Do you want to buy from a sale barn?
Jan 25, 2023 13:41:57 GMT -5
maggiesherd, suzorse, and 13 more like this
Post by lew92 on Jan 25, 2023 13:41:57 GMT -5
I'm starting a separate thread so as to not avert attention from the OP on another thread. I'd love to hear what others have to add for advice.
BE WARNED: Some of the following is harsh and may be disturbing, so make your own decision before reading further.
Calves from auctions come with their caveats: you don't know where they are from, whether the herd is clean, what they may pick up while they are housed at the sale barn. But I've had something in the range of 50 calves from the sale barn and thought I'd share what I've learned. The sale barn is a great place to get an education about cattle, provided you are willing to watch and learn. Try to figure out why certain animals go high, why others aren't getting bids placed.
I used to go to the sale barn frequently and started out just watching as my friend bid on some animals. After that, I went on my own or with DH, and I would sit as close to the animals as I could get. They also have an area where you can look at the young calves in the pen and I would get an idea of what was coming through. DO NOT get a buyer's number until you feel confident and understand how the bidding goes at the particular barn where you are thinking of buying. Otherwise, you may end up buying animals and not have the money to cover the bill. What will you do then?
Watch the cows that are run through and try to figure out why the cow has been culled. This is not easy to watch, as these cows will likely be sent almost immediately to butcher for hamburger, but you will learn a lot about udders and conformation, feet issues, etc. It is truly an educational experience and has made me thankful for the health of my animals.
My goal in buying, though, was to obtain calves that I could get started well on my cow and make some money. Eventually, through trial and error, I learned which animals I could get on the cheap and turn around:
**Blood shot eyes without any drainage, calf weighing over 100 lbs, usually means the cow had a tough time getting him out. I can handle that.
**Blood shot eyes with some drainage is usually pinkeye. Keep them separate from other animals and get a long-lasting antibiotic in them. I also bathe the eyes with raw milk, which is soothing, plus raw milk has antibacterial properties. Keep the animal in a dark pen to reduce the number of flies and prevent it spreading.
**Very small calves. Jerseys are naturally small and don't ever get very big. Most calves at the barn I frequent are bought by veal buyers and they won't waste their time or money on a Jersey calf. However, Jersey beef is getting a following in my area, so Jersey bull calves, steered and at feeder size, bring a premium. Also, Jersey calves seem to be more intelligent and easier to teach how to nurse on a cow, even if they've been bottle fed. They are also easier to handle due to their smaller size.
**Knuckles under when walking. This is from contracted tendons and can be caused by a lack of minerals in utero or the calf could have been a twin and didn't have enough room to stretch out. Get a multi mineral injection, including selenium, from the vet and have the calf nurse on the cow. Those tendons will usually stretch out within days with this treatment. If not, the lower legs may need to be splinted. PVC pipe, split lengthwise and padded, held on with Vet Wrap, will do the trick. Remove the splint at least every other day and allow the calf to move around. Keeping such a calf in a small pen will not allow them to strengthen.
**Guernsey bull calves. For some reason, buyers around here don't like them. They tend to be all bone when born, but raised on a cow they fatten up really nicely and they make excellent beef. I kept one intact, thinking to use him to breed my cows, but ended up selling him as herd sire. I got him for $5 and sold him for $500.
**Slow walker, kind of dopey. I see this frequently in large bull calves, particularly Holsteins. Look for the umbilical - sometimes these calves are just incredibly young. I've seen calves that were born just before shipping or even while the cow was shipped, as the umbilical is full and wet. Handle gently and be patient. It can take awhile to teach these calves how to nurse on the cow.
Don't touch with a ten foot pole:
**Any calf that can't walk across the arena...unless they are young like described just above or knuckled under. Especially if the "movers" are impatient with the calves.
**Any calf with obvious diarrhea. There's no telling what it has and you don't want to bring it home to your herd. Also, they are usually very dehydrated and will take a lot of nursing along to reverse their condition IF you can.
**A calf will dull eyes. This guy is already trying to die.
The auctioneer knows me and will keep looking at me when a calf just keeps dropping in price. I have picked up many a $5 calf and sold him later for $200-300. But I have also had to bury a few of the $5 calves, too. With each one, I have learned.
When I go to the auction, I start out with something in particular in mind. Once I have my ideal calf, I can add one or two of the $5 calves and it brings down the price on my ideal calf by spreading out the costs. However, any calf bought at a sale barn - or anywhere else - can cost quite a bit of money before they are either healthy or dead. I always set a limit on how much I will spend and it is based on the potential of the calf to survive. I work with a vet that has taught me how to give IV fluids under the skin, to give injections, and always educates me about the medications and treatments he prescribes/suggests. He doesn't try to make a lot of money on us by insisting he is the only one that can treat the calf. He knows what I can do and is happy to let me do it when I can.
Your personality has a lot to do with whether this will be a successful venture for you or not. I'm a bulldog - I don't give up easily and I also tend to be very innovative in my thinking. That's not bragging, it is just something that runs in my family. I am able to see outside the box to create solutions. I always run them by my vet first if it is something involving medication or a treatment (think PT) that might injure the calf more than help.
You also must be a bit hardhearted. Know when it is time to give up. Make sure you have a .22 so you can easily put a suffering animal out of its misery. It is never an easy thing to do, but it is much kinder than allowing them to gasp for each breath, have flies lay eggs on the surface of their eyes, on their anus or any open wounds.
I have said many prayers on my way to the barn. Many times asked that the calf either be dead or standing, no in between, because I don't know what else to do to help, except to use the .22 option. It tears me up when I have to do it, but I always say a prayer before hand and it gives me the peace to let the animal go honorably.
