We sold a cow back in April. She was preg checked by our vet back in November and was said to be 2 months bred at that time. Based on the heat dates I had for her, I thought she was due early July so it was pretty similar to the vets estimate. The new owners just reached out and let me know she never calved. They thought they bumped a calf a while ago so they are worried if the baby is dead inside. I think its most likely she aborted a long time ago and it went unnoticed. They are having a vet out in a few days to check her. I feel pretty bad about it (because she probably would have aborted last winter before we sold her). I'm also very surprised. This would have been calf #5 for her I think and she never missed a calf before. Should we give them a partial refund or not? Even if we were just off on her due date she should have calved by now or be bagged up and about to pop...if she was bred the last day she was with the bull, she would have been due a week ago.
Sold cow - Refund?
- Thread starter LB2727
- Start date
kenny thomas
Well-known member
Did you sell her private sale or stockyard?
Did you guarantee her to calve or just to be vet checked pregnant?
Did you guarantee her to calve or just to be vet checked pregnant?
Private sale. We called her a bred cow in our for sale ad.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
Then its up to you as to what you might refund. But actually you sold her as what she was then, not now.
M.Magis
Well-known member
Would you be out much if you bought her back and then hauled her to the sale barn? Just to make a happy customer of course.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
Most slaughter cows are worth more now than in April
M.Magis
Well-known member
Thats what I’m thinking. If all it costs is a truck ride, probably worth it.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
I agree if its a good customer. If its a Craigslist sale still probably better than most.
Obviously have to wait and see what their vet says.
If it's not good news I would tell them to haul her to the auction and send you a copy of the check. You can mail them a check for the difference. I wouldn't waste the time or money picking it up and doing all that.
If it's not good news I would tell them to haul her to the auction and send you a copy of the check. You can mail them a check for the difference. I wouldn't waste the time or money picking it up and doing all that.
Good idea
Ky hills
Well-known member
I second what @Brute 23 said and have done that a couple of times for other reasons but that reason would definitely apply too.
When we sold bred heifers through a special sale, the heifers were guaranteed to be bred for up to 30 days after the sale. After that then any kind of compensation if any would be strictly between the buyer and seller.
There’s a lot of factors that could cause a cow to abort. They are fairly resilient, but sometimes moving and handling stress could possibly result in it. There’s so much that could happen at the new residence that the previous owner shouldn’t be responsible for. Nutrition, quality, rough handling, fights with other cattle, eating something toxic, disease like leptospirosis.
When we sold bred heifers through a special sale, the heifers were guaranteed to be bred for up to 30 days after the sale. After that then any kind of compensation if any would be strictly between the buyer and seller.
There’s a lot of factors that could cause a cow to abort. They are fairly resilient, but sometimes moving and handling stress could possibly result in it. There’s so much that could happen at the new residence that the previous owner shouldn’t be responsible for. Nutrition, quality, rough handling, fights with other cattle, eating something toxic, disease like leptospirosis.
clarkmorefarm
Well-known member
I've never heard of refunds given on a cattle sale.
Like mentioned you have no idea what happened to the cow after it left you.
Part of farming/ranching.
Like mentioned you have no idea what happened to the cow after it left you.
Part of farming/ranching.
coachg
Well-known member
Tell them to haul her to the sale barn and you will refund the difference they paid vs what she brings. Note here : she will probably bring more not less . I’d ask to see the sale barn receipt.
CowsRcuddly
Well-known member
In our previous auctions, it is written that the animal will be returned to the seller if: within 30 days she is vet checked to be open, or if she does not calve. They buyer & seller can decide to either return her to the seller for a refund of the purchase price or take her to a sale barn and the seller will refund the difference. If you liked the cow, ask for her return. If you don't want her back, refund the difference. Pretty easy solution. If you don't trust the buyer....have them bring her back and you can decide her fate.
Dave
Well-known member
Depending on what you sold her for and what kind of shape she is in now. She could be worth more to kill now than what you sold her for. On the other hand if she has lost weight and is thin now she could be worth a lot less. In fact the feed and care she received since you sold her could be the reason for the abortion. I would want to go look at the cow.
our auction has sign that says any guarantee is between the seller and buyer. Thus if you don't guarantee them there is no guarantee. What the vet called them as bred is the vet's opinion but with no guarantee. I have bought cows that calved early, or late, and not at all. But they are my cows now with nobody to go back on.
I think the lesson learned here is specify your terms on the receipt when you sell animals. Grey areas don't favor the seller.
