Despicable and inhumane treatment of sick calves....
- Thread starter bevkel
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What if these calves belonged to a man that knew he was doing something wrong and he thought that some one with more knowledge should have these cattle, so he took them to the sale barn to sell. I am not taking sides here, but I personally would not be ready to kill some one. Just one of the many onpinions on this board. ;-) ;-) ;-) Kaneranch
around here they usually sell the slaughter animals before the large groups of feeder, and replacements. I have taken to leaving the Mrs. at the mall 'till the last possible moment. It is sad the condition some of these animals are in when they come through. I am able to discreetly comment, or look the other way. The Mrs will raise a rucus, and the more people that hear her the happier she is. So it's best to go on time and not too early.
Workinonit Farm
Well-known member
joe":1q8f65zg said:
The sale barn we go to runs the slaughter/kill-pen cattle last. My guess, by then most folks have come and gone by then and therefore less viewing of the unpleasant.
Katherine
Ann Bledsoe
Well-known member
Raising heck about this situation will do nothing but get you branded as "that crazy Animals Rights person", you'll be the laughingstock of the salebarn, nobody will want to associate with you, and it won't change a thing.
The "good old boys" used to love it when my mother would go to sales with Dad, she would find something to complain about with every single animal that went through. I remember her screams one time when a calf came in with no tail -- she was sure that someone had pulled it off. The whole place cracked up at her expense. On the other hand, they didn't want her to set foot on their property in case she thought they were abusing their animals and nobody wants to deal with Animal Control, if they don't have to.
In the future you have 3 choices -- #1 get tough, #2 don't go to the sales, or #3 plan on having enough money to buy the animals that grab your heartstrings the most -- with a bit of knowledge, it can be quite profitable AND you've helped the animal without alienating possible future friends.
Ann B
The "good old boys" used to love it when my mother would go to sales with Dad, she would find something to complain about with every single animal that went through. I remember her screams one time when a calf came in with no tail -- she was sure that someone had pulled it off. The whole place cracked up at her expense. On the other hand, they didn't want her to set foot on their property in case she thought they were abusing their animals and nobody wants to deal with Animal Control, if they don't have to.
In the future you have 3 choices -- #1 get tough, #2 don't go to the sales, or #3 plan on having enough money to buy the animals that grab your heartstrings the most -- with a bit of knowledge, it can be quite profitable AND you've helped the animal without alienating possible future friends.
Ann B
it always amuses me to watch and listen to the little kids and/or people who have never been around cattle very much at the salebarn. Kids tend to like all the calves, Brahmans cuz they are cute, and are fascinated by the crazies. they tend to ask embarrassing questions very loudly and mom or dad has to find some way to put off the birds and the bees talk. they tend to like dairy cows b/c they are spotted. they tend to get bored by all the black cattle and when something different comes in they are like *gasp* WOW!. Kids tell it like it is. "That cow is skinny!" they shout, as a dairy cow strolls through. New people tend to feel sorry for the dairy animals for being skinny too-they dont realize that theyve been bred to milk first, maintain themselves second. New people also tend to either love brahmans or think they are the ugliest things theyve ever seen. Yep, people-watching is a favorite passtime of mine. and i like listening to people even more.
I really do appreciate hearing all of the differing opinions of the posters. I take exception to one or two comments, but let's just leave that for the time being.
For clarification purposes -- Both times that I went to the barn there were other sick or injured animals. Yes, it made me uncomfortable, but I understand the process.
I suppose what angered me so much about the blind calf was that I think the animal should have been killed at the ranch or farm. If the owner couldn't afford the medicine, he certainly could afford the bullet. This animal was at the extremis of the disease, and even though the auctioneer was saying it just needed treatment and a dark area for a few days, I'm certain one of the eyes was ruptured - I couldn't get a good enough look at the other side.
Yes, someone bought him - but this animal has suffered for many days, and will continue to do so for some time.
Another aspect of the pink-eye herd - I wonder if the presence of so many infected animals affected the prices of all the cattle that day. It sure seemed as though prices were a lot lower than ag reports over the past week.
