Upgrade to more Profitable Cows

Maximising income from available feed resources is always about feeding the cows right, but sometimes it is also about feeding the right (productive) cows.

Changeover of low for high productivity cows is a potential opportunity currently:

• Cull cow prices have recently increased by ~$500/hd (now $1200-$1700+/cow)

• Point of calving and fresh cow/heifer prices have reduced over the past year by ~$800/hd (now ~$1500 - $2500/cow)

That equates to a changeover cost of ~$500/cow, or a net trade-in of roughly 4 culls for 3 new cows.

The payoff is an increased income/margin of ~$7-8/cow/day, creating ~$700-$800 per cow in the first 100 days of the new cow’s lactation and likely half that again in the next 100 days.

We generally don’t recommend regular cow trading due to animal health risks, but when the business case is strong it can be a good strategy.

(When possible, reduce animal health risks such as mastitis, pesti virus etc by getting milk PCR and other tests relevant to your location before bringing new cows into your herd.)