Adding Stock for the Small-Timer

[Hasbeen]

I had planned to have a closed herd and to retain heifers to increase. Started out with 8 heifers and a bull. Out of the eight, I lost two calves (one premature, one breech) and one heifer has turned out to be open. The remaining five had no problems and have what seem to be very nice calves. Three bulls and two heifers. Anyway, I will of course cull the open one but will probably give the two who lost calves one more chance. My point is, even if the two little heifer calves should turn out to be worthy of keeping, my herd would only grow by one this year. This has me thinking of maybe picking up a couple of heavy breds to get me back on track but truthfully I can't seem to find anyone locally who will part with a good, bred cow and I'm really reluctant to bring in any new germs from the salesbarn. I need all the pasture I can get and would hate to use much of it on my small place to keep the new additions separate for a long time. My question is, how long do you quarantine and what precautions do you take with salesbarn cattle? I'm not bordered by any other farms/ranches so my herd is isolated by at least a mile in any direction.

I'm just toying with the idea and gathering information at this time. Actually, a year of being undergrazed would probably help my pastures a great deal.

 

[backhoeboogie]

I have cattle on all sides. The adjacent farms have cattle on opposite sides. If cows touch noses across the fence two miles away, viruses are likely to be introduced into my cattle. Then there are the feral hogs who roam for miles across the through everything. So no matter how well I isolate, I am totally vulnerable.

That said, I buy cattle from sale barns and isolate them for at least a week. If I bring a pen of heifer calves to the property here at the house, until they are of age, they are isolated much longer than that.

The cattle I buy are generally healthy, base on all obvious inspection at the salebarn. The problem is they have been exposed to thousands of cattle at the salebarn. Symptoms may not develop for a few days.

I have always been lucky with buying cattle from the salebarn and when a problem arises I nix it asap.