For clarification purposes -- Both times that I went to the barn there were other sick or injured animals. Yes, it made me uncomfortable, but I understand the process.
I suppose what angered me so much about the blind calf was that I think the animal should have been killed at the ranch or farm. If the owner couldn't afford the medicine, he certainly could afford the bullet. This animal was at the extremis of the disease, and even though the auctioneer was saying it just needed treatment and a dark area for a few days, I'm certain one of the eyes was ruptured - I couldn't get a good enough look at the other side.
Yes, someone bought him - but this animal has suffered for many days, and will continue to do so for some time.
Another aspect of the pink-eye herd - I wonder if the presence of so many infected animals affected the prices of all the cattle that day. It sure seemed as though prices were a lot lower than ag reports over the past week.
Crowderfarms
Well-known member
Any head of Stock with a defect, from an eye, to a hoof problem, to missing half a tail, is subject to being docked around here. A few head with pink eye does not affect the sales prices for the whole sale. Poor quality of cattle overall on that day will. Blind animals can learn to get around fine. My Grandaddy had a blind Mule. He was better behaved and worked better than the ones with 20/20. I would not want to buy a blind cow or calf, but who eats the eyes anyway?
BC
Well-known member
bevkel":9ikho0zf said:
Even a blind calf has some salvage value. Pink eye is treatable. You would be surprised at the number of people that have found a niche at straightening out others mistakes. Instead of being outraged, quietly learn to take advantage of others mistakes and smile all the way to the bank.
preston39
Well-known member
BC,
You are right. There is a young neighbor near by that goes to all the sale barns within 100 miles and buys mostly sick cows. Yes, he looses one once in a while but he pays... oh maybe .10 cents on the dollar and he fixes them. Currently he is nursing a registered angus bull with a broken/healed crooked leg which has very good genetics.He can't naturally breed..so he collects him and AI's the cows with excellent results.He has become so good at treating them he is in high demand as a pseudo-vet....and is very good...resonable also. Just sign his one paragraph waiver and he will attack anything.
He told me once that he had no money to start and this is his way to achieve his long term dream of a nice size ranch. Ten years later he has 180 acres and a nice herd of cattle.
I am glad to see the sick/abused animals come thru..they now have a chance. They sure wern't taken care of before for whatever reason.
You are right. There is a young neighbor near by that goes to all the sale barns within 100 miles and buys mostly sick cows. Yes, he looses one once in a while but he pays... oh maybe .10 cents on the dollar and he fixes them. Currently he is nursing a registered angus bull with a broken/healed crooked leg which has very good genetics.He can't naturally breed..so he collects him and AI's the cows with excellent results.He has become so good at treating them he is in high demand as a pseudo-vet....and is very good...resonable also. Just sign his one paragraph waiver and he will attack anything.
He told me once that he had no money to start and this is his way to achieve his long term dream of a nice size ranch. Ten years later he has 180 acres and a nice herd of cattle.
I am glad to see the sick/abused animals come thru..they now have a chance. They sure wern't taken care of before for whatever reason.
You might be surprised, i've seen some pretty nasty looking pinkeye cases clear up pretty well.
Also, the salebarn here wont accept animals with pinkeye while its contagious (running,etc). they only will accept them after the eye has blued. and they always point it out and say "she'll never have it in that eye again"
Also, the salebarn here wont accept animals with pinkeye while its contagious (running,etc). they only will accept them after the eye has blued. and they always point it out and say "she'll never have it in that eye again"
sidney411
Well-known member
Pink eye is not the worst you will see if you frequent the auctions. Not only is it a means of sale it is a dumping ground for sick, injured, unruly cattle that people either don't know how to or don't want to fix. Got to rememeber - not everyone see's eye to eye. I'ts not good enough a reason to "get a rope" -seems to be the catch all here lately. It's everyone's right to voice their opinions and that's great, but do (can) you back it up???
eric
Well-known member
Wait till this guy gets a look at his first prolapsed cow....now that was a eye opening experience for me when I first saw one coming through the sale. But after reading on this board that its a fairly common problem, I hardly noticed some of the defects the cows have which they run through the barn.
