Auction Markings

[Hawk]

At the sale barn Saturday in Emory, Tx, I noticed several bulls come through the ring with the letter "T" marked on their sides. The auctioneer made no mention of the marking. Anybody know what it means?

 

[C HOLLAND]

I would guess it means semen tested.

 

[Texas PaPaw]

I agree. At the sales I go to that would mean he was fertility tested. However, at these same sales the auctioneer would mention the testing.

Good luck & happy trails.

Brock

 

[BC]

The "T" means the bull was tested for Bangs disease. If you watch the cows sell, some are aged and preg tested as well as Bangs tested. The slaughter cows are just Bangs tested and marked with a T.

 

[msscamp]

The slaughter cows are just Bangs tested and marked with a T.

Ok, I'm confused. Since slaughter is the only means available for disposing of bangs-positive cattle (unless you've got enough you can just shoot them), what would be the point of bangs-testing an obvious slaughter cow? :? If this is a dumb question, please forgive me.

 

[BC]

Not a dumb question. Every bovine 2 years old or older is Bangs tested in the state of Texas when sold at a sale barn. Private treaty sales are supposed to be tested unless froma certified Bangs Free herd.

The slaughter cows are just Bangs tested and marked with a T.

Ok, I'm confused. Since slaughter is the only means available for disposing of bangs-positive cattle (unless you've got enough you can just shoot them), what would be the point of bangs-testing an obvious slaughter cow? :? If this is a dumb question, please forgive me.

 

[msscamp]

Not a dumb question. Every bovine 2 years old or older is Bangs tested in the state of Texas when sold at a sale barn. Private treaty sales are supposed to be tested unless froma certified Bangs Free herd.

The slaughter cows are just Bangs tested and marked with a T.

Ok, I'm confused. Since slaughter is the only means available for disposing of bangs-positive cattle (unless you've got enough you can just shoot them), what would be the point of bangs-testing an obvious slaughter cow? :? If this is a dumb question, please forgive me.

Hmmmmm, I'll have to double check on our laws regarding bangs. I know that anything crossing state lines has to be bangs tested, but I don't think slaughter cattle are. That is what I didn't understand - if they are going to slaughter, why test them? Seems to be a waste of time and money.

 

[Susie David]

The girls must be vaccinated...if no ear tag & tattoo they get a done at the sale barn.
Haven't seen a "T" on a bull before but it makes sense...wouldn't want to buy a tinkerbull that likes steers or shoots blanks.

 

[milkmaid]

The slaughter cows are just Bangs tested and marked with a T.

Ok, I'm confused. Since slaughter is the only means available for disposing of bangs-positive cattle (unless you've got enough you can just shoot them), what would be the point of bangs-testing an obvious slaughter cow? :? If this is a dumb question, please forgive me.

Not a dumb question. Every bovine 2 years old or older is Bangs tested in the state of Texas when sold at a sale barn. Private treaty sales are supposed to be tested unless froma certified Bangs Free herd.

Hmmmmm, I'll have to double check on our laws regarding bangs. I know that anything crossing state lines has to be bangs tested, but I don't think slaughter cattle are. That is what I didn't understand - if they are going to slaughter, why test them? Seems to be a waste of time and money.

:nod: And along the latter lines - when someone drops off an animal at the sale, is there really TIME to pull a blood sample off every cow that walks through the ring and send it off for testing? :???: I think...not.

Not that I'm any expert on how long it takes to run a brucellosis test for bovines, but I know when I've had them run on dogs (breeding stock) it took at least 4 days to get results back and it wasn't something that could be done at the clinic; they had to be sent to the state lab.

 

[msscamp]

The slaughter cows are just Bangs tested and marked with a T.

Ok, I'm confused. Since slaughter is the only means available for disposing of bangs-positive cattle (unless you've got enough you can just shoot them), what would be the point of bangs-testing an obvious slaughter cow? :? If this is a dumb question, please forgive me.

