Sorry to read this... but considering the whole situation, not overly surprising. Sometimes they are just too compromised and then throwing all different things at them is just not enough.
Please do not buy anything else from this person.....
If you are wanting to buy calves to raise, then buy them from someone with them having gone across the scales, and are all the same size, structure... preferably that are weaned 45-60 days...
You would be better off to spend some time at the sale/stockyard... look for calves that are "all one owner", weaned and vaxx.... in the 400-500 lb range. Which will be your most costly calves too.... But you have a better chance of them being what they say. Or find someone local that you trust, and tell them what you want... and let them find you some. Or get someone like that to go to the stockyard with and watch and LISTEN to what they say when calves come through the ring.
You will buy heifers cheaper than steer calves.... get less when they sell, but less money in them.
Don't know what you paid for these calves... and they look to be a diverse group as far as for size... I am going to do a "balance sheet" so to speak.... just for shts and grins....
$purchase price = $600/hd x 8 calves=$4800 total invested........Loss of 2 calves = -$1200.
Vet visits and drugs, extras like electrolytes and such..... -$300.... Okay, then add in feed you have purchased... 1 ton at -$300........ so you already have $1800 spent/lost... Now you are down to 6 calves that have to return at least $6600 just to BREAK EVEN if you never spend another out of pocket penny on them. That is $1100 a head for 6 calves... Not figuring in the cost of the chute which you ought to be able to get your money back out of it without a problem, and if you keep cattle, will "pay for its self" in using it so we won't "charge that" against these calves. NOT COUNTING the value of the land if you rented it out instead...or the taxes you pay on it even if you own it outright.... all this is part of the "cost " of inputs into the livestock.
The figures are probably not right since you did not say what they cost and certainly don't have to share that... and I am not listing all them....
BUT, if you bought 8 calves for say $800/hd, so $6400; no losses, no vet bills or drugs except for some vaccines, same amount of grain -$400...so had $6800 in them.....and they sold for $1000/hd ... you would get $8000 back for them.... so would be ahead of the game...
This is a very simplistic, and not at all complete comparison...but do you see what I am trying to say.... It is all in the buying end... and unless you are very long time experienced with calves/cattle and problems, then these "good deals" are going to turn out very costly... sadly, as you have found out.
I am NOT trying to discourage you.... and there are learning curves for everyone and even the most experienced farmers/ranchers have losses and problems... but it is hard to see a relatively "newcomer" with the enthusiasm you have, get screwed over on the initial purchase because you don't know what you are really doing, or what you NEED to be looking for.
If this does nothing else, it has taught you some valuable lessons, expensive ones, and you will most likely not make them a second time.
The other thing, please understand that the cattle market is at/near it's peak.... prices we have never seen before. It can't sustain these prices in the long term because people cannot afford the cost of the beef in the grocery store. Inflation is hurting people and will continue to get worse if we stay on this path. When the price of cattle drops, even if it goes from the current ...say $3.00 /lb for 500 lb calves, and $2.50/lb for 7-8 wt calves... down $1.00/lb....to say $2.00 and $1.75..... the costs of inputs, is NOT going to drop comparably..... it is unlikely corn will go down much below the $4.00 bushel level and soybeans below $10....sure there will be some swings... BUT not as dramatic... the cost of wages is not going to go down, the cost of vaccines, etc are not going to go down... and the cost of feed from a feed mill is not going to drop the same percentage... so you will be operating on a much tighter budget and losing even one calf could be about your total "profit" on the group overall...
Many of us on here, have seen the $.75-1.00/lb for 500 lb feeders, and have seen the $.35-.50 /lb for cull cows in the past compared to the $1.25-1.50 that they are worth now. Another reason for older farmers to get the he// out of cattle when it is high.... and younger farmers not able to get in without losing their shirt... yes, that reduces the available #'s for future so should hold prices higher on feeders... but if there are no buyers because the beef is too expensive, there is no demand, and the prices will drop regardless of the fewer numbers...
I give you credit for trying as hard as you have to do right and take proper care of these calves... I hope that you can at least make back what you have in them and maybe even a little profit.... and can learn from this and want to keep being a farmer.....