The one thing we all have to remember is that it only takes one instance of a mistreated animal (or the impression of mistreatment) and a well meaning but naive person involving an animal rights person/group and we all end up fighting negative media. The negative media, even one article in the paper or on the news, can do more damage than most people could ever imagine to the local industy.
Raising animals has its great aspects and its terrible ones. I would bet that all of us have been in the situation where we wished we would have put the animal down rather than let it suffer though recovering from an injury or illness. Hindsight is always 20/20. As a cattle-raiser who sells cattle through our local yards and privately, I want my cattle to look their absolute best for the buyers so I can get top dollar. I can't imagine taking a downer cow and dragging her though the ring, we've been forced to "feed the coyotes" with a couple gals that broke legs over the years and it wasn't even considered to try to get the "last dollar" out of them, but that is us. I know that everyone thinks differently on these matters and "caring" for an animal can be interpreted quite a number of ways, especially when it comes to the almighty dollar. But that dollar is going to get spent or lost when the industry has to fight to prove to people that have no concept of what raising beef/dairy is like (many have never SEEN a real cow) that most of us really do have the animal's best care in mind.
Thanks for reading my ramblings, I hope I made a little sense have a great weekend all!
Raising animals has its great aspects and its terrible ones. I would bet that all of us have been in the situation where we wished we would have put the animal down rather than let it suffer though recovering from an injury or illness. Hindsight is always 20/20. As a cattle-raiser who sells cattle through our local yards and privately, I want my cattle to look their absolute best for the buyers so I can get top dollar. I can't imagine taking a downer cow and dragging her though the ring, we've been forced to "feed the coyotes" with a couple gals that broke legs over the years and it wasn't even considered to try to get the "last dollar" out of them, but that is us. I know that everyone thinks differently on these matters and "caring" for an animal can be interpreted quite a number of ways, especially when it comes to the almighty dollar. But that dollar is going to get spent or lost when the industry has to fight to prove to people that have no concept of what raising beef/dairy is like (many have never SEEN a real cow) that most of us really do have the animal's best care in mind.
Thanks for reading my ramblings, I hope I made a little sense have a great weekend all!
Dana Kopp":1mgt7dyw said:
I used to work for one of the big confinement corporate hog producers. We inspected one barn once where for whatever reason the farm crew and management had neglected. All they had done in a while was pull the drop lines to feed. There were about three DEAD sows still in their crate with feed piling up in front of them, manure all over the slats, aborted piglets still sitting there rotting, 3 or 4 downer sows and there was no record they had ever been treated (though the company provided a fridge full of antibiotics) and it was pretty much a given that NONE of those gestating sows had received ANY of their vaccinations, and flies and maggotts were all over the place. I had a lot of cattle, hog, chicken, horse, etc experience and have seen, touched, and smelled pretty much EVERYTHING and even I was on my knees losing my breakfast from the sights and smells in there that day. Needless to say, people lost their jobs before lunch that day; but if somebody with a video camera had gotten to that abominable mess before we did the corp and the whole industry would have payed a steep price. People do need to consider the public relations price of cruelty, neglect, and incompetence. The problem is that nasty people really don't care about the consequences for themselves much less the industry as a whole.
Medic24
Well-known member
Ok, here it is.touching on several of the subjects on this string.........
1) I would never be able to bring myself to take any livestock to the sale due to injury or illness, that i could either not have prevented or tried like heck to correct before hand, but yes, sometimes things happen that cannot be prevented or corrected, and better then prolonging the issue, best to go and send to the killer pens, that is if the animal is NOT suffering. And we do butcher out some cattle as well, I don't think it matters that the steak being served had a broken leg attached to it. I have a wife and daughter that keeps me accountable around the farm as well as in life in general, so I don't mess around.
2) If one keeps livestock, a good emergency list of KNOWLEDGEABLE people that are usually available to help out is a very good idea , as I have recently had to use same. I am grateful and confident that if I were to die tonite, the cattle would be well cared for and dispersed in top condition.
