never buying bred heifers again

[LLCFARMS]

Heres' the story hubby got as he said a great deal (NOT) on two bred heifers! Well one had a dead calf last week and I had to pull a dead one by myself today out of the other one! Bred way to young to wrong kind of bull! On top of that couldnt find my gloves and hubby had the farm truck so I had no set up! Had to pull it with just a chain and a lead line now I got rope burns on my hands to boot! Shes' still down so verdicts still out on her being ok! I done what I can for her now its up to her. Hubby has learned his lesson I hope but he was thinking he was buying me a great present! And he did they are nice Angus heifers. And should have great babies (if the second cow makes it) next time they will be bred to our hereford that is a great heifer bull!

Kim

 

[cowgirl_jenna]

Yeah, been there before. When we were first starting our herd we had some trouble with ssome purchased heifers calving huge calves. I grew up on a dairy farm, so pulling calves was pretty normal for me, but I got real good at delivering calves that year LOL. Hope your second heifer gets up and recovers. I remember when we had a cow go down with milk fever on the dairy. We turned her several times a day, lifted them up with a winch and numerous other things to save them. Sometimes it worked sometimes it didn't, bout all you can do is try. Good Luck and let us know how it turns out.
Jenna

 

[SRBeef]

3-fers (bred older cow with a calf at her side) are usually the best "deals" in cattle. Bred heifers seem like they should come with a warning label.

Hope things work out with the second one but would not bet on it. There's a nerve back there that gets damaged and often does not recover. Maybe yours will. They are not easy nor fun to deal with. Good luck.

Jim

 

[highgrit]

The buying of bred heifers is not the problem here. A good deal is great when it works out. To buy bred heifers at the sale barn, you better be tuff because it ain't real smart. If you don't know who or what the sire was your asking for trouble. I have bought a few bred heifers with no problems, but I knew who they were AI to. Any cow can have a dead calf, stuff happens that's nature. Good Luck

 

[Galloways1]

Heres' the story hubby got as he said a great deal (NOT) on two bred heifers! Well one had a dead calf last week and I had to pull a dead one by myself today out of the other one! Bred way to young to wrong kind of bull! On top of that couldnt find my gloves and hubby had the farm truck so I had no set up! Had to pull it with just a chain and a lead line now I got rope burns on my hands to boot! Shes' still down so verdicts still out on her being ok! I done what I can for her now its up to her. Hubby has learned his lesson I hope but he was thinking he was buying me a great present! And he did they are nice Angus heifers. And should have great babies (if the second cow makes it) next time they will be bred to our hereford that is a great heifer bull!

Kim

Sorry for your loss.

From your statements, this heifer was at it too long. If you could pull it by hand with rope and chains, it was not a "hard" birth, not easy, but fairly normal with some heifers.

Heifers can be a challenge and do require a lot more watching than experienced cows.

 

[Aaron]

Good deals are out there. Just need to buy from reputable people who will back their cattle up. Wish you were closer and I would sell you some heifers that would be a cakewalk to calve out.

 

[LLCFARMS]

I turned Josie twice last night and we got her up with a strap and the front end loader for a little bit before dark. Then put a bale of hay behind her to keep her sitting up. And low and behold she is standing this morning looking pretty good!! I took her out some grain and freshed her water. I was still able to walk right up to her gave her a shot that the vet gave me to use for pain. Shes' moving slow but my hopes are up that she will be just fine. I know how lucky we are! Now just praying that she keeps on getting better.I am going to put both these young girls in with my 9 month heifers and give them another chance in 6 months. Like I said they are nice looking well put together angus heifers just bred way to young. I think they need another chance! Thanks everyone for your comments. Times like these make it hard to stay in this business but my grandpa told me if you cant take times like this dont be a cattle farmer!

 

[Beef Man]

Pretty hard to get ahead of the true cattle trader. When you get a deal that is sso good that you can't go wrong is the time "the ----- hits the fan" . Tuf to outsmart a sale ring trader. There was a reason they went through the sale barn.

 

[Limomike]

I'm glad you got the other one up for now. I hope she continues to get better for you. they should do better for you next time.
It's times like those that make you wonder what the heck am I doing? :bang: But its also times like those that make you realize why you ARE in the business. :cboy:

 

[salebarn junkie]

Before you breed them you should get a pelvic measurement it might not be a bull problem.

 

[dun]

There was a reason they went through the sale barn.

And there are a million reasons they are there and not all of them a negative. When we were buying from the salebarn fairly regularly we had more good experiences with the cows/heifers then bad. The worst heifer we bought from the salebarn wasn;t even the worst experience. Not sure if it was the best but Granny came through the salebarn with a heifer calf at her side. The heifer went on the truck to fill up a load. Ol Granny made us a truck load of money over the 15 years we had her, and her daughters are doing the same.

