fr heifer calf how much is it worth?

shy_boy

Im looking at getting a heifer calf that i could train and basically be easy to handle, to put her in calf when older and produce alot of milk after calving to feed bought in calves basically my question is
What is the price i should pay for a 1 month old FRxJR?

freedominacup

shy_boy wrote: »

Im looking at getting a heifer calf that....could........ produce alot of milk after calving to feed bought in calves basically my question is
What is the price i should pay for a 1 month old FRxJR?

If you are looking for a heifer to produce a lot of milk the don't buy a frxjr get as purebred a holstein as you can.

ootbitb

How many calves would she be able suck daily at peak yield?

The price of your starter heifer would be little compared to the value you would get from the milk.

Sounds like a lot of work though and calves of different ages are difficult to manage.

Sam Kade

You could rear up to 12 calves with one cow during her lactation but you will have around 4 batches of calves of different ages. You could also milk the cow to feed the calves I have heard of up to 25 calves reared with one cow using this method. The cow would want to be a pure holstein though. The problem with both systems now is that calves are too expensive, meal is also too expensive as you will need a lot of it for the later calves. Alternatively you could rear two batches of calves off the cow maybe 4 first then 2 and let them under the cow longer.

bbam

I don't know your situation OP but I think it would be too time consuming considering the smal number of calves you'll rear, and have them at different ages too.

With two ten teat feeders I can feed 16 sucks in 15 minutes morning and evening. Fits in well with working full time. I can have them all similar ages.

However as a previous poster said. Calf and meal prices are very strong at the moment.

Grecco

A cheap high cell count cow is the best option. Plenty to choose from and most are as quite and docile they never let a grunt out of them when putting a new calf on. Then at the end of the lactation you can flog her off as a canner cow for more or less the same money as what you paid for her

shy_boy

bbam wrote: »

I don't know your situation OP but I think it would be too time consuming considering the smal number of calves you'll rear, and have them at different ages too.

With two ten teat feeders I can feed 16 sucks in 15 minutes morning and evening. Fits in well with working full time. I can have them all similar ages.

However as a previous poster said. Calf and meal prices are very strong at the moment.

thanks for the reply How much did you pay for two ten teat feeder bbam if you dont mind me asking and where did you get em?.
I have time on my hands and i am trying to build up a herd so would work a treat:)
Now u have me thinking which would be better a cow or a feeder

shy_boy

Grecco wrote: »

A cheap high cell count cow is the best option. Plenty to choose from and most are as quite and docile they never let a grunt out of them when putting a new calf on. Then at the end of the lactation you can flog her off as a canner cow for more or less the same money as what you paid for her

thanks for the reply grecco
what does a cow with a high cell count mean and what is a canner cow?

bbam

shy_boy wrote: »

thanks for the reply How much did you pay for two ten teat feeder bbam if you dont mind me asking and where did you get em?.
I have time on my hands and i am trying to build up a herd so would work a treat:)
Now u have me thinking which would be better a cow or a feeder

I think the feeders were €110 a few years ago... Local merchant here in Cavan.
When you say you are building a herd, are you thinking of building a suckler herd from sucks, its a long path??
You will probably raise stronger calves of the cow but less of them and with allot more bother IMHO. You might raise your high milking heifer quiet but once you start 3 or 4 strange calves sucking her, and then another 3 or 4 after that, I'd guess by the end of the first year she'd have become a quare b1tch.

shy_boy

bbam wrote: »

I think the feeders were €110 a few years ago... Local merchant here in Cavan.
When you say you are building a herd, are you thinking of building a suckler herd from sucks, its a long path??
You will probably raise stronger calves of the cow but less of them and with allot more bother IMHO. You might raise your high milking heifer quiet but once you start 3 or 4 strange calves sucking her, and then another 3 or 4 after that, I'd guess by the end of the first year she'd have become a quare b1tch.

yes am heading down the suckler route have 3 weanling heifers at the minute and will be adding to that when i can and putting them in calf to AI,be a long road alrite but il get there
With the feeders and using milk replacer do you have any problems with scour??
How do you make sure that every calf is an equal amount as some calves will be slower at drinking than others? what brand names teats do you use?

dzer2

From reading through a few of these threads SHY BOY it looks like you have got a few pound to spend If it was poor little me I would spend the money on an automatic calf feeder most likely an Urban that could feed 50 calves they are computorised and let yopu know if a calf is not drinking leaving you with time to watch your calfs and other calf.

shy_boy

dzer2 wrote: »

From reading through a few of these threads SHY BOY it looks like you have got a few pound to spend If it was poor little me I would spend the money on an automatic calf feeder most likely an Urban that could feed 50 calves they are computorised and let yopu know if a calf is not drinking leaving you with time to watch your calfs and other calf.

Far from it dzer sorry if i gave the impression. however i am interested in farming so i suppose thats half the battle

ootbitb

The best feeders are compartmented so they only get their share.

I always stay with them the two minutes it takes them to drink two litres.

The first finished are guided back to their own teats if they get greedy. They soon learn.

http://www.wicklowcattlecompany.ie/teat-feeders/

http://www.milkbar.co.nz/Products/MilkBarPortableFeeders.aspx

shy_boy

ootbitb wrote: »

The best feeders are compartmented so they only get their share.

I always stay with them the two minutes it takes them to drink two litres.

The first finished are guided back to their own teats if they get greedy. They soon learn.

http://www.wicklowcattlecompany.ie/teat-feeders/

http://www.milkbar.co.nz/Products/MilkBarPortableFeeders.aspx

thanks ootbitb how much ar they do you
they look good cheers mate

ootbitb

shy_boy wrote: »

thanks ootbitb how much ar they do you
they look good cheers mate

Seen a 4 teater uncompartmented milkbar in a local store for €70 so probably around €100 for the de luxe model.

bbam

shy_boy wrote: »

With the feeders and using milk replacer do you have any problems with scour??
How do you make sure that every calf is an equal amount as some calves will be slower at drinking than others? what brand names teats do you use?

Anyone saying they don't have scour when raising sucks is telling porkeys. But no we don't find it a problem. I find if you get the basics of preparing the milk right then it helps.. I like the looks of the compartmentalised feeders, not enough to change from what I have but if I were buying from scratch I'd consider them..
Don't know the brand of the teats, just regular black ones that pull through the feeder.. I have a separate feeder made up with the larger cream teats but its only a backup really..

As regards raising sucklers from sucks...

You'll see from the folks here that its only the top end of weanlings that are regularly hitting €1000 at 9-10 months. IMHO this is the only place there is money in suckling. Better with 5 at this level than 10 that only produce average stock where there is hardly break even money... You see it in the mart, 9-10 month old weanlings going for €650-€700, when all costs are accounted for they aren't making €100
I'm just not sure if

Do your research regarding breeding before you commit, I'm not sure if you go for sucks from dairy cows that they will carry through good enough beef to be getting you the top end money.. Now is the time to get it right...

dzer2

ootbitb wrote: »

Seen a 4 teater uncompartmented milkbar in a local store for €70 so probably around €100 for the de luxe model.

not likely think around 200 euro