chevytaHOE5674
Well-known member
I can't understand why guys pay someone else to catch, doctor, preg check, pull calves, etc.
I thought that was part of the job of running cows....?
I thought that was part of the job of running cows....?
My local vet closing on Saturdays
- Thread starter Rafter S
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MurraysMutts
Well-known member
Every sale barn in this area will preg your cows and sort em for take home.
Just good business. No matter how busy they are. Now, ya may have to wait a lil bit....
And there's one barn I won't have do anything. Be better off just looking at the cow and guessing.
Another idea!
Have your bull/bulls checked yearly or 6 months. Then just cull the ones that don't calve on time!
Just good business. No matter how busy they are. Now, ya may have to wait a lil bit....
And there's one barn I won't have do anything. Be better off just looking at the cow and guessing.
Another idea!
Have your bull/bulls checked yearly or 6 months. Then just cull the ones that don't calve on time!
OP
OP
Rafter S
Well-known member
I probably could, but I'm about 80% decided to get away from cow/ calf and go to buying young calves or smooth mouth long bred cows in the spring, sell everything in the fall, and repeat next year.
I appreciate the suggestion, but I posted this because I thought it might be an interesting topic for discussion, not asking for help. I should have clarified that. And contrary to what one or two people seem to think, it wasn't just to piss and moan.
I don't know if she's still there, but a year or so I was at the vet clinic that's the topic of discussion here, and a young lady vet was trying to help a very small heifer that was having trouble calving. She was laying flat out on that dirty concrete floor getting the job done. We need more like her, male or female.
smalltimer
New member
I buy my meds from the vet. He will come out at 2:00 a.m. to help pull a calf, try getting Valley Vet to do that. I'm not going to insult him by asking for a written prescription so I can save $5.00.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
If you have good service I totally agree with you. Even take him a dozen donuts occasionally.
Didn't say don't buy from a vet. People saying they don't have options for meds so I was giving them another avenue. I've never ordered from Valleyvet and doubt I ever will. Heck I don't even price check anymore, customer service is worth a few extra dollars.
KAstocker
Well-known member
Similar to what Ken said, it's just a different world today. It's not about people not wanting to work. People have to take care of their own, and that looks differently today than it did a few decades ago. My dad could get away with working all the time. Me, not so much.
There is a shortage of vets, so they have to do what they need to do to attract talent. My wife had an on call job and could barely handle the stress with young kids at home. I pushed her to get a job at a clinic that doesn't have on call. Best decision for us in a while. I think it's similar to working on weekends. Not everyone can handle it when there are better options.
There is a shortage of vets, so they have to do what they need to do to attract talent. My wife had an on call job and could barely handle the stress with young kids at home. I pushed her to get a job at a clinic that doesn't have on call. Best decision for us in a while. I think it's similar to working on weekends. Not everyone can handle it when there are better options.
Travlr
Well-known member
Different strokes for different folks. I've only called a vet twice for my own animals. One a cow with a broken rib puncturing a lung... and they arrived just as the cow died. They said they'd needed to finish their lunch and that if they had been there five minutes sooner they could have saved her. I took a heifer in for a cesarean. She survived and she made freezer beef. I've never preg checked, but I'll bump them at about six months.
But I've needed prescriptions occasionally and glad to know vets I've worked with that don't have to come to the farm to supply the meds.
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Named'em Tamed'em
Well-known member
I've seen it here, that fella didn't last long.
Buck Randall
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This sentiment isn't going to be very popular here, but the types of large animal clients who need regular work on Saturdays just aren't a significant source of profit for most vet clinics. Many large animal vets could make a comfortable living on a handful of regular clients and just forget about all of the people who only call once or twice a year. We still do that type of work generally because we like the people and enjoy what we do, but a person does need to draw a line somewhere. I'm not interested in missing weddings, kids' sporting events, and time spent with aging loved ones because somebody wants a few cows checked on a Saturday. I can make enough money to get by without it.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
Ours has been closed forever on Saturday.
They don't even do large animals anymore.
But it's evolution of the cattleman riding off into the sunset.
Our large feed store with a feed mill and bulk fertilizer distribution largest clientele is the deer hunter today.
Three of us were drinking coffee the other morning, we used to run over 200 head between us. Today we have less than 30.
As someone who has worked a lot of weekends over the years I have to say that I've missed too much important stuff I can't get back and wish I hadn't. I have a couple of businesses still (and yes help is harder than ever to find and deal with), but I have come to see why people value the family time so much. The taking off on a weekday doesn't really cut it when the kids are at school and time with them is what is important
greybeard
Well-known member
Such a liar. I never said it was MY cat. I only said I loved that cat.You said Waffles was dead. Bet the Chinese neighbors never even ate your cat. Such a liar.
dave_shelby
Well-known member
Prices are up in the US and positivity down on cattletoday.
Its been colored by a very difficult year for me personally but looking out at changes in our culture, economics, politics, world security, medical care - about any dimension I can think of - I have to conclude that we live in difficult and uncertain times.
