Salesbarn Prices

[GMN]

Monday at the sale barn nearest to me, new holstien bull calves were going for less than $15.

Boss told me that a few weeks ago someone hauled 40-50 head of Holstein bull calves to the salebarn... and no one there wanted the calves.

They had someone take the whole lot of calves out back and shoot every one of them.

That is disgustingly cruel, and makes me SICK!!!!!!!! The opportunity for someone... they missed out and made themselves all look bad. The market was like this many years ago, it turned around. I got a big problem with people who do this kind of stuff.

Gail

 

[spoon]

Monday at the sale barn nearest to me, new holstien bull calves were going for less than $15.

Boss told me that a few weeks ago someone hauled 40-50 head of Holstein bull calves to the salebarn... and no one there wanted the calves.

They had someone take the whole lot of calves out back and shoot every one of them.

That is disgustingly cruel, and makes me SICK!!!!!!!! The opportunity for someone... they missed out and made themselves all look bad. The market was like this many years ago, it turned around. I got a big problem with people who do this kind of stuff.

Gail

What was the cruel part?

 

[milkmaid]

Gail, I don't see anything cruel about it. Sad, yes, to put down a huge lot of healthy calves, but cruel or inhumane, absolutely not.

What else do you recommend? the dairy didn't want them back and no one else wanted to take the calves. Should they be left to starve? Raising cows is an economical business -- you don't keep animals that aren't going to make money. Should the dairy be forced to raise calves at a loss? I think not.

In my area of the country Holstein bull calves are going for $5-30 at auction, if you can find someone willing to take them. Milk replacer is around $80+ per bag. It wasn't a lost opportunity for someone, it was a market-driven situation that resulted because it's almost impossible for anyone to so much as break even on Holstein bull calves, especially at this time of year.

It's a sad deal, but the calves were put down humanely and I can't find fault with it.

 

[GMN]

Gail, I don't see anything cruel about it. Sad, yes, to put down a huge lot of healthy calves, but cruel or inhumane, absolutely not.

What else do you recommend? the dairy didn't want them back and no one else wanted to take the calves. Should they be left to starve? Raising cows is an economical business -- you don't keep animals that aren't going to make money. Should the dairy be forced to raise calves at a loss? I think not.

In my area of the country Holstein bull calves are going for $5-30 at auction, if you can find someone willing to take them. Milk replacer is around $80+ per bag. It wasn't a lost opportunity for someone, it was a market-driven situation that resulted because it's almost impossible for anyone to so much as break even on Holstein bull calves, especially at this time of year.

It's a sad deal, but the calves were put down humanely and I can't find fault with it.

Thats your opinion, if the story is even true.

GMN

 

[gerardplauche]

One good thing about Louisiana is that EVERY calf will sell at an auction. Some may go for as little as $20.00, but nothing will go as "No Sale" (unless it is obviously sick or injured). I am confident that those Holstein bull calves would have brought at least a low price at our salebarn. Stories like this from the north surprise me every time.

 

[TexasBred]

Monday at the sale barn nearest to me, new holstien bull calves were going for less than $15.

Boss told me that a few weeks ago someone hauled 40-50 head of Holstein bull calves to the salebarn... and no one there wanted the calves.

They had someone take the whole lot of calves out back and shoot every one of them.

That wouldn't surprise me at all. ..Saw them almost give away a half dozen at the sale last week. Sale price didn't even cover cost. Seller probably got a bill rather than a check. Folks around here are giving them away IF anyone wants to mess with them.

 

[milkmaid]

Are you questioning my honesty, Gail??? I have never posted information or stories that are not true to the best of my knowledge, and you've known me long enough you know I don't tell tall tales. I know the people who told that story to me, and I have no doubt that it is completely accurate.

You have stated your opinion, with no reason given beyond that you don't like the situation. Puts you in the same catagory as those anti-horse-slaughter people who oppose horse slaughter because the idea of eating a horse is appalling to them, not because there's anything inhumane about it. We are cattlemen living in the real world, not a glass box, and things happen that we don't like hearing about, but it doesn't make them wrong.

 

[GMN]

Are you questioning my honesty, Gail??? I have never posted information or stories that are not true to the best of my knowledge, and you've known me long enough you know I don't tell tall tales. I know the people who told that story to me, and I have no doubt that it is completely accurate.

You have stated your opinion, with no reason given beyond that you don't like the situation. Puts you in the same catagory as those anti-horse-slaughter people who oppose horse slaughter because the idea of eating a horse is appalling to them, not because there's anything inhumane about it. We are cattlemen living in the real world, not a glass box, and things happen that we don't like hearing about, but it doesn't make them wrong.

I'm questioning that a story can change over time, as it is told.

The fact that you see nothing wrong with shooting calves really surprises me. Some situations are clearly right and clearly wrong, and this is just plain wrong. As far as options out there for raising these calves I can think of a few. Nurse cows, older cows feeding them so no milk replacer is fed. I've not bought a bag of milk replacer in over 5 years.

Alot of people milk their treated and old cows just to feed calves. If they did not sell the owner should have come and got them, and dealt with it himself.

