Post by AnnB (NE) on Feb 3, 2010 10:23:38 GMT -5
I've been keeping away from the salebarns, I really don't need any bottlecalves until AFTER somebody freshens! While I do raise calves on milk replacer when necessary, it's always better for them to have fresh milk if at all possible.
But it looks like I don't even have to go to a sale at the salebarn to get into trouble, all I have to do is call to ask when the Exotic Auction is! Dale (the owner of the salebarn) explained how he's not sure if he'll have one this year (advertising, insurance, etc) and then he says "Is this Ann?" Yep, it is. And the next thing I knew, I was driving 75 miles each way to pick up a newborn Black Angus heifer calf that had just yesterday afternoon been pulled off of her very old and toothless mother.
First off, Dale had changed saledays, from Wednesday to Tuesday, so some of his regular calf buyers aren't coming anymore. Dale purchased this calf himself when she came through the sale. He had agreed to buy calves for one of his neighbor's children to use in 4H, and when he called them to tell them he had a calf for them, the message on their answering machine said they were on vacation!! And Dale's place is NOT set up to keep bottlecalves for longer than just saleday.
I paid Dale what he paid for her, $150, and was real glad to get her for that price -- I have paid as much as $400 for a comparable Angus heifer calf (during a better cattle market of course).
She's 4 days old, eyes are clear, no snot, no cough, no wheeze, no fever, no swelling around the umilicus, cord is dry, solid poo, good hydration, and she's already taking her bottle like a pro. Second bottle feeding and she emptied that bottle like she'd been bottlefed since day 1.
I feel like I came out real well on this one!
If she turns out as good as she looks now, then I've gotten a breeding heifer for a real good deal, and if she turns out to be a butcher heifer, it was still a fair price.
I'll take pictures of "Angie" when she gets her afternoon bottle.
Ann B
But it looks like I don't even have to go to a sale at the salebarn to get into trouble, all I have to do is call to ask when the Exotic Auction is! Dale (the owner of the salebarn) explained how he's not sure if he'll have one this year (advertising, insurance, etc) and then he says "Is this Ann?" Yep, it is. And the next thing I knew, I was driving 75 miles each way to pick up a newborn Black Angus heifer calf that had just yesterday afternoon been pulled off of her very old and toothless mother.
First off, Dale had changed saledays, from Wednesday to Tuesday, so some of his regular calf buyers aren't coming anymore. Dale purchased this calf himself when she came through the sale. He had agreed to buy calves for one of his neighbor's children to use in 4H, and when he called them to tell them he had a calf for them, the message on their answering machine said they were on vacation!! And Dale's place is NOT set up to keep bottlecalves for longer than just saleday.
I paid Dale what he paid for her, $150, and was real glad to get her for that price -- I have paid as much as $400 for a comparable Angus heifer calf (during a better cattle market of course).
She's 4 days old, eyes are clear, no snot, no cough, no wheeze, no fever, no swelling around the umilicus, cord is dry, solid poo, good hydration, and she's already taking her bottle like a pro. Second bottle feeding and she emptied that bottle like she'd been bottlefed since day 1.
I feel like I came out real well on this one!
If she turns out as good as she looks now, then I've gotten a breeding heifer for a real good deal, and if she turns out to be a butcher heifer, it was still a fair price.
I'll take pictures of "Angie" when she gets her afternoon bottle.
Ann B