 

[salebarn junkie]

I think more cows go through the barn because somebody needed some quick cash then go through because there's a problem

 

[dun]

I think more cows go through the barn because somebody needed some quick cash then go through because there's a problem

BINGO!

 

[LLCFARMS]

We do buy at the barn and yes its a pig n a poke what your going to get.But we have 30 out there that all came from the barn are are making babies for us each year. And we have their heifers coming along to be replacements for the older ones.So it all comes out in the end. I have been upset this week over these two but after I think about it, we have had a long while since we have had any problems. I just have to remember you have to take the good with the bad and hope theres more good then bad! I love my life just dont like losing babies or mamas. Josie is doing great today eating and running with all the girls! I do plan on having each of the heifers checked and measured to make sure they are going to be good replacements even these two.

 

[Black and Good]

We do buy at the barn and yes its a pig n a poke what your going to get.But we have 30 out there that all came from the barn are are making babies for us each year. And we have their heifers coming along to be replacements for the older ones.So it all comes out in the end. I have been upset this week over these two but after I think about it, we have had a long while since we have had any problems. I just have to remember you have to take the good with the bad and hope theres more good then bad! I love my life just dont like losing babies or mamas. Josie is doing great today eating and running with all the girls! I do plan on having each of the heifers checked and measured to make sure they are going to be good replacements even these two.

I've been thru the same type of things. With heifers there are so many more things that can cause problems like one leg hanging up or a little too a big calf and without doing it before they just give up. Where a mature cow would push it on out. Its just part of dealing with heifers. I'm calving out my heifers right now. Had one born Saturday on her own all cleaned off the bottom of its feet looked like it had been on its feet,full term found it dead??? Who knows, but it dead all the same mom was lying beside it like everything was fine. Good Luck. B&G

 

[greybeard]

We do buy at the barn and yes its a pig n a poke what your going to get.But we have 30 out there that all came from the barn are are making babies for us each year. And we have their heifers coming along to be replacements for the older ones.So it all comes out in the end. I have been upset this week over these two but after I think about it, we have had a long while since we have had any problems. I just have to remember you have to take the good with the bad and hope theres more good then bad! I love my life just dont like losing babies or mamas. Josie is doing great today eating and running with all the girls! I do plan on having each of the heifers checked and measured to make sure they are going to be good replacements even these two.

I've been thru the same type of things. With heifers there are so many more things that can cause problems like one leg hanging up or a little too a big calf and without doing it before they just give up. Where a mature cow would push it on out. Its just part of dealing with heifers. I'm calving out my heifers right now. Had one born Saturday on her own all cleaned off the bottom of its feet looked like it had been on its feet,full term found it dead??? Who knows, but it dead all the same mom was lying beside it like everything was fine. Good Luck. B&G

That's the ones that drive me nuts. Births ok, then just up and dies a few hrs later for no good reason that you can see without a vet checking and even then there's no guarantee you will really know WHY.
Only had 2 like that--hope no more.

 

[Black and Good]

We do buy at the barn and yes its a pig n a poke what your going to get.But we have 30 out there that all came from the barn are are making babies for us each year. And we have their heifers coming along to be replacements for the older ones.So it all comes out in the end. I have been upset this week over these two but after I think about it, we have had a long while since we have had any problems. I just have to remember you have to take the good with the bad and hope theres more good then bad! I love my life just dont like losing babies or mamas. Josie is doing great today eating and running with all the girls! I do plan on having each of the heifers checked and measured to make sure they are going to be good replacements even these two.

I've been thru the same type of things. With heifers there are so many more things that can cause problems like one leg hanging up or a little too a big calf and without doing it before they just give up. Where a mature cow would push it on out. Its just part of dealing with heifers. I'm calving out my heifers right now. Had one born Saturday on her own all cleaned off the bottom of its feet looked like it had been on its feet,full term found it dead??? Who knows, but it dead all the same mom was lying beside it like everything was fine. Good Luck. B&G

That's the ones that drive me nuts. Births ok, then just up and dies a few hrs later for no good reason that you can see without a vet checking and even then there's no guarantee you will really know WHY.
Only had 2 like that--hope no more.

Greybreard, I know what you mean and its been muddy and her utter was to dirty to know so sure if the calf had suck or not. Afterbirth and everything were right there close so I believe birth was fairly easy. :bang: B&G

 

[jilleroo]

Without wanting to sound harsh or critical, I think both of those heifers and calves would've been fine if their calves had been snigged out earlier in the piece. It's not always possible I know.

 

[Black and Good]

Without wanting to sound harsh or critical, I think both of those heifers and calves would've been fine if their calves had been snigged out earlier in the piece. It's not always possible I know.

HUH?? Explain what your talking about.

 

[jilleroo]

B&G, the first heifer got her calf out but it was dead, and the calf was able to be pulled out of the second heifer by hand. Had both heifers been assisted earlier, the calves wouldve been alive and everything fine. They don't sound like they were major cases of dystocia. It was bad luck that's all.