit in them.

There are some real horror stories out there. I was talking to a fella yesterday and he bought a springing Semental cross heifer in the spring €1800, she lost the calf and he bought a BBx heifer calf for €450 to put on her and couldn't get the calf to take. It died too. Taking in the vet he's down €2400+ for the whole escapade.

That was rough on that man, at least my lady @ E440 lived but e500 would test her at current prices :-(,

Calves were ridiculous money alright I was looking at Suckler Ch bull calves that time on DD at E550, and then your time (day off) and diesel to go get him 2 counties away .. I met a dealer 30 mins away in the middle of the night with a trailer of calves and I knew I she was dear but none of the other calves were worth taking boney arsed AA x Fr bulls and heifers at E300 I'd rather give the money and have a right calf

Grecco

Bodacious wrote: »

I'd rather give the money and have a right calf

I`d rather keep the money and avoid the hassle of trying to feed them with

• 1 bag of Milk replacer @ €42 per bag (and 1 bag will not rear them more like 2 )
• Calf nuts/ration @ €10 per bag
• Deal with calf scour (yes they will get that)
• Various doses and mineral supplements

Then after 6 months they are making the same price and maybe a bit less that what you originally paid for them.

Avoid like the plague

Bodacious

Grecco wrote: »

I`d rather keep the money and avoid the hassle of trying to feed them with

• 1 bag of Milk replacer @ €42 per bag (and 1 bag will not rear them more like 2 )
• Calf nuts/ration @ €10 per bag
• Deal with calf scour (yes they will get that)
• Various doses and mineral supplements

Then after 6 months they are making the same price and maybe a bit less that what you originally paid for them.

Avoid like the plague

Hi Grecco,

I don't know whether you are agreeing with me or not but I agree with you light weanlings much better buying than sucks

Now in my case I had to buy a calf as its sucklers i have, calf died, my milkiest cow is busting with milk, it's mid may grass everywhere so I decided a calf was order of the day, I know calf prices were ridiculous but I still gave a little extra for a "right calf", one heifer calf won't break the bank and milk was free and cow didn't get mastitis

bbam

Grecco wrote: »

I`d rather keep the money and avoid the hassle of trying to feed them with

• 1 bag of Milk replacer @ €42 per bag (and 1 bag will not rear them more like 2 )
• Calf nuts/ration @ €10 per bag
• Deal with calf scour (yes they will get that)
• Various doses and mineral supplements

Then after 6 months they are making the same price and maybe a bit less that what you originally paid for them.

Avoid like the plague

If you get them at the right price, from BF cows and it goes OK you can make money.... The current price is the problem.. We've always reared sucks, first along with milkers, then along with sucklers and now just sucks on their own..

20silkcut

Grecco wrote: »

I`d rather keep the money and avoid the hassle of trying to feed them with

• 1 bag of Milk replacer @ €42 per bag (and 1 bag will not rear them more like 2 )
• Calf nuts/ration @ €10 per bag
• Deal with calf scour (yes they will get that)
• Various doses and mineral supplements

Then after 6 months they are making the same price and maybe a bit less that what you originally paid for them.

Avoid like the plague

Are you saying that a Friesan bull calf bought at 150 euro could be less than 150 at 6 months!!!!!!!

bob charles

Bodacious wrote: »

Hi Grecco,

I don't know whether you are agreeing with me or not but I agree with you light weanlings much better buying than sucks

Now in my case I had to buy a calf as its sucklers i have, calf died, my milkiest cow is busting with milk, it's mid may grass everywhere so I decided a calf was order of the day, I know calf prices were ridiculous but I still gave a little extra for a "right calf", one heifer calf won't break the bank and milk was free and cow didn't get mastitis

Booty, I was looking at a few w/h bull calves bought dear this spring to stick under a few fresian cows with unplanned pregnancies. Even though they cost allot of money they still would make there own and some with it. You know their history and how they have being looked after. Your still up money IMV

Bodacious

bob charles wrote: »

Booty, I was looking at a few w/h bull calves bought dear this spring to stick under a few fresian cows with unplanned pregnancies. Even though they cost allot of money they still would make there own and some with it. You know their history and how they have being looked after. Your still up money IMV

Yep Bob,

Plus she done very well on the cows milk so ill hold onto her and probably bull her, she"ll have milk anyway and after first calf (lim) she'll throw yellow charolais or yellow white head charolais farmers calves

francyf

200 is enough to be paying for any suck calf u would want them cheap by the time ya count up expenses ther is noting out a them only hassel and scours much easier rear calf with cow
a calf that's sucking full time will end up a better weanling