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IN | We currently have 1900 head of dairy heifers and steers. We get 1.65 per day to feed the heifers. This includes breeding but not the semen. I charge 2.40 per day to feed bottle calves. If you are going to do the bottle calves, I would help someone who is raising several at a time and be sure it is what you want to do. We work from 5:45 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. every day. It is like a marriage. There will be health problems guaranteed. Make sure that the dairies get the proper amount of closterem to the calves in the first 2 hours. We test every calf. Even before the results are back we can tell the ones that didnt get enough. If a dairy will not comply to giving it to them properly, drop them. We spend $25-$50 more per calf not to mention death loss on low closterem calves. Most dairies that get their heifers back will doctor the heifers and not the bulls. If you must, pay $5-$10 more over the local market for them to do a good job. It is money well spent. I am sure you already know this stuff but these are a few of my experiences. I will help you any way I can to not make the same mistakes that I have because they have been many! | |
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Custom raising heifers
