Buying bred cows wihout history

[cowgirl8]

We had to get a herd up the other day and while up we pulled out a cow who lost her calf during the winter rain we had. The cows stayed huddled up through the days and days of rain with 33 degree temps. So, her calf went unnoticed for that reason and another. Her udder had only 3 working faucets, but we didnt know that then. The teat the calf latched onto did not work. Looking at the cow, she had 3 full teats and a limp one. This is common for the first couple days on some cows. It sometimes takes a few days for the calf to get all 4 empty. Anywho, through the very cold rain, we saw that one quarter was staying empty so we felt sure it was getting something. When we noticed the calf was not thriving, it was pretty much too late.
Cow looked great, 2007 model, fat of course and bred. Pulled up to the almost empty sale barn and unloaded. Ask to have her preg checked. Husband said, 'Owner asked what she's bred to.... told him angus or black hereford.' He said he was pleased by the sound of his voice. First time we've been asked something like that. We are guessing someone was going to be there looking for bred cows. He didnt ask why she was being sold...so we didnt offer..

 

[Toad]

Wait, you have black herefords?

 

[Chris H]

Ethics is what you do when no one is around!

I like that answer best of all.


Another story on salebarn cattle: Our vet is the salebarn vet. I talked to him yesterday and he mentioned a mutual friend that bought a group of Angus bull calves last week. The friend knew where they came from, a well known Angus breeder in our area. Friend told vet to cut all but two. The friend is all excited about getting 2 Angus bulls from the well known Angus breeder, at salebarn prices. Our vet said he never bothered pointing out that if they were herdsire quality, the breeder wouldn't have shipped them to the salebarn. Maybe these bull calves are better quality than our friends, but more likely he'll encounter 100+ lb birthweights, or subpar weaning weights, or maybe some genetic defect the breeder was culling out. In the case of the breeder, he made no representation of these calves, he was shipping healthy feeder calves. I have no problem with that.

 

[Son of Butch]

Another story on salebarn cattle: Our vet is the sale barn vet... a mutual friend bought a group of Angus bull calves last week....they came from, a well known Angus breeder in our area. Maybe these bull calves are better quality than our friends, but more likely he'll encounter 100+ lb birth weights or sub par weaning weights, or maybe some genetic defect the breeder was culling out.

I'll put money on he won't be encountering many 100 lb birth weights from random angus bulls.
And if they are of better quality than what your friend usually buys.... he probably got a great value for himself.

 

[riquezada]

I have bought and sold cows at the local stockyards for the past 30 years or so. Most of them I got done well and a few were obviously problem cows. I have had some like "5 year old" when I bought it, sold it a couple years later and they said "10 year old" and vs versa. Bred to this or that pretty much means absolutely nothing to me as does months bred...some calve months way earlier and some months way later than estimated...i wonder who the vets are really working for sometimes... I have sold some good productive cows for many reasons other than how well they do or do not produce. Personally I would rather take my chances at the stockyard than with some "farmer" that recently put together a herd from the stockyard...as many do here (but not all)...their goal is to make money off of lesser knowledgeable people rather than the cows...With that said, I have bought cows straight off of farms...either way, you're going to win some, you're going to lose some. Hopefully you win way more than you lose. Overall I have done way better buying at the stockyards, history unknown.