So, that's my novel on sale barn calves. Any advice I've missed? I love to hear what others have learned in similar ventures.
BE WARNED: Some of the following is harsh and may be disturbing, so make your own decision before reading further.
Calves from auctions come with their caveats: you don't know where they are from, whether the herd is clean, what they may pick up while they are housed at the sale barn. But I've had something in the range of 50 calves from the sale barn and thought I'd share what I've learned. The sale barn is a great place to get an education about cattle, provided you are willing to watch and learn. Try to figure out why certain animals go high, why others aren't getting bids placed.
I used to go to the sale barn frequently and started out just watching as my friend bid on some animals. After that, I went on my own or with DH, and I would sit as close to the animals as I could get. They also have an area where you can look at the young calves in the pen and I would get an idea of what was coming through. DO NOT get a buyer's number until you feel confident and understand how the bidding goes at the particular barn where you are thinking of buying. Otherwise, you may end up buying animals and not have the money to cover the bill. What will you do then?
Watch the cows that are run through and try to figure out why the cow has been culled. This is not easy to watch, as these cows will likely be sent almost immediately to butcher for hamburger, but you will learn a lot about udders and conformation, feet issues, etc. It is truly an educational experience and has made me thankful for the health of my animals.
My goal in buying, though, was to obtain calves that I could get started well on my cow and make some money. Eventually, through trial and error, I learned which animals I could get on the cheap and turn around:
**Blood shot eyes without any drainage, calf weighing over 100 lbs, usually means the cow had a tough time getting him out. I can handle that.
**Blood shot eyes with some drainage is usually pinkeye. Keep them separate from other animals and get a long-lasting antibiotic in them. I also bathe the eyes with raw milk, which is soothing, plus raw milk has antibacterial properties. Keep the animal in a dark pen to reduce the number of flies and prevent it spreading.
**Very small calves. Jerseys are naturally small and don't ever get very big. Most calves at the barn I frequent are bought by veal buyers and they won't waste their time or money on a Jersey calf. However, Jersey beef is getting a following in my area, so Jersey bull calves, steered and at feeder size, bring a premium. Also, Jersey calves seem to be more intelligent and easier to teach how to nurse on a cow, even if they've been bottle fed. They are also easier to handle due to their smaller size.
**Knuckles under when walking. This is from contracted tendons and can be caused by a lack of minerals in utero or the calf could have been a twin and didn't have enough room to stretch out. Get a multi mineral injection, including selenium, from the vet and have the calf nurse on the cow. Those tendons will usually stretch out within days with this treatment. If not, the lower legs may need to be splinted. PVC pipe, split lengthwise and padded, held on with Vet Wrap, will do the trick. Remove the splint at least every other day and allow the calf to move around. Keeping such a calf in a small pen will not allow them to strengthen.
**Guernsey bull calves. For some reason, buyers around here don't like them. They tend to be all bone when born, but raised on a cow they fatten up really nicely and they make excellent beef. I kept one intact, thinking to use him to breed my cows, but ended up selling him as herd sire. I got him for $5 and sold him for $500.
**Slow walker, kind of dopey. I see this frequently in large bull calves, particularly Holsteins. Look for the umbilical - sometimes these calves are just incredibly young. I've seen calves that were born just before shipping or even while the cow was shipped, as the umbilical is full and wet. Handle gently and be patient. It can take awhile to teach these calves how to nurse on the cow.
Don't touch with a ten foot pole:
**Any calf that can't walk across the arena...unless they are young like described just above or knuckled under. Especially if the "movers" are impatient with the calves.
**Any calf with obvious diarrhea. There's no telling what it has and you don't want to bring it home to your herd. Also, they are usually very dehydrated and will take a lot of nursing along to reverse their condition IF you can.
**A calf will dull eyes. This guy is already trying to die.
The auctioneer knows me and will keep looking at me when a calf just keeps dropping in price. I have picked up many a $5 calf and sold him later for $200-300. But I have also had to bury a few of the $5 calves, too. With each one, I have learned.
When I go to the auction, I start out with something in particular in mind. Once I have my ideal calf, I can add one or two of the $5 calves and it brings down the price on my ideal calf by spreading out the costs. However, any calf bought at a sale barn - or anywhere else - can cost quite a bit of money before they are either healthy or dead. I always set a limit on how much I will spend and it is based on the potential of the calf to survive. I work with a vet that has taught me how to give IV fluids under the skin, to give injections, and always educates me about the medications and treatments he prescribes/suggests. He doesn't try to make a lot of money on us by insisting he is the only one that can treat the calf. He knows what I can do and is happy to let me do it when I can.
Your personality has a lot to do with whether this will be a successful venture for you or not. I'm a bulldog - I don't give up easily and I also tend to be very innovative in my thinking. That's not bragging, it is just something that runs in my family. I am able to see outside the box to create solutions. I always run them by my vet first if it is something involving medication or a treatment (think PT) that might injure the calf more than help.
You also must be a bit hardhearted. Know when it is time to give up. Make sure you have a .22 so you can easily put a suffering animal out of its misery. It is never an easy thing to do, but it is much kinder than allowing them to gasp for each breath, have flies lay eggs on the surface of their eyes, on their anus or any open wounds.
I have said many prayers on my way to the barn. Many times asked that the calf either be dead or standing, no in between, because I don't know what else to do to help, except to use the .22 option. It tears me up when I have to do it, but I always say a prayer before hand and it gives me the peace to let the animal go honorably.
So, that's my novel on sale barn calves. Any advice I've missed? I love to hear what others have learned in similar ventures.