stuffing with sweetfeed

[Howdyjabo]

I get to see this regularly-- thought I would mention it in case anyone out there doesn't know what the end result is.

Some People are catching their calves or filling them up(to make them look bigger) with sweet feed before they take them to a sale.

Not a good idea- heres what happens when they get here.
They blow their guts and have diareah(sp) till they shrivel to a rack of bones. You can see them squirting the sweet feed almost in tact for 3-5 days.

It ruins a perfectly good calf for at least two weeks-- and if they should happen to get sick they don't have the reserves available to hold them till they fight it off.

There are cattle pellets that taste good that will work just as well as bait feed-- and stuffing any animal with feed that is not used to it is just bad husbandry.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

friend of mine bought one back during the summer at the sale. brought it home gave it meds the next day had a rectal prolaspe too much too soon

 

[TheBullLady]

Yup.. another good reason not to buy at the auction barn, unless you know what you're doing, and are in a position to rectify it!

My old neighbor down the road would hold them off water for two days, and then let them drink. That's just sorry...

 

[dun]

Yup.. another good reason not to buy at the auction barn, unless you know what you're doing, and are in a position to rectify it!

My old neighbor down the road would hold them off water for two days, and then let them drink. That's just sorry...

And in years gone by some folks would load them with salt for a day or two before loading them with water at the sale barn

dun

 

[Howdyjabo]

Well I guess theres always gonna be some ##### thats gonna try to "one up" at the poor calves expense.

Hopefully someone reading this might think(for the first time) that its not just part of the game and knowing the end result for the animal- its something they shouldn't do- even if others are.

 

[Susie David]

Nice thing up here is that the auctioneer anounces who's cows are in the ring...not hard to figure out what fella's cows get the high dollar and who gets the slaughter prices.
just my two bits worth...DMc

 

[Medic24]

Another reason to look for calves or cows with flat sides, and avoid the bloated bellies. :cboy: