Who uses a Vet?

[Black Coos]

I think most of you big boys probly have on on hand/call, how about the Novice?

I have Black Angus based Herd (20 -25 cows) or 50 anmials at any given time, I do most things right, I mean Shots, worming, menarials, salt ,ect., I calf at 28 to 32 months, tag and band...I have keep heifers for the last 10 years, cullin at a rate of 50 %by the 5 year or six years. I have good commerical cows, I raise beef...I have never had to pull a calf, or assist with a calf off of any of the bulls I have used....Never had a Vet on the place, just do not see the need for one....BUT I do 3 things, I give the Bull and his calves a real close look , and I breed all my hiefers late 24 months( 2 mo. either way) and I CULL hard.. For a Novice ( just a few head of cattle) I think breeding late is smart, just less problems...with calving....Many say do not calf heifers

If I was not a Novice , had a big ranch, lots of cattle and my life depended on cattle , I would do lots of things different.....

I except the fact , that I will have cows died...

1. old age, so I sale them off as canners
2. lighting, storms ( tornado can blow cows away)
3. hurt feet, holes , glass, wire, you name it
4.bad eyes, bad uder
5. Just drop dead
AND CALVES died of You name it. But last year when finished up 15 out of 15 in 90 day period....

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Consider yourself lucky - not smart.
A calving difficulty can happen at any time. Does not mean your heifer wasn't big enough - doesn't mean your bull threw bad calves. Crap happens. Tangled set of twins - no way the cow can get them out. Full breech (tail first). Head back, leg back, upside down, etc.
Lots of reasons for calving problems. We handle 99% of any calving difficulties ourselves.
Rare that we have a vet on the place other than health papers and calfhood vaccination (Bruccelosis vac) but, if I need one, I have one available, and I'm not too cheap to call one. They are worth their weight in gold. And if you don't have a relationship with a vet, you won't hardly be able to get one out if you do have an emergency.

 

[bigbull338]

we do our own vet work.vets arnt called unless its something real bad.had to pull a calf the other day.everything was fine the cow just was lazy about having it.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

we do our own vet work.vets arnt called unless its something real bad.had to pull a calf the other day.everything was fine the cow just was lazy about having it.

But - the point I am making is that you handle everything yourself - but you do have a vet for "emergency"???
If you own animals, there is a time & day when something will happen that you cannot handle it yourself - or just let it die and save the $$. Not my way of doing business.

 

[bigbull338]

the vet that i use went into semi retirement.so if i need a vet i have to find 1.

 

[Black Coos]

In my case I got a vet 10 mins. away 24/7 Just never had a need to use him, can do many things myself, and I raise commerical cows.

I except the fact death is aways nearby...

 

[chippie]

Do you vaccinate your heifers against Brucellosis?

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

In my case I got a vet 10 mins. away 24/7 Just never had a need to use him, can do many things myself, and I raise commerical cows.

I except the fact death is aways nearby...

So, are you saying, if a cow/calf had a problem & you couldn't handle it yourself, you wouldn't call the vet?

 

[backhoeboogie]

I've got access to a vet 24/7. He lives a long way away from here. Funny, he calls me a whole lot more than I call him tho. Usually it is to take care of something going on with his cows (they are local) or for a friend of his.

I have hauled in calves to a local vet, spent a lot of nickels, and the calf die anyway. That's a double hit on the pocket book. There's nothing worse.

Some things I can fix. Some things I can fix with the right coaching. Some things I cannot touch and wouldn't touch.

People will spend $1500 on Fifi without batting an eye. It only makes sense to me that people would not mind spending $800 on a $700 cow. I cannot make a business case analysis to do that.

 

[plumber_greg]

I doubt very few of us use a vet every runny nose or calf to pull. I use one to give vaccinations to calves, and do the cows at the same time, because to sell them as cetififed pre-conditioned around here you must have vet certificates. Sometimes we tend to think that our past experences will make up for a vet's schooling, and his ability for the continuing education that they almost all take. If you can make losing a $1500 cow to save $150 vet fee, just so you might or might not know what to do next time, pencil out more power to you. gs

 

[TexasBred]

In my case I got a vet 10 mins. away 24/7 Just never had a need to use him, can do many things myself, and I raise commerical cows.

