Animal Prices

Started by emily.r.shifflett, March 11, 2014, 06:51:15 PM

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emily.r.shifflett

Hey everybody!

I'm working on a big project that includes a business plan but I'm having some issues calculating some start up costs. Namely, the investment costs in young dairy animals. I have a few breeds in mind but I'm wondering what you all would pay for calves/kids/lambs.

Thanks a ton!

MrsKK

I see you are in California - I'm in Wisconsin, so what animals are going for here is probably a lot different than it is for where you are.  You can do a search for stock sales barns in your area online and get a much better idea than you can by throwing your net out here.

Welcome to the forum!

Al Lewis

I would think that with the drought in California a lot of farmers may be getting rid of stock.  Feed prices are going to skyrocket, if they haven't already.
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emily.r.shifflett

They definitely already have!


Quote from: Al Lewis on March 23, 2014, 04:47:04 PM
I would think that with the drought in California a lot of farmers may be getting rid of stock.  Feed prices are going to skyrocket, if they haven't already.

elkato

Hi Emily
When you start a dairy business big or small what you want to buy is heifers that have been already breed, so when they arrive at their new home in a couple of months they give birth and milk.
if you buy young calves (that are very cheap) it takes them 15 months to be of breeding age and another 9 to give birth, and all this time your investment in milking equipment is siting in idle,
so that is the price that you have to look in your area (bred Heifers)
Many of the big dairies  don't  grow their own replacements but rather send them to a specialised heifer growing farm that charges them for the service, and this kind of replacement growers are the ones that will also have for sale.
best regards
Luis.

ArnaudForestier

I've wondered about this myself, Luis.  What you're saying makes good sense....however I wonder if you're tiny, have little in the way of equipment, and can afford to hang in there to first breeding, whether a small herd of young heifers can make sense, given how much cheaper they are (the price differential makes up for the equipment laying idle for that long)?  I'm sure that's naive....but I'm naive as to farm management.  Thoughts?
- Paul

elkato

I don't have the number at hand, but the cost in feed and labor to bring a weaned heifer, (the size you get very cheap) to the point where it gives birth (and milk) is the same as what you pay for a grown one. So, even if you do it yourself you end up paying the same, just over a long period of time.
If your project is going to be as ambled without a hurry, and you want that time to build the parlour and learn animal husbandry, then I guess it is fine.

I bought several 1 year old heifers, they where expensive, because they where pure breed registered Brown Swiss, and  I had to wait a more then one year to see any milk.
It seemed like an eternity since I had all the cheese equipment, bulk tank, vats and so just laying around.
Come to think of it, it did give me a chance to practice cheese making with the milk of one Old Jersey cow that I also bought very cheap (I didn't know she was 12 years old!)
If your project is  business oriented, and you are investing a lot in equipment, then your accountant is going to give you a very hard time if the flow of milk takes that long!
best regards
Luis.

ArnaudForestier

Thanks, Luis, makes good sense.  One thing I learned (the hard way) was to get a good accountant firm...then listen to them! 
- Paul

emily.r.shifflett

Thank you so much for your advice. This was absolutely so helpful!

Quote from: elkato on April 09, 2014, 02:35:41 PM
I don't have the number at hand, but the cost in feed and labor to bring a weaned heifer, (the size you get very cheap) to the point where it gives birth (and milk) is the same as what you pay for a grown one. So, even if you do it yourself you end up paying the same, just over a long period of time.
If your project is going to be as ambled without a hurry, and you want that time to build the parlour and learn animal husbandry, then I guess it is fine.

I bought several 1 year old heifers, they where expensive, because they where pure breed registered Brown Swiss, and  I had to wait a more then one year to see any milk.
It seemed like an eternity since I had all the cheese equipment, bulk tank, vats and so just laying around.
Come to think of it, it did give me a chance to practice cheese making with the milk of one Old Jersey cow that I also bought very cheap (I didn't know she was 12 years old!)
If your project is  business oriented, and you are investing a lot in equipment, then your accountant is going to give you a very hard time if the flow of milk takes that long!
best regards
Luis.