Five years ago, you could buy three to five springing Holstein heifers for the price of just one today. Top-quality springers in Turlock, Calif., were bringing $1,100 to $1,225 —compared to $3,500 to $4,250 in the past month.
In Wisconsin, the best-quality springers were as low as $700/head in September 2021. Where the current market will go is anyone’s guess, as few — if anyone — predicted it could reach today’s levels. A newborn dairy heifer calf is now worth about the same as a bred springer in 2021, and beef-cross calves are worth even more.
Here’s further evidence of the past month’s robust prices: Pipestone, Minn., hit a new high for springing Holsteins at $4,550/head, and September potloads of Holsteins springers from California brought $3,500 to $3,800/head, with Jerseys not far behind at $3,050 to $3,300/head.
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