3) I have a habit of buying sick or injured livestock myself, as well as just some plain old ruff scrubby cattle, and I have usually done well at it. but it is alot of work, and a chance that you are bringing something home besides the cow you DON'T want. the pro's and con's are too lenghtly to list here.
I feel for any livestock that is not taken care of, especially preventable illnesses, but it can and does happen, when you go to enuff sales, you will see it, and yes, often just one or two farms are the culprits that bring in cattle in bad shape, we have some here, but I often look forward to seeing them come in, as I have purchased a number of the stock from these few farms, and with some treatment, vaccinations, FEED, and TLC, I have had rather good luck in raising some fine looking stock. And yes, have done so by purchasing at a fraction of what they SHOULD have sold for had they been taken care of. They are here, and trust me you.... they are rather happy for it...all except for this one crazy calf....but hey thats another story. And I figure, that the animal is far better off being sold the nto remain in the current conditions it was in, right?
As far as buying a load of pink-eye calves, if sold at a discounted price, heck yeah i would have jumped at it.......I got lots of medication, patience, and the desire to see things improve. bring em on!
As far as hanging offence, well in an ideal world, yeah it should be, but we live in a world far from ideal, and reality means that you should be glad they were brought to the sale barn, they have a chance then, imagine the ones that did not make it to the sale?
:cboy:
1) I would never be able to bring myself to take any livestock to the sale due to injury or illness, that i could either not have prevented or tried like heck to correct before hand, but yes, sometimes things happen that cannot be prevented or corrected, and better then prolonging the issue, best to go and send to the killer pens, that is if the animal is NOT suffering. And we do butcher out some cattle as well, I don't think it matters that the steak being served had a broken leg attached to it. I have a wife and daughter that keeps me accountable around the farm as well as in life in general, so I don't mess around.
2) If one keeps livestock, a good emergency list of KNOWLEDGEABLE people that are usually available to help out is a very good idea , as I have recently had to use same. I am grateful and confident that if I were to die tonite, the cattle would be well cared for and dispersed in top condition.
3) I have a habit of buying sick or injured livestock myself, as well as just some plain old ruff scrubby cattle, and I have usually done well at it. but it is alot of work, and a chance that you are bringing something home besides the cow you DON'T want. the pro's and con's are too lenghtly to list here.
I feel for any livestock that is not taken care of, especially preventable illnesses, but it can and does happen, when you go to enuff sales, you will see it, and yes, often just one or two farms are the culprits that bring in cattle in bad shape, we have some here, but I often look forward to seeing them come in, as I have purchased a number of the stock from these few farms, and with some treatment, vaccinations, FEED, and TLC, I have had rather good luck in raising some fine looking stock. And yes, have done so by purchasing at a fraction of what they SHOULD have sold for had they been taken care of. They are here, and trust me you.... they are rather happy for it...all except for this one crazy calf....but hey thats another story. And I figure, that the animal is far better off being sold the nto remain in the current conditions it was in, right?
As far as buying a load of pink-eye calves, if sold at a discounted price, heck yeah i would have jumped at it.......I got lots of medication, patience, and the desire to see things improve. bring em on!
As far as hanging offence, well in an ideal world, yeah it should be, but we live in a world far from ideal, and reality means that you should be glad they were brought to the sale barn, they have a chance then, imagine the ones that did not make it to the sale?
:cboy:
redonmyhead
Member
i remember 7 yrs ago when i had to castrate my 1st bull calf. i thought it was torture, but now its a piece of cake. of course i'm a surgical register nurse, so i've seen alot. i'll quit since i'm wondering off the topic
Rod
Well-known member
I myself wont let my cattle or any animal on my place get in bad shape and I'm sure I dont make as much as the next cattlemen because of it, but there are some cattlemen that this is strictly a business and vet bills and medicine is an expense that they can live without. Sad but true.
farmer4620
Well-known member
Rod":48m891js said:
I take great pride in having a good looking cattle if another guy doesn't or even doesn't take good care of them that is to bad but like someone said we are fairly fortunate to not have every animal rights organization chasing us accross the farms and every govt agency breathing down are necks and if some softy caused that to happen it would be pretty said so buck up or sell out