Also, the owner surely could have run a ad, FREE is a pretty encouraging word for alot of people, and I have no doubt that they could have been given away.

There are alot of ways to farm out there MM, I think sometimes you are too strong in your opinions, and when someone disagrees with you, they are always wrong and you are always right.

GMN

 

[redfornow]

I think sometimes you are too strong in your opinions, and when someone disagrees with you, they are always wrong and you are always right. GMN

Wow now thats the pot callin the kettle black...

 

[TexasBred]

Calm down ladies. Fact of the matter nobody wanted the calves. Should they have been killed at the sale or at the farm? Who knows. I guess they tried to sell them and nobody wanted them. Did they get permission from the owner to kill them? Did he leave them there and never intend to haul them back to the farm? Lots of variables. Most would have died anyway in a cage on the side of the road with a "free calves" sign on them. Don't know that there was a perfect solution to the situation. Dammed if you do...dammed if you don't.

 

[milkmaid]

Gail, boss heard the story from a fellow who was at the barn that day, and he repeated it to me. I've known boss for some 11 years and he's never been one for exaggerating anything, or telling me anything from a questionable source. The story is true, like it or not.

I would challenge you to find ONE multi-thousand cow dairy out there with time, money, or interest in putting a bunch of worthless Holstein bull calves on nurse cows.

Or find a small producer of any ability who is interested in putting those calves on nurse cows. "Free" often costs a person far more than they ever expected -- I've found that out the hard way too many times. No one who knows what they're doing is going to put worthless calves on valuable cows who cost a LOT in upkeep, when those same cows could raise calves that actually have value and the potential to make money.

The important thing that you haven't realized, is that people who take "free" animals usually don't have any idea what to do with them, and it's altogether possible that if you give them away to people looking for a way to make some quick cash, you may also be condemning the calves to a miserable existence and a high mortality rate. I've seen some of those backyard calf raisers and it's not a pretty sight. Not everyone raises calves like you and I do, Gail. Is it not better to put the calves down humanely when they're not suffering, than to force them to live under inhumane conditions?

I went to look at a nurse cow with 6 calves once, and this was back when Holstein bull calves were still bringing a good price... cow looked ok, but every one of those Holstein bull calves had some degree of scours, blindness, or joint infections. The guy had a fairly large assortment of bovines on the rest of his place, from beef to dairy, and thought the calves were fine. I'm sure he'd be interested in picking up free calves if they were offered to him. You still want to send your calves to that type of place?

How about other situations people don't like to think about... how about the fact that humane societies and dog pounds put down thousands of healthy dogs and cats every year? No one wants those animals either. You going to say that's cruel too?

Or that there was an article in my local paper today how the BLM intends to euthanize wild horses -- they already have 33,000 in confinement that no one will adopt. (Think of how much hay that's using!) Is it cruel to put those horses down??? I say not... unfortunate, but not cruel.

Maybe you'd better put your money where your mouth is if you dislike hearing about calves being shot. I'm sure there are dozens of big dairies in my area that would ship you all the free Holstein bull calves you want if you pay shipping costs.

 

[Dave]

The fact that they are killing Holstein bull calves at the sale doesn't surprise me in the least. They have been doing it here for several months. In fact dairies have been bring in less calves because it is cheaper to do it at home. The sale yard sells what they can, gives away any of the others that people will take, and kills the rest. If it is happening here....... well milk maid lives in an area with some huge dairies and a lot less people to take the free ones.

Holstein steers that weigh 300 pounds have been selling for 65 cents for the last year. That is only about $200. It cost more than that to raise one even if the calf was free.

 

[GMN]

I think sometimes you are too strong in your opinions, and when someone disagrees with you, they are always wrong and you are always right. GMN

Wow now thats the pot callin the kettle black...

GOOD ONE, I LIKE IT!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

GMN

 

[Cowdirt]

To prevent so many bull calves from being killed because they have no economic value, is it feasible for dairy farmers to use "sexed" semen when AI'ing. I'm sure there is a down side to the dairyman. One I can think of is increased cost of AI'ing. Would this create a surplus of dairy heifers? On the up side for other beef producers, it would reduce the amount of beef on the mkt. Should result in better prices. I'm just throwing out ideas that might at least improve a situation that no one likes,ie, killing baby calves.

 

[GMN]

Gail, boss heard the story from a fellow who was at the barn that day, and he repeated it to me. I've known boss for some 11 years and he's never been one for exaggerating anything, or telling me anything from a questionable source. The story is true, like it or not.

I would challenge you to find ONE multi-thousand cow dairy out there with time, money, or interest in putting a bunch of worthless Holstein bull calves on nurse cows.


I never said a big dairy would want them, but believe it or not I have had numerous people wanting to buy bull calves from me to raise up for butcher, etc.. for their kids as a learnng experience, etc... Fact is the guy if he cared enough could have made more of a effort. Obviuosly he didn't give a darn.



The important thing that you haven't realized, is that people who take "free" animals usually don't have any idea what to do with them, and it's altogether possible that if you give them away to people looking for a way to make some quick cash, you may also be condemning the calves to a miserable existence and a high mortality rate. I've seen some of those backyard calf raisers and it's not a pretty sight. Not everyone raises calves like you and I do, Gail. Is it not better to put the calves down humanely when they're not suffering, than to force them to live under inhumane conditions?

