my backyard herd (so far) baby cows alert :D

[lasergrl]

thats true, holstein sell for $100 at auction, the colored calves (jersey, guersey, aryshire, crosses) you can pick up for $12-25 each. Good thing jerseys taste so much better because they take longer to grow out. If I were you Id keep the guerney for my personal freezer, but a jersey would be ideal, yum!

 

[b.hromada]

Those pics are over run with cuteness!!!

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Heya -

My neighbor says best time to take them in is around 450 to 500 pounds - anything over that and your feeding them more than you'll get out of them, any smaller and you won't get much at all.

Calves at that size have been running around $1.08 a pound the last few weeks. I hope it holds up like that when I go to sell

The price per pound is different for different sized calves, though - so that is probably why your friend didn't make much on his. (you can look up the local "stock reports" and find what beef is going for in your area - I look it up and have a hard time understanding it

need to work on that.)

How they do it where my neighbor takes his is, the livestock auction buys them outright - at whatever the going price is (price is set by Ag Stocks, I guess - still learning that side of it). Then they sell them to finisher buyers. Neighbor says after buying the calf, feed, medicine, etc... he figures he makes about $300 per calf at that size. Of course, that isn't including his time - if farm folks were paid for their Time - no one would be able to afford to eat food bought at the grocery stores

There is also about a $15 charge for bringing them in, so he said if you have 10 calves or more, it is better - because if you have 2 calves or 20 calves, you pay that $15 price.

I could take my chances and take them to a regular auction, but I might not get as much as I would at the fixed price. It would be a gamble on if they were selling well that day or that month, etc...

oh, also eta - neighbor said the holsteins sell best, also - especially if they have a nice black and white face and not a pure black face.

eta one more time... a link to the local stock report - http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:gvQBIc4lSFAJ:www.kyagr.com/marketing/marketreports/documents/071709Report.pdf+russell+county+stock+report+calf+prices&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

If ya look at Page 2 it has the livestock prices.


meri

 

[Skyesrocket]

Thanks for the link. It sounds like you have a good mentor in your neighbor. Good for you!
We don't have an auction house here that buys outright. That does sound like it would be the way to sell.
Good Luck on your new venture.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Heya all -

Well, number 4 baby had milk scours this morning - was fine last night, only took maybe a half bottle this morning and was all wet behind. Got the medicine into him, hoping it'll clear up for him fast.

I have the Resorb on hand, if it is needed in a few days (if he doesn't improve enough). I think I caught it pretty early, though, and he is still getting up when I go out there and coming to meet me, so he isn't down and droopy too badly yet.

Got ear tags on them this morning, too, while I was out doing the medicine (the sick baby and Mookie look a lot alike, wanted to make sure I can keep em straight).

I'll keep ya all updated, and if anyone wants to know what a scour-y butt looks like (for future reference) then I can go take a pic and post it,

but it isn't pretty.

meri

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Well, Baby Number 4 is now named Pokey, and he is doing a lot better.

The first day his tummy was upset, but the medicine stopped the runs, at least. He had a half bottle of water for dinner with about a half cup (prepared) of milk in it, for a little flavor in it. The next morning he had a half bottle of milk, and the same that night.
This morning he drank a whole bottle of milk, and is due for dinner soon.

He also was eating on the calf feed (with decox) so he had some food in him. He drank from his pail of water really well, also. I kept an eye on that, if he hadn't have drunk out of the pail much he'd have gotten more bottles of water in between regular feeding times.

I believe he is over the worst of it, and not much worse for wear. Pokey even met me at the gate this morning looking for his breakfast

meri

 

[Skyesrocket]

I'm glad he is feeling better. A friend swears by putting raw eggs into their bottles if they are looking a little down.
The couple at the dairy farm have been in business for many years and can tell by how old a scouring calf is just what the reason for the scours is and what to use to treat it.
I'll pass on the scour butt pics...

I know what it looks like. And phew!! The smell! Ugh.