Its been colored by a very difficult year for me personally but looking out at changes in our culture, economics, politics, world security, medical care - about any dimension I can think of - I have to conclude that we live in difficult and uncertain times.
Hpacres440p
Well-known member
Welcome back!
MurraysMutts
Well-known member
Well hello there Buck!
Good to hear from ya and that just pretty much sums it up!
Dave
Well-known member
Can you take them all to the sale and have them preg checked there and then load up the bred ones and take them home? I know that happens here. Just last week I checked out the pen of cows to be checked. I thought there are some that will work for me. A while later I went to check again. The vet had just got done checking them and told me that the biggest bunch of cows came from one man who had them checked and took the bred ones back home.
Ky hills
Well-known member
The local vet clinic here has multiple vets with 3 that will work large animals as well as dogs and cats. No doubt dogs and cats are there biggest business. They used to close at noon on Saturday, now it's at 11:00. Reality is that if you need something you better get there before 10.30 or the doors will be locked. Same thing before the closing time for lunch break through the week, and before closing time.
There is another vet office exclusively small animals, and another that is exclusively equine.
We main go to vet is in another county. He has an office but only for small animals there, he comes to the farm for large animals.
He takes off on Saturday, and closes at noon on Friday, but is also in the office extended hours on Tuesdays.
He has a lot going on so I understand the need for them to be away from the office and we try to plan in advance to get anything we need, and in case of emergency he is on call, but usually we call the local vets in a circumstance like that because I know he is busy and it's a longer drive for him.
There is another vet office exclusively small animals, and another that is exclusively equine.
We main go to vet is in another county. He has an office but only for small animals there, he comes to the farm for large animals.
He takes off on Saturday, and closes at noon on Friday, but is also in the office extended hours on Tuesdays.
He has a lot going on so I understand the need for them to be away from the office and we try to plan in advance to get anything we need, and in case of emergency he is on call, but usually we call the local vets in a circumstance like that because I know he is busy and it's a longer drive for him.
Ky hills
Well-known member
I think we have atleast 12 stockyards within a couple hours of us. 7 of which are now owned by the same outfit.
There are 8 different of those within around an hour, and 4 within a half hour or under.
sunnyblueskies
Well-known member
There's no good 'old school' Vets anymore. Ones which work hard, not afraid to get dirty and brutally honest. Like, if there is nothing he could do he would tell us to take it home and shoot it. Instead of pumping meds and giving false hope like many do today.
Anyway, no, our Vets are not open on a weekend either, they have emergency lines and if something happens which can't wait until monday you can bring it in to the clinic and it will cost you more.
One good thing is though, if you have established your Vet/client relationship (annual health visit) you can call in, tell them what problem you are having, they'd suggest a treatment plan and you can pick up the meds in a lock box behind the clinic after hours. That helps a lot.
But having a Vet come out......... phhht...... ya....... if the animal can stand on all 4 they want you to bring it in. No farm calls unless the animal is down, even then it's not a guarantee they will come out. We had an older cow down last year, about a month after she had calved, called the vet, explained, was told to send pictures of the cow and that was that. "Yeah come and pick up some meds" No Vet visit.
Plus, you have to do the math before involving the Vet, how much is it going to cost and how much is the animal worth.
We rarely used a Vet in all my years here, until the Animal Health and Prescription rule came in that a Vet has to make annual health visits in order for you to get meds. I thought back then, hey maybe it's not going to be so bad having a direct line to a Vet, but honestly the only thing which I see as a benefit now is that I can get the meds after hours through a phone call away.
Running cattle isn't a hobby industry, but hobby animals is where Vet's nowadays make their money. While we, out in the field, learn through trial and tribulations. =(
Anyway, no, our Vets are not open on a weekend either, they have emergency lines and if something happens which can't wait until monday you can bring it in to the clinic and it will cost you more.
One good thing is though, if you have established your Vet/client relationship (annual health visit) you can call in, tell them what problem you are having, they'd suggest a treatment plan and you can pick up the meds in a lock box behind the clinic after hours. That helps a lot.
But having a Vet come out......... phhht...... ya....... if the animal can stand on all 4 they want you to bring it in. No farm calls unless the animal is down, even then it's not a guarantee they will come out. We had an older cow down last year, about a month after she had calved, called the vet, explained, was told to send pictures of the cow and that was that. "Yeah come and pick up some meds" No Vet visit.
Plus, you have to do the math before involving the Vet, how much is it going to cost and how much is the animal worth.
We rarely used a Vet in all my years here, until the Animal Health and Prescription rule came in that a Vet has to make annual health visits in order for you to get meds. I thought back then, hey maybe it's not going to be so bad having a direct line to a Vet, but honestly the only thing which I see as a benefit now is that I can get the meds after hours through a phone call away.
Running cattle isn't a hobby industry, but hobby animals is where Vet's nowadays make their money. While we, out in the field, learn through trial and tribulations. =(
