Cattle: how to buy a cow or calves at a fair price
What you want the animal for
Buying a cow for a home dairy and buying bull calves to raise are different tasks. For milk people look for a milking cow or a pregnant heifer, for farm work or breeding bull calves or heifers with papers, or a breeding bull. The purpose decides the breed, age and price.
For a small dairy people often choose Holstein Friesian or Jersey crosses, or local breeds. Do not chase a name: the main thing is that the animal is healthy and suits the way you will keep it.
What affects the price
- Yield: a cow with a stated daily milk yield and a second calving usually costs more than an unknown one.
- Pregnancy: a pregnant cow or heifer costs more than a dry one, especially close to calving.
- Weight and age: a calf is sold by live weight or by the head, and for raising, the weight at purchase matters.
- Breed and papers: breeding animals with papers cost more.
- Veterinary checks: tests for brucellosis and TB, and a certificate, add assurance and sometimes cost.
What to put in your request
- type of animal — milking cow, heifer, calf, bull calf, bull;
- breed and age;
- purpose — milk, rearing, breeding;
- productivity — litres per day, calving number, pregnancy;
- number of animals and weight;
- vet papers — certificate, tests, ear tags;
- district or village for pick-up or delivery;
- budget per head or in total.
Example: “I am looking for a milking cow after her second calving, a Holstein Friesian cross, yielding about 15 litres a day, with a vet certificate and tests for brucellosis and TB. Near Melbourne, I can collect her myself. Budget up to $1,200.”
How to compare offers
Compare not only the price per head but also weight, age and papers. Ask which farm kept the animal, what it was fed, when it was vaccinated and whether there is a certificate. The best option is to go and see the cow: look at the udder, hooves and overall condition, and check the milk yield yourself at milking.
Do not forget transport: large animals need suitable transport, and rules on moving cattle and the papers needed differ from region to region. Find out who arranges them, and check local rules on the sale and transport of cattle before you pay.
How it works on BlaBlaPrice
You write your request once on BlaBlaPrice, and sellers in your region reply in the chat: which animal, the price, the papers and terms. The platform shows the best-fitting offer first, and you can see reviews of the seller next to it. Your phone number stays hidden until you choose a seller. Details are on the “How it works” page.
For other kinds of livestock, see the “Farm animals” section, and for equipment and feed see pet supplies.
