What is is With Some People??

[randiliana]

I work at the local stockyards. Most of the cattle that come in are in good shape and healthy. The odd one comes in with a bad eye, or is sick, especially when the calves start to come in, but then they almost always get taken home. But every now and then someone brings in a crippled up animal, one that in all honesty should have been put down a long time ago. First off IMO it is cruelty to leave an animal suffer, and secondly no one in our market will even bid on them. If they are bad enough, the management will not even run them through the sale ring.

We had 2 such cases this past sale, one was born crippled, it looked like it's stifles were locked, it could not bend them, and more or less just dragged its hind legs along, maybe there was some neurological damage as well. The other had had a navel infection, and was lame on all 4 legs. Knees and fetlocks were swollen up. It was pretty sad in both cases. They were trying to give the calves away, as they (the management) couldn't run them through the sale ring, and the owner wanted them gone. As the manager told me, when he asked if I wanted them, it really was not the auction's responsibility to put them down. No-one wanted them, so in the end, I imagine that the auction did put them down. They were not rehabilitatable, and the only thing that could really be done for them was to put them down.

This type of thing really makes me mad......

 

[VanC]

In my mind it's not only cruel, but extremely stupid. I suppose they're trying to get a few bucks out of them, but if they're too stupid to know that nobody's going to want them, and cruel enough to drag a calf in that shape to the sale barn, then they shouldn't be raising any kind of animals to begin with. Heck, it would have been less hassle and less cost, not to mention more humane, to just put them down and bury them in the first place.

Is there any way the sale barn can refuse to take them, or charge the owner if they end up having to dispose of them? I'm no animal rights nut but this kind of crap really gets my dander up.

 

[randiliana]

Is there any way the sale barn can refuse to take them, or charge the owner if they end up having to dispose of them? I'm no animal rights nut but this kind of crap really gets my dander up.

I think they are going to have to start turning these cattle around at the recieving end. But the guys at the recieving end are just employees, and when you start doing that sort of thing you end up taking a lot of flack. But, if you run these type of animals through, and the wrong person (read animal rights) is sitting in the ring, you are going to end up with major trouble. All it would take is a call to the Humane Society, and the auction would end up in trouble.

 

[GMN]

Here the sale barn won't even take them if they can't walk. They will take cows with prolapses, and skinny skeleton cows, but no one will buy them, then you get a call to come and get them back.

I think some people just should not own animals if they are not willing to spend money on them when they get sick, or treat them themselves. It only makes them look bad when they take a sick animal to the sale barn.

GMN

 

[bigbull338]

the sale barns here wont take crippled cattle like that.if they cant walk good.they are supposed to turn them down.because if the cattle are weak an cant walk good theyll go down on the truck.but you must realize that some people cant put stock down.even though they need tobe put down.

 

[Lammie]

the sale barns here wont take crippled cattle like that.if they cant walk good.they are supposed to turn them down.because if the cattle are weak an cant walk good theyll go down on the truck.but you must realize that some people cant put stock down.even though they need tobe put down.

I have seen calves picked up and carried into the ring they were so weak. People buy them, though. I have seen calves die in the ring, too. It makes me mad because if it has something contagious then it can make the others sick and you end up with a sick calf even though he was healthy acting when you bought him.

 

[branDcalf]

Chaps my hide when people who own animals can't/won't do the hard parts of being a responsible owner.

Had a neighbor like that. He consider me a tough old heifer and didn't like me at all, but always called when a cow prolapsed (i'd repair), a calf couldn't be pulled or any animal needed put down. And I couldn't say "no," cause I knew he'd just take 'em away from the house and let them suffer to death.

 

[msscamp]

Randi, if and when you figure that one out, would you please let me know? I know some people who have a horse that should have been put down years ago - he got his foot caught in a fence, did serious damage to the foot - then ignored it to the point that the hoof had grown out and curved around his fetlock the last time I saw him, but they were adamant about keeping him and "giving him a quality life" while he was hobbling around on 3 legs competing for food with 4 other horses. I don't understand this mindset, either.

