The Cost Of Raising Dairy Replacements-2015 Update

Nov 04, 2015

Raising dairy replacements continues to be expensive. The cost of raising calves and heifers is often the second highest expenditure on dairy farms after milking herd feed costs. In 2013, these costs were determined using data collected by UW-Extension agriculture agents from 36 dairy farms and custom calf and heifer growers across the state. However, in the past 2 years costs have changed especially lower feed cost and higher calf value.

In the Heifer Management Blueprint Factsheet: The Cost of Raising Dairy Replacements – 2015 Update, UW-Extension Dairy Specialist Matt Akins and UW-Extension Eau Claire County Agriculture Agent Mark Hagedorn revisited the Intuitive Cost of Production Analysis-Raising Dairy Replacements Study and analyzed the data with 2015 feed values. Since 2013 feed costs have decreased significantly leading to feed costs decreasing from $1,046 per heifer ($1.71 per day) to $910 her heifer (or $0.53 per day).

Source: uwex.edu

Video: WARNING! Rough Start To Breeding Season!!

WARNING! Sheep Breeding Season Begins With A Bang! Breeding season is officially underway at Ewetopia Farms, but it didn’t exactly start the way we planned!

This vlog begins with us sorting through our rams to find the perfect match for a customer’s breeding program. What should have been routine quickly turned dangerous when one of our more nervous rams panicked. In seconds, Arnie’s knee was injured, and then I was slammed hard onto the concrete floor — both of us taken down by one ram!

Thankfully, it was just bruises, but it’s a reminder of how unpredictable and powerful mature rams can be. Once we recovered, it was time to get back to the real work — the start of breeding season.

We sorted the ewes into four breeding groups (two Suffolk and two Dorset), checking parentage as they ran through the chute, deworming those that needed it, and setting aside thinner ewes for session two of breeding season in a month’s time.This staggered approach keeps lambing organized and prevents overcrowding in the barns.

From rogue rams to the excitement of new breeding groups, this episode is full of action. Stay tuned for the next vlog, where we’ll share how we chose the rams for each group!