![]() There are many sources of heifer budgets available and, as with any decision that has financial implications, those budgets should be modified with the values specific to a given operation. Please check this link first if you are interested in organic or specialty dairy production The cost of raising a heifer Considerations like those that went into the chopper decision must be made before deciding whether to use a custom raiser or purchase heifers rather than raising them. Similarly, the heifer raising decision may be driven by the need for a new heifer facility or more room for the milking herd. Timing requirements are also important-that is, would the custom chopper show up when the silage was at the right stage for making high quality forage. For either the repaired or new chopper, the costs of the chopper, including investment and operating costs, must be compared to the cost of the custom chopper. If the old chopper was repaired, how much would its life be extended? And, how reliable would it be? A new chopper purchase is a major long-term investment. ![]() The considerations that went into this decision were many. For example, the last time the chopper broke-down the decision may have been whether to invest in major repairs, replace it, or hire a custom chopper. Every dairy producer has made several decisions of this type. The basic issues when considering whether an enterprise should be kept are whether profit will improve and whether using outside custom service or purchasing heifers is consistent with the dairy producer’s methods and goals. We identify factors that should be considered in making the proper decision relative to the heifer enterprise. In this article, we examine heifer enterprise costs relative to using a custom raiser or purchasing heifers. However, these alternatives are not suitable for all dairy farmers. Custom heifer raising is increasingly common across the country and purchasing heifers may be preferred to raising heifers. As dairy farms grow and specialize in milking cows, one enterprise that may be removed from the dairy farm to allow for milk cow herd expansion is heifer raising.
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