Fair Prices?

[USpony]

The price I was quoted by an amish farmer for a 20 month old, bred, Dexter/Jersey heifer was $2500. She is a red brindle color (not that color matters much to me), but they are not sure if she was bred to the mini bull or to the white faced bull they used to have running around. She is unregistered.

This same farmer also has a gorgeous 6 month old, purebred, mini jersey heifer he is asking $3000 for. As far as I know, she is also unregistered. I tried to ask everything I could think of but I forgot to ask about registered status.

Do these prices seem fair? They seem a little high to me, but if I can ask these same prices for animals I produce it would be worth it. Both animals mentioned are naturally polled and are from the same 5 gallon a day mother.

 

[Poka_Doodle]

I don't have cows but I will tag a few that most likely do know.
@WildRoseBeef @cjc @farmerjan

 

[OneFineAcre]

You are paying a very high price for the novelty of the breeds.

 

[promiseacres]

Yes that sounds very high... Amish love to increase prices to the "English "

 

[AClark]

That seems high to me - there's a pair of Dexters on my local CL for $1600 for both, and there's a cow bred to another Dexter on there for $800. So yeah, $2500-3000 is pretty out there. But then again I live where cattle are the main agricultural business.

 

[NH homesteader]

Those prices are more fair if you lived in NH! I'm seeing mini cows open for $3,500 and Dexters around $1,900. But they are all registered. That was just a quick search, though. I just saw that mini cattle give 1-3 gallons/day? If this is accurate, it would be much less expense to have a couple of large breed dairy goats, maybe Saanen or Nubian.

Anyway, I'm not a cattle person, so what is a mini jersey? Jersey crossed with what?

 

[greybeard]

The price I was quoted by an amish farmer for a 20 month old, bred, Dexter/Jersey heifer was $2500. She is a red brindle color (not that color matters much to me), but they are not sure if she was bred to the mini bull or to the white faced bull they used to have running around. She is unregistered.

This same farmer also has a gorgeous 6 month old, purebred, mini jersey heifer he is asking $3000 for. As far as I know, she is also unregistered. I tried to ask everything I could think of but I forgot to ask about registered status.

Do these prices seem fair? They seem a little high to me, but if I can ask these same prices for animals I produce it would be worth it. Both animals mentioned are naturally polled and are from the same 5 gallon a day mother.

WAY too high in both instances IMO. Even for a bred cow that has already proven herself to be able to calve alone and raise it.
$3000 is what a good, but not exceptional purebred bull is costing currently. Cattle prices across the board are very much down right now compared to 18 months ago.
As far as you being able to ask the same prices--yes you can, but like everything else for sale, they're only worth whatever any given buyer is willing to give for them.
Just as an example, I bought 4 young purebred but not registered or bred Beefmaster heifers in 2012 for $650 each. Age 7-9 months.

Price example:
Here's a 3-in-one Registered Dexter momma, with a calf by her side and already bred back for $1500 negotiable.

http://www.cattlerange.com/610C333-201/610C333-201.html

Full size Jersey and Holstein bred heifers--$1200 each.
http://www.cattlerange.com/609C106-201/609C106-201.html#Seller-Info

 

[mysunwolf]

It's the miniature Jersey that brings the price up. Anytime mini Jersey is crossed in, the price of the cattle will be higher as they are considered a speciality breed (think Kunekunes of the cow world).

Where we are, Dexters are maybe $600-$800 for a heifer, $1000 for a mature cow in milk.
Full-sized Jerseys and other dairy cattle are usually $1200-$1500 for a mature cow in milk.
Full bred miniature Jerseys tend to be $1200-$2000 for a heifer, and $2000-$2500 for a mature cow in milk.

 

[greybeard]

The Miniature Jersey will typically give 1-1.5 gallons of milk per day, in the height of production

As I said, anything for sale is only worth what any buyer is willing to give.

 

[NH homesteader]

Wow that's an expensive gallon of milk... Yeah I would go with goats or a full size cow.