From 1968 til 1993, my grandaddy bought every cow and bull he ever owned at the sale barns. Except I had a great uncle( his bro in law) that had registered Herefords. he had a sale at his farm every year, and my grandaddy would go and buy two heifers a year from him. Other than that, they were all sale barn cattle. Back then, they had to test every cow for Bangs, and the vet and 2 assistants were there from Friday morning before the sale, til early Sunday morning. When we bought some, we'd pay for them after we were done buying, then take the paperwork to that vet. He would have his helpers get them, and he would work them, give them whatever shots they needed, worm them, and give them a shot of penicillin, then put them back in a pen. They would be ready to load when we got ready to go. We'd put them in a separate pasture for about a week, then let them in with the rest. The sales were the only place, really, to buy or sell your cattle. Bulls, cows, heifers....whatever.... for breeding were sold by the head, and the owners would stand up and speak for them when they got in the ring. Or the auctioneer would announce whose they were and where they came from, and why the owner was selling. They would tell if and when they had been wormed, vaccinated etc, but my grandaddy, and most other people had the vet work them anyhow, just in case. I don't recall him ever having a sick cow.