 

[Jogeephus]

Cattle as with children, I don't think some folks should be allowed to have any. I once refused to sell a man some heifers cause I looked at his setup and some of his animals prior to his coming by. I couldn't do that to the girls.

 

[dun]

Cattle as with children, I don't think some folks should be allowed to have any.

The children part makes you wish retroactive birth control was legal

 

[rockridgecattle]

i wish some people would get their head out of their... :x
...it just gives fuel to the so called "saviors of our planet" as to what evil, enviromentally challenged, animal husbandry challenged fools we are. :roll: :roll: :roll:

 

[Bullbuyer]

There is a big sign posted at one of the local stockyards which says that animals must leave the trailer under their own power. I thought this was a regulation here in the states but I could be wrong.

 

[blueridge]

we have a processing here that everyone would take the animals that couldn't go through the sale barn. they would pull them off of the trailor with a loader. they were finally made to stop that practice and now each animal has to walk out under its own power. this plant buys the really skinny and old cows at the sale barn also. they process it for dog food.

 

[CUZ]

The term around here is ambulatory. If an animal can't get off the trailer under their own power then the sale barn will not let you unload them.

I haven't ever seen it happen but I hear they're pretty strict about non-ambulatory animals.

 

[dun]

The term around here is ambulatory. If an animal can't get off the trailer under their own power then the sale barn will not let you unload them.

I haven't ever seen it happen but I hear they're pretty strict about non-ambulatory animals.

Saw a guy unload a bunch of old jersey cows at the salebarn. All walked off except one that wuldn;t get up. They did everything imaginable to get her up, hot shot pull/push/rollover, etc. Guy claimed the cow was fine and just ]didn;t want to get up. He then hooked a tractor to her and drug her out. She laid there like a lump and when he walked around to unhook the chain, she got up and tried her best to make a messy paint job on the side of the building with him. I guess she didn;t want to get up. I was POed and headed back that way when she did it. I'll admit I cheered for the cow.

 

[randiliana]

The term around here is ambulatory. If an animal can't get off the trailer under their own power then the sale barn will not let you unload them.

I haven't ever seen it happen but I hear they're pretty strict about non-ambulatory animals.

Well, technically these 2 were ambulatory. They were just so lame that they should never have been brought in. I don't think that I have heard of anyone bringing in a downer, but I wouldn't be shocked if someone did.

In our market, and especially now, after the BSE thing, you have a hard time selling plain cattle, let alone anything that has something physically wrong with it. Lame, bad eyes, lumps, and what not usually do not sell. Or if they do you will get less than 1/2 of what 'healthy' animals would bring.

 

[donnaIL]

The saddest thing I saw at the sale barn was a "blind as a bat" cow...maybe the owner couldn't dispose of her any other way...someone bought her, but it was interesting seeing the sale barn crew handle her...she went through the ring a couple of times. going to be lots of thin cattle coming through soon. donna

 

[Brahma Bull]

Yeah that makes me sick too,some people in the cattle business will do anything to limit their loss and make a few pennies.They don't even know the word or meaning of "euthanize".It is down right unhuman and cruel to let any animal suffer needlessly until death ends it.We had a old german neighbor,tight as a knott on a log with money.
He seldom fed hay in the winter.Much rather let a cow and calf lay there and die than call a vet.There are some farmers that still like that,shouldn't even be in the business or own a animal.
I always call the vet or get my 45-70 win.Aint nothing easy about it one bit either,but gotta do the right thing.

 

[dun]

Yeah that makes me sick too,some people in the cattle business will do anything to limit their loss and make a few pennies.They don't even know the word or meaning of "euthanize".It is down right unhuman and cruel to let any animal suffer needlessly until death ends it.We had a old german neighbor,tight as a knott on a log with money.
He seldom fed hay in the winter.Much rather let a cow and calf lay there and die than call a vet.There are some farmers that still like that,shouldn't even be in the business or own a animal.
I always call the vet or get my 45-70 win.Aint nothing easy about it one bit either,but gotta do the right thing.

That's another one for the words you don;t hear much anymore thread!