Excessive Vet Charges At Sale Barn?

[farmerjan]

Donkeys and mules are very good at predator control for sheep and goats...IF..... the males have been gelded and if they are kept singularly with each group. Some just never get it, but most usually do. The jenny's will do a good job most times, but we have had a few over the years that have hated the baby lambs. Do fine with them once they are say half grown, but couldn't let them in with ewes with new lambs. Had a male that did great with any of them except the ewes with new lambs. Had one that was like an over protective zealot with the ewes and lambs and saw it run coyotes out of a field that should have been able to kill some but that donkey was like 10 super heros put together. That is probably the reason why the ones you took in brought the money.

The trick is to keep only one in the field with the sheep/goats so they bond. And a female will protect her own before anything else. We never kept a female that had a baby in with any of them.

Many people will run guardian dogs of some type, but it doesn't work if they are on say rented pasture or away from the home farm or the fences are only good enough to keep livestock in but not dog proof. I also did not see the benefit to having dogs and have to go feed them daily when donkeys or llamas ate what the sheep were eating.

Coggins here runs $25.00 and up according to what vet, if they come out to the farm or whatever. I would say that $30.00 each was fair for it, according to what is normal around here.

 

[greatgerts]

Not sure what the charge for Coggins is around here, but ain't seen donkeys bring that a stockyards. The exception was at a Santa Gertrudis sale. where a donkey was donated to sell to raise money for their junior association. I think ever SG breeder in the building must have put in on it, can't remember what it brought exactly but $600 seems to me what it was. Then when they sold it back, to actually sell it may have brought around $100.

As far as selling horses at the stockyards, I heard somebody say a while back that one stockyards was charging something $50 dollars up front to sell them so they would at least get their commission. I reckon that's true, as I believe who told me, just not sure about some of his potential sources.

Hell, I was probably there! I have put in a LOT of money over the years on that dea l.

 

[BRYANT]

last coggins test I had done on a mule at a sale barn was 2 yrs. ago cost 25.00
I had a man call me yesterday and said his sister had a jack and two jennys ,a mom and baby. that they would give me. I went and picked them up thinking they would be little pot-licker stock , I got there and they were well taken care of , not mammoths but not the real small ones either, and all three are dog gentle they say the jack is broke to ride and will breed both mare or jenny. May keep breed a couple mares and see what kind of mules he throws and keep him around, as long as he does not get mean. I am also trying to buy a several of the big spotted jennys if we can get the price right, we'll see how it turns out.

 

[BK9954]

They give donkeys away here. Never had an urge to grab one. I can vouch for that donkey at Fences place, looks older then any other donkey I have seen. Seeing it made me ask him why he had it there.

 

[TexasBred]

You got 600 bucks for 3 donkeys??? I'm gonna round up everyone I can find here and haul them to your barn. Last one i saw sell here brought $2.50

Barns around here tell you "don't even unload them".........they're worthless.