Odds and Ends

Lately we have had quite a run with getting heifer calves. The day before yesterday we got a set of twin heifer calves. This is only the second set of twin heifers that have been born since I came here about 4 years ago. The rest of the twins, and there haven't been too many of them, have been 2 bulls or a bull and a heifer all of which we have sold because of the risk of the heifer twin being a freemartin (sterile).

At any rate, that made 10 calves on the bottle for us, which is quite a few for such a small operation. We average between 30-40 milkers in the herd and only have about 100 head or so.

I told hubby I'd have to get out there at the time he starts milking to be able to get them all bottle fed, and he said "Yes, the milk man would show up and the tank would be empty because we were feeding it all to the calves." HA. Well, with 10 on the bottle that'd make about 20 gallons of milk down their gullets every 2 days, which is a whacking chunk out of the milk check if you add it up for the 2 months before they get weaned.

So...good old Craig's List to the rescue. Hubby went on-line and checked out the prices at the Norwood Auction for Thurs. Then yesterday, Fri Oct 10, he listed 6 Holstein Heifer calves for sale; $2350. He got one email advising him that that was an awful lot of money, didn't he think? Then we got 3 calls for them. The first guy showed up with trailer in tow and cash in hand and 6 hours after posting them for sale our calves were whizzing down the road. The guy's wife was a heifer raiser.

Hubby, always wanting the last word, emailed the first guy back and said: "Yes, it's a lot of money, and it's in my pocket and the calves are off down the road."

Comments

Anonymous said…
LOL @ hubby. There's always some expert who doesn't know what they're talking about.
October 11, 2008 at 1:03 PM
Donna. W said…
Never undervalue your livestock!
October 11, 2008 at 7:22 PM
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