I'm not sure shooting calves at a sale barn is what I would call a humane practice.



How about other situations people don't like to think about... how about the fact that humane societies and dog pounds put down thousands of healthy dogs and cats every year? No one wants those animals either. You going to say that's cruel too?Quote:

I've worked in clinics where that was my job, they were also the pound putting animals down, dogs mostly, this isn't even comparable to the calf situation, because that is preventable, with spaying and neuturing of adult animals.

Or that there was an article in my local paper today how the BLM intends to euthanize wild horses -- they already have 33,000 in confinement that no one will adopt. (Think of how much hay that's using!) Is it cruel to put those horses down??? I say not... unfortunate, but not cruel.Quote:

I don't much like horses anyways, so I'm not going to comment on what they do to them.

Maybe you'd better put your money where your mouth is if you dislike hearing about calves being shot. I'm sure there are dozens of big dairies in my area that would ship you all the free Holstein bull calves you want if you pay shipping costs.

I never said I had the room or the time to raise bull calves, I raise all my own, and I am only one person. What I originally said is I found the practice of shooting calves disgusting and cruel, and I still say it is what it is. As long as that farmer can live with himself-great, doesn't sound like you have a problem with it either so good for you. I guess next time you can get your gun and shoot them too.

GMN

 

[redfornow]

I think sometimes you are too strong in your opinions, and when someone disagrees with you, they are always wrong and you are always right. GMN

Wow now thats the pot callin the kettle black...

GOOD ONE, I LIKE IT!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

GMN

Thanks!!! I try.

There is always room for a good pissing contest. :tiphat:

 

[Brandonm22]

The last that I read from Genex, they weren't recommending sexed semen be used on cows....just virgin heifers and even then using it would decrease conception rate slightly (versus unsexed semen). It is hard enough to get dairy cows too breed without doing anything that complicates the situation. Growing out Holstein steers is kinda like growing out white Leghorn roosters. I have done both and the end result of both is an animal that really isn't meat quality. IF this becomes a trend (and I am not jumping down that road yet) how will that affect beef supply??? A lot of feedlot space historically has been Holstein steers.

 

[Beefy]

IF it becomes a trend we will likely all be out of business when the PETA people find out "we" are shooting perfectly good calves.

 

[milkmaid]

I never said a big dairy would want them, but believe it or not I have had numerous people wanting to buy bull calves from me to raise up for butcher, etc.. for their kids as a learnng experience, etc... Fact is the guy if he cared enough could have made more of a effort. Obviuosly he didn't give a darn.

Nope, evidently not. Because those 40-50 calves were probably all under 3 weeks old, and he probably had a couple dozen more close-up dry cows. You don't seem to comprehend the number of calves... fact of the matter is, there are easily a dozen several-thousand-cow dairies just along the highway between my place and the dairy auction south of here (4 hour drive). South-east Idaho has some of the biggest dairy operations in the west. That translates to thousands of bull calves a year that used to be shipped to calf raisers in California -- but they're not buying anymore. The local market can't keep up, the beef guys are done calving and don't want the Holstein bull calves anymore, and the remaining people that want calves are few and far between. No one in their right mind buys Holstein bull calves at this time of year. I'll do it mid-winter if the price is right, but never in the summer.

I'm not sure shooting calves at a sale barn is what I would call a humane practice.

And you still haven't said WHAT is inhumane about it.

I've worked in clinics where that was my job, they were also the pound putting animals down, dogs mostly, this isn't even comparable to the calf situation, because that is preventable, with spaying and neuturing of adult animals.

Sure it's preventable, but you're still putting down healthy young animals, many of them less than a year old. Preventable or not, they're still being put down -- and you don't seem to consider that inhumane.

I don't much like horses anyways, so I'm not going to comment on what they do to them.

Whether you like them or not is kind of beside the point...

I never said I had the room or the time to raise bull calves, I raise all my own, and I am only one person. What I originally said is I found the practice of shooting calves disgusting and cruel, and I still say it is what it is. As long as that farmer can live with himself-great, doesn't sound like you have a problem with it either so good for you. I guess next time you can get your gun and shoot them too.

"the practice of shooting calves disgusting and cruel" -- out of curiousity, does that include ones that ought to be put down?

No, I don't have a problem with someone else putting down calves if economically they decide they have to. It's not a perfect world, you know. As long as people treat their animals humanely from birth to death, it's really none of my business. And last I heard, a well placed bullet WAS more humane than the euthanasia solution vets use.

On my own place I only put down sick animals that have no chance of recovery; ie my calf with joint ill. The holstein bull calves I do end up with, I can raise up and put in our own freezer. I have a small enough operation I can do things that way... if I were running a 3,000 cow dairy I might have to make some tough choices.

What would YOU do if you had a 3,000 cow dairy and 20 bull calves a week being born with no one to take them, even for free, and you were losing $100 or more on each calf you raised? Have a better suggestion for these folks?

 

[Central Fl Cracker]

Butcher them and give Veal to the poor.