cost of bull calves

[countryboy]

how much do bull calves cost?

[fabian]

@countryboy 10750 wrote:

how much do bull calves cost?

This is the kind of question we all love so much…..
the price of which breed do you want to know ?

[bradley]

3 day old Holstein calves, picked up from dairy, 80 bucks each

[mother katherine]

Depends on what you want. As a novice teamster, I wanted not to spend too money on my first team to train. So, I went to the dairyman up the hill and picked up calves at $20 apiece. I got to choose breed, mother and markings. Bonded with them as newborns and took them home at less than a week old.
If you want registered breeds, such as Devons, you can pay as much as $900 a calf.
oxnun

[Joshua Kingsley]

@countryboy 10750 wrote:

how much do bull calves cost?

short answer is anywhere from Free to expensive… here in the Rutland VT area.

I had some milking shorthorn bulls I sold for 200 ea. they were a week old and perfectly matched out of full sisters and sired by the same bull. I have had other farms here willing to give me all the dairy bull calves I want. expecially Jerseys are cheep if not free because they are costing money to feed and have little to no value at the sale barn.

Josh

[near horse]

Dairy bull calf prices rise and fall with milk prices – for the most part. When milk prices are down, bull calf prices are low or as someone said, free. Right now, day old Holsteins are under $50. Just, be careful if buying newborns from large dairies – some treat their bull calves good, others not good at all. They should at least be mobile (able to get up and around), had navel dipped w/ iodine and have either nursed or had colostrum given. Otherwise, you’re looking at serious trouble – like a rapid onset of death.

Good luck.

[Theloggerswife]

We just sold our last three highland bull calves this weekend. Not registered, but pasture raised, grass fed, and newly weaned for $300/each.

[Patrick]

I’m always interested in this question. I don’t think it’s always as cut and dry as some people seem to think. I think that most people realize that Jersey and Holstein bull calves are worth very little, even when prices are “up”, but what about something unusual that makes an interesting ox, like a Dutch Belt?
Chianinas?

[Rick H.]

Holsteins can be had for $50 right now around here, at times they get to $150+. Jerseys free to $20, no sale value as veal calves. A large breed like Brown Swiss will be similar to Holstein prices, maybe more. If you can find Milking Shorthorns or Milking Devons they could be alot more. If your looking for low cost stay with the common dairy breeds or dairy crosses. Ayrshires could probably be had cheap now if there are any in your area too.

[countryboy]

i am looking for maybe jerseys and i live in NY

[Vicki]

countryboy: Jerseys could be Free or up to $25 to $50 in NY I think.

Make sure your calves get colostrum (free dairy bulls might not) and ask about Johnne’s disease–common in dairies but you want to avoid it. In long run, might be worth paying a bit more to know you’re getting from a Johnne’s free herd if possible.

I’m prepared to pay $250 for halter handled Dexter calves a few weeks old.

[near horse]

In our area (Idaho/Wa), you find mostly Holstein and Jerseys – not too many of the other “desirable ox breeds” although there is always a guy with a Pinzgauer or Piedmontese floating around. Beef wise it’s black baldies, angus or hereford for the most part.

I was looking for a few brown swiss cows to breed to something a little beefier and throw some stout calves w/ brown swiss temperment. Just not easy to find brown swiss aout here.

[mstacy]

I paid $450 each for a pair of 12 week old devon bull calves last fall. They came from a grass-fed beef operation … which in my limited experience can translate to A HAND FULL. It took weeks and weeks to get them settled down and months to get them yoked and working.

By comparison the pail fed heifer and bull calf that I got from a dairy were a dream. By the second day they were responding well to voice and a whispy little stick. Luckily I got these two first. They really built my confidence. It took very little time to get them yoked and pulling. I bought them in early October (at about 12 weeks). In December they slogged through belly deep snow to pull our Christmas tree out of the woods. Most importantly they were easy enough and gentle enough to teach me as we learned together.

It would have been very discouraging to start with the other two. They’re doing very well now but it has taken a lot of effort and persistence.

[near horse]

Hi mstacy,

Do you think that the difference in temperment btwn the dairy calves and the Devons was breed related (I know Drew Conroy has some rankings on cattle temperment in his book) or due to the fact that the dairy calves were bucket babies and handled/accustomed to human contact more than the Devons (I assume they were w/ momma on grass). Or maybe a bit of both? I’d be interested to hear what you think.

[Joshua Kingsley]

@near horse 10827 wrote:

Hi mstacy,

Do you think that the difference in temperment btwn the dairy calves and the Devons was breed related (I know Drew Conroy has some rankings on cattle temperment in his book) or due to the fact that the dairy calves were bucket babies and handled/accustomed to human contact more than the Devons (I assume they were w/ momma on grass). Or maybe a bit of both? I’d be interested to hear what you think.

If I recall from a previous thread the hefier and bull that matt has were also devons… I could easily be wrong though. I think that well socialized calves would be easier to train unless they aremade into disrespectful brats. Though I am very new to oxen (read got my first bulls yesterday..)and have mainly delt with horses.
Josh

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