Not a dumb question. Every bovine 2 years old or older is Bangs tested in the state of Texas when sold at a sale barn. Private treaty sales are supposed to be tested unless froma certified Bangs Free herd.

Hmmmmm, I'll have to double check on our laws regarding bangs. I know that anything crossing state lines has to be bangs tested, but I don't think slaughter cattle are. That is what I didn't understand - if they are going to slaughter, why test them? Seems to be a waste of time and money.

:nod: And along the latter lines - when someone drops off an animal at the sale, is there really TIME to pull a blood sample off every cow that walks through the ring and send it off for testing? :???: I think...not.

Not that I'm any expert on how long it takes to run a brucellosis test for bovines, but I know when I've had them run on dogs (breeding stock) it took at least 4 days to get results back and it wasn't something that could be done at the clinic; they had to be sent to the state lab.

Here the bangs testing is done after the sale, and I think the cows are prevented from leaving the state until after the results come back. At least, that is my understanding from talking to employees of the salebarns that are in the know. I also think the salebarns have an accelerated results track - as opposed to private citizens and vets. Based on our own experience, test results usually take 3, sometimes 4 days depending on when the blood was drawn, when the vet comes out to test ours - and they are done by the state lab here, too. Maybe the faster results has to do with the fact we have less people than you do? :lol: :lol:

 

[BC]

Bangs testing every adult cow and bull is part of the survellience program to get Texas certified free. The cattle are sold on the result of the "card" test which is run by the vet at the sale. It is hard to test that many cows when the cow runs get big. It takes less than a minute to draw blood on a cow. A technition then runs the blood. I haven't seen a Banger at the sale in years.

Bulls that have been fertility tested are announced prior to sale. At Van Zandt Livestock, Dr. Kinnard paint brands a "F" on bulls that pass a fertility exam and an "X" on those that fail.

 

[rkm]

Maybe I'm just old and forgetful, but I was told onetime that the reason for not vacinating males was so they could test them at slaughter and they would not carry a titer from a vac. That way keep track of the desease.

 

[Hawk]

Bulls that have been fertility tested are announced prior to sale. At Van Zandt Livestock, Dr. Kinnard paint brands a "F" on bulls that pass a fertility exam and an "X" on those that fail.

Emory uses the same system on bulls that have been fertiltiy tested and the auctioneer will always mention it, pass or fail. The "T" was obviously for something else and the Bangs test makes sense to me. Thanks for the info.

 

[NCSU Maverick]

Around here, bulls are often marked with a letter or number or symbol so that if they rub off their sale sticker, they can still be identified. The bulls are always fighting and knocking around and losing their stickers. If two black bulls go through the ring that have lost their sale stickers, it can be hard to identify the seller, especially if he isn't there.

 

[Dave]

Often around here a cow hauler will be hauling cows for more than one owner in the same load to the sale. They will paint a letter or some other mark on the cows to show the different ownership. Of course that mark will still be on the cow when it goes through the ring.

 

[G&L Cattle]

Hawk thats a good question for Don or Pee Wee.
Ive wondered about that for years.

G&L

 

[jcarkie]

here when they test for bangs they put a small metal silver tag in the ear. if they are ocv they have an orange tag. and a blue sticker on thier back. most preg ck cows and tested bulls have a sticker and an age sticker.

 

[Susie David]

rkm....old and forgetfull too. The boys don't get vaccinated because the disease is passed from mother to calf. All the girls get taken care of and it doesn't get passed.
and that's my two bits worth

 

[Texan]

Bulls aren't vaccinated for two reasons:

The vaccine sometimes causes sterility in bulls. Particularly true of the old Strain 19 vaccine.

The disease is primarily transmitted from fluids at or near calving. Bulls are not an important source of infection.

 

[TxSimbrahShower]

I always thought that if a cow tested pos. for bangs, they branded them with a B on the jaw.



I know when my dad, brother and I used to run cattle together, we would put a different color mark with a paint stick on the calves so that when we got to the barn, we could write down what number's went to what owner.

mom