Compared to 5 years ago, today’s Holstein springer values are double to triple and still on the rise. As an example, October 2019 prices for high-quality springers in Turlock, Calif. ranged from $1,300-1,600/head, compared to $2,800-3,600 for the same month in 2024. Even compared to a year ago, springer values have seen a healthy bump, jumping from $2,400-2,675 in Pipestone, Minn. in October 2023 to about $3,700-3,850 today.
Calf prices, too, have made a stunning transformation. In October 2019, Holstein heifer calves were practically being given away at $5-50/head in one Wisconsin market, and $18-26/head at another in Pennsylvania. Today’s heifer calf values hang steadily in the $300-500 range nationwide, as beef-cross calves also continue a mind-boggling run with current values still sometimes exceeding $1,000/head. In the most recent Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Report, USDA economists predict that tight dairy replacement heifer inventories will keep a lid on U.S. milk production as producers hang onto aging cows to keep their stalls full.
| Springing Heifers | Heifer Calves | Beef Cross Calves | |
Location (sale date) | Supreme/Top | Approved/Medium | 90-120 pounds | 60-100 pounds |
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Turlock, Calif. (10-25-24) | $2,800-3,600 | $2,000-2,700 | -- |
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Lomira, Wis. (10-30-24) | $1,800-2,400 | $1,200-1,700 | $290-550 |
$700-1,080 |
Pipestone, Minn. (10-17-24) | $3,700-3,850 | $3,500-3,700 | No test |
No test |
New Holland, Pa. (10-24-24) | No report | No report | $500-775 |
$750-1,050 |
