I just came home from a Small Livestock Auction here in Florida and they had some day old Holstien and Holstien/Cross bull calves, I thought they were bringing Strong Money at $85.00 - $110.00 each. I can remember 5 or 6 years ago you could buy all you wanted for $7.00 - $10.00 each. What are they bringing in your neck of the woods???

I was always leary to buy them at the low prices because of the high Mortality rate, I can't imagen risking $100 on one. Good Luck!

-- Mark in NC Fla (deadgoatman@webtv.net), February 04, 2001

Answers

We get a better deal because my husband works with the Dairies, but we got some one week to 2 week old bull calves and one heifer for about 45 to 50 average. Holstein of course. The twins( that is why we got the heifer because she is most likely sterile) cost 60 for the two of them(both weighed over 75 pds at birth!) , the next one we paid 60 for and the last one we bartered for about 50 dollars worth of supplies. I know that several around here try to get 75 for theirs if they are nice ones. I remember raising 10 at a time when they were giving them away!!! Boy, they don't do that anymore with the love of lean beef.

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), February 04, 2001.

I'm in Indiana & 2 years ago calves were selling for $50-$60 each. (Holstein steers from local dairies usually about 2 or 3 days old) This year they're bringing at least $100. I still plan on buying a couple. I give them goats milk & they seem to do better.

-- Wendy (weiskids@yahoo.com), February 04, 2001.

We plan on getting a couple of Holstein bull calves to raise on goats milk, and the cow dairy where we are presently buying our milk said their calves sell for a dollar a pound.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), February 05, 2001.

In ontario holstein drop bull calves,are going for 150 dollars and uo.Jersey bull calves 25 bucks....teri

-- teri (mrs_smurf2000@yahoo.ca), February 05, 2001.

If anyone in the Ok/ark area needs some bull calves, my hubby has lotsa guys he can get them from. Most will be about 75. The auction is selling kinda high, but the mess of taking them down there and then paying the 3-4% fee keeps most of the Dairymen from doing that. Give us a holler at the e-mail and I'll see what my hubby can do for ya'. Wish we could afford more. I just love calves!!!!!

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), February 06, 2001.

I buy from a dairy in Orland, CA and last summer paid $80 for pure brown swiss bull calf. For several years before that they sold them for $30. They also sell their holsteins and crosses for the same price. That was quite a jump. I guess it may be more this year.

-- Nancy in CA (sonflower35@icqmail.com), February 07, 2001.

5 years ago I got my Jersy/Holstein for free at 3 day old from a dairy farmer in Kenosha Co. WI (are there any dairy farmers left in Kenosha Co?) He bred his 1st time fresheners to Jersey bulls for ease of calving. Well she gives 80# a day with all that wonderful Jersey butterfat, his loss, my gain. He also gave away bull calves. I got a Holstien/Hereford Heifer 2 year ago that I raised on CoCos extra milk for $12.50 from a local farmer. She turned out to be VERY dairy and sold her for $275 at 6 months. I always get die'ers dumped on me and can manage to save a few of them. Don't have a clue what they sell for at auction. I always want to buy the killers so I stay away!!!

-- Dianne (yankeeterrier@hotmail.com), February 08, 2001.

Dianne, I know what you mean, I can never get away from an auction without taking home one of the tiniest ones that no one else wants!!! The last time we didn't come with the intention of buying (duh, what was my hubby thinkin:~) and it was too hot to wait on a trailer. We took them both home in the front seat of our truck. Little noses pressed on the windows like little dalmation dogs. We got the funniest looks from the truck drivers. They didn't potty at all on the way home! They both made fine calves! The neighbor gave me a tiny premie last year. It was a holstein and it was not even 30 lbs. It made it for about 2 weeks and I thought he was going to be fine, then the wet cold weather came back and he was too weak to fight the pneumonia! I guess it is our maternal instincts that makes us want to save everything Dianne. If anyone in the ok/ark area has a jersey/cross heifer to sell, please let me know. I would love to have another milk cow. We had to sell the one we had before we moved.

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), February 09, 2001.

Gosh, I can't believe the prices! We have bought a few here and paid about 20.00 for males, and 30.00 one time for a female. I think we had gotten 6 total, 2 of them died including the female :o(. I'd sure like to try again this year, but I'd like some more pointers on how to keep them going. I'd really like to get one to raise as our family milk cow.

Nancy in WV

-- Nancy in WV (CelticFrau@aol.com), February 11, 2001.

I live in northern cali. Last week at the auction the best day old holstine bull calf went for $180.00!!!! and the beef crosss only went for 140.00....small holstines and jersey crosses were 35.00 to 55.00

-- SharRon (Turnaquete@aol.com), April 03, 2001.

In Minnesota good baby bull calves are going for well over $100 at sale barns. Poor ones sell for less of course. Dairy cross babys go for close to $200.I have bought many calves between $100 and $135. I have also had good luck with keeping them alive and raising them.

-- Patrick (ice_rat@hotmail.com), March 26, 2002.