Post by Dusty on Dec 1, 2013 7:07:06 GMT -5
I just wanted to throw something out there and see what others think. We have milked cows for 35 years so have seen cows sold and bought all these years. When cows were $350 it wasn't too bad; but now any cow, decent or not seems to be $1600 or around that. Even on craigslist folks are asking a lot of money for their cows. I am NOT speaking of KF people as I have never bought a cow off this sight, but the prices are high here as well.
It just seems to me if you are asking these high prices that the cows should be guaranteed health. I have quite frankly been shocked at the seller attitudes I have come across. My frined and I have been both looking for good cows; and she has paid thousands for her cattle and it seems they never come with ANY guarantee; so if you get the cow and she dies oh well, it's on you. I have never found a seller yet that is willing to pay the vet bill to get a cow tested, and it costs me about $200 for all the tests we run when we get the cow home; and we find out she is a staph a carrier, or Johnne's or DA or ? then we are stuck selling this cow at $500.
I am just wondering how others do it? I know there has been at least one seller on this site who was a broker; we didn't know when we bought from him. The cow died and no refunds no vet fees nothing, plus 4 heifers of questionable history that I just found out one is infertile. We pay good money for these animals not auction yard prices. I now have $1500 into a cow I bought and after testing her she is subclinical for Staph a. Since we have a herdshare and have never had mastitis on the place, now I am stuck selling her. My friend is traveling all over the state looking at cows, so far I think she has had one person willing to test the cow prior to the sale, and they added the price of the tests onto a $1700 cow.
So, any suggestions? We have bought 8 cows at dairy auctions and one had to be put down, and all others had to be sold due to bad test results. We have bought direct from dairies, family cows, craigslist cows. What have your experiences been?
It just seems to me if you are asking these high prices that the cows should be guaranteed health. I have quite frankly been shocked at the seller attitudes I have come across. My frined and I have been both looking for good cows; and she has paid thousands for her cattle and it seems they never come with ANY guarantee; so if you get the cow and she dies oh well, it's on you. I have never found a seller yet that is willing to pay the vet bill to get a cow tested, and it costs me about $200 for all the tests we run when we get the cow home; and we find out she is a staph a carrier, or Johnne's or DA or ? then we are stuck selling this cow at $500.
I am just wondering how others do it? I know there has been at least one seller on this site who was a broker; we didn't know when we bought from him. The cow died and no refunds no vet fees nothing, plus 4 heifers of questionable history that I just found out one is infertile. We pay good money for these animals not auction yard prices. I now have $1500 into a cow I bought and after testing her she is subclinical for Staph a. Since we have a herdshare and have never had mastitis on the place, now I am stuck selling her. My friend is traveling all over the state looking at cows, so far I think she has had one person willing to test the cow prior to the sale, and they added the price of the tests onto a $1700 cow.
So, any suggestions? We have bought 8 cows at dairy auctions and one had to be put down, and all others had to be sold due to bad test results. We have bought direct from dairies, family cows, craigslist cows. What have your experiences been?