Holstein (why not?)

**Roverworks** · 01-16-2010 02:25 PM

Hello All.

I have a cattle ranch in Southern BC. I run 2 pivots (just installing the second) and some hand lines and have been doing quality horse hay since the cattle market tanked…An opportunity to raise Holstein heifers has come up and as I know nothing about dairy I thought some of you may. I am curious how this would differ from raising meat cattle? Any changes in infrastructure? How would I calculate what to charge? Would they be fed straight Alfafa or Alfalfa grass mix? Anyone done this switch?

Your thoughts?

Alan

**Mike120** · 01-16-2010 03:34 PM

My understanding is that the dairy business is in the gutter right now and will take some time to crawl back out. One of my neighbors has thinned his herd out considerably because of feeding costs. I believe that the beef market will be back sooner than dairy.

**swmnhay** · 01-16-2010 07:32 PM

What size hfrs would you be raising?Makes a difference on the quality of hay you would want to feed them.If you want to feed mostly hay here is a simple ration that I've fed.

400-800lbs
Free choice Alf/orchardgrass hay around 18% probably 2nd cutting
4# corn or some sort of grain mix corn/oats,etc
.33# of a forage balancer pellet,I used a R 1200 pellet with Rummenson
You can adjust grain for condition on cattle,DO NOT GET THEM FAT

800# Breeding age to Springer 1250#
Free choice Alf/grass about 16% probably 1st cut
4# corn
.33 balancer pellet
Again adjust grain and quality of hay to keep their rate of gain at 2# a day.
The idea is to get them to grow up not get them fat.

This is only one of many different ways to feed them.With not a lot in equipment.Bale feeder,bunk to feed grain in once a day.

Any more ? fire away.I supply hay to many different hfr feeders and none are exactly the same.

**Jake_NEIA** · 01-17-2010 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by Roverworks

Hello All.

I have a cattle ranch in Southern BC. I run 2 pivots (just installing the second) and some hand lines and have been doing quality horse hay since the cattle market tanked…An opportunity to raise Holstein heifers has come up and as I know nothing about dairy I thought some of you may. I am curious how this would differ from raising meat cattle? Any changes in infrastructure? How would I calculate what to charge? Would they be fed straight Alfafa or Alfalfa grass mix? Anyone done this switch?

Your thoughts?

Alan

Raising dairy heifer differs from feeder cattle because your growing frame on dairy heifers and your growing meat/fat on a feeder. A fat dairy heifer makes a dud of a cow.

Are you buying/selling these heifers or custom raising them on a contract? What age?

Calculating what you charge is just like anything else. Figure your cost of production and a % margin your comfortable with. Most figure this on a per head per day basis. Remember to figure your hay at market value.

Alfalfa and Alfalfa grass mix will work and some grain supplement. The quality you feed depends on the age of the heifers.

My parents have a dairy farm as well as my bro-in-law. I have been custom raising heifers from birth to six months old for my bro-in-law for 2 yrs and possibly will start raising my parents' heifers starting this summer. From there hopefully I'll get a reputation established and pick up a few more herds.

Later
Jake

**swmnhay** · 01-17-2010 06:51 PM

Another option if you have hay better than you need is tub grinding and mixing poorer quality feeds to balance the ration.Such as cornstalks,wheat straw,bean straw or some poorer hay.Or you could add some byproducts such as sweetcorn silage,bakery waste,potato waste,beet pulp.And I've even seen Fruit Loops(reject cereal)

Most around here add DDG's or gluten to raise protien and than blend in more poorer roughage to balance ration.

Like I said every grower has a different ration.

**Roverworks** · 01-17-2010 07:34 PM

Thanks guys....All good info!

Not sure what the deal is going to be yet but hope to meet the dairy people soon.

Up here in Canada, dairy is in a far stronger position than the cattle industry . I don't expect to see any turn around in cattle for another 2 years..many producers will be gone by then.

**UpNorth** · 01-17-2010 10:39 PM

I would suggest looking into "limit feeding" the heifers, there's been some pretty good results recently here in WI with it recently. I'll try to get more info up on it, maybe even do an article if there's a lot of interest.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the Canadian government put some heavy subsidies into the dairy industry.

**Heyhay..eh** · 01-30-2010 11:04 PM

Originally Posted by UpNorth

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the Canadian government put some heavy subsidies into the dairy industry.

The government does not subsidies the dairy industry rather they mandate a supply management protocol which regulates the industry quite closely. To participate in the dairy industry you need to purchase or acquire quota which is like a license to produce. So one buys X liters of quota from the marketing board or another farmer and then they produce that amount of milk and deliver it on a set schedule. If they produce over they cannot put it into the system and I think they face penalty if they do not meet their requirement. The quota has value and is considered an asset. The price of purchase from the farm is set and has penalty for missing quality mandates. So processors know what they have to pay for the raw milk.

This has kept the dairy industry fairly stable over the years. The marketing board is paid for by the dairymen through a check off system and the board pays the farmers for the milk as they do the marketing and selling for the farmer.

Hog, chicken and egg production are regulated like this as well.

Farmers can work outside the system but there are many restrictions imposed upon such operations generally how much they are allowed to produce and who they can sell to.

This is a simple view of a very bureaucratic system and it is not to say that the gov't would not step in and provide money in the case of extraordinary situations but generally those supply managed sectors do not get subsidies.

Take care

**UpNorth** · 02-02-2010 11:22 AM

Thanks, that's alot like how peanuts work here in the states and how milk works in the EU.

**swmnhay** · 02-04-2010 07:01 AM

Originally Posted by UpNorth

I would suggest looking into "limit feeding" the heifers, there's been some pretty good results recently here in WI with it recently. I'll try to get more info up on it, maybe even do an article if there's a lot of interest.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the Canadian government put some heavy subsidies into the dairy industry.

JMHO about limit feeding hiefers.I would think it would be better to keep the hiefers full to stretch their stomaches.In preperation of being a milk cow were she may be eating up to 100# of feed a day.And I think a full animal will be more content than something on limit feeding.Hungry animals tend to get out