I except the fact death is aways nearby...

Give yourself a pat on the back. Looks like you have created the perfect operation. :clap: :clap:

 

[novaman]

I don't have a vet out a lot but I use them several times a year. Brucellosis vaccinations and testing bulls is always on the schedule. I've had one instance where I needed a C-section because of a freak calf that was not coming out naturally. Obviously with dairy cattle there are at least a couple trips to the vet because of things like DA's. I will call the vet for advice or ideas on treatment if I get a sick calf/cow. I use lots of prescription drugs and you can't get those without going through a vet.

 

[backhoeboogie]

If you can make losing a $1500 cow to save $150 vet fee, just so you might or might not know what to do next time, pencil out more power to you. gs

With all do respect, I have not had a vet fee for under $250 in many years.

If you have any animal from the sale barn, you are SOL with all local vets should something go wrong. They will tell you it is your own fault for buying animals from the sale barn. Don't want the animal at their clinic and they don't want to come out.

I count my lucky stars I have the access to the vet that I do have - even if it is long distance. He can call me in prescriptions.

 

[highgrit]

I do, its money well spent. Our vet teaches us something new every time he comes out. The best part is we can call and get advice if we have any questions, plus whatever antibiotics and medications we don't have he does. If you own animals, you will lose some. It's the owners responsibility to take care of their animals, afterall, they're all Gods creatures.

 

[TexasBred]

If you can make losing a $1500 cow to save $150 vet fee, just so you might or might not know what to do next time, pencil out more power to you. gs

With all do respect, I have not had a vet fee for under $250 in many years.

If you have any animal from the sale barn, you are SOL with all local vets should something go wrong. They will tell you it is your own fault for buying animals from the sale barn. Don't want the animal at their clinic and they don't want to come out.

I count my lucky stars I have the access to the vet that I do have - even if it is long distance. He can call me in prescriptions.

You're kidding?? And this is the same guy that calls you and wants you to help him?? 90% of the cattle around here have been thru a sale barn at least once in their life.

 

[backhoeboogie]

If you can make losing a $1500 cow to save $150 vet fee, just so you might or might not know what to do next time, pencil out more power to you. gs

With all do respect, I have not had a vet fee for under $250 in many years.

If you have any animal from the sale barn, you are SOL with all local vets should something go wrong. They will tell you it is your own fault for buying animals from the sale barn. Don't want the animal at their clinic and they don't want to come out.

I count my lucky stars I have the access to the vet that I do have - even if it is long distance. He can call me in prescriptions.

You're kidding?? And this is the same guy that calls you and wants you to help him?? 90% of the cattle around here have been thru a sale barn at least once in their life.

I am talking about local vets TB. We had an awesome vet large animal vet but he died about 15 years back.

Edit: We were refueling a couple of years ago and I was on 12 hour days. A heifer was born and BIL told me it nursed. The next day it was lethargic and getting worse. Wife and BIL took it to the vet. That's when I found out calf was not actually hooked up and nursing but "looked like it would since it was under there...." $275 and a dead heifer that might have brought $125 (then) as a day old at the sale barn if she would have indeed nursed. That was not an animal that came from the sale barn!

 

[KNERSIE]

Who needs a vet when you have Cattle Today?

 

[dun]

We use a vet for vaccinations twice a year. He helps work the cows so it's free help. For drugs and stuff I just ask and he lets me have them. I found out a couple of years ago that if I bought vaccines in large enough quantitys to get a decent price I had to through most of them away. Turns out that it's actually dollar wise less money to have the vet do it.

 

[novatech]

I do, its money well spent. Our vet teaches us something new every time he comes out. The best part is we can call and get advice if we have any questions, plus whatever antibiotics and medications we don't have he does. If you own animals, you will lose some. It's the owners responsibility to take care of their animals, afterall, they're all Gods creatures.

I did most everything myself if I was capable. If they needed to go to the vet I asked what it would cost. If it was close or more than the cow was worth then God had the right to do as he pleased, I didn't interfere. Same as he does in the wild.

 

[TexasBred]

am talking about local vets TB. We had an awesome vet large animal vet but he died about 15 years back.

Edit: We were refueling a couple of years ago and I was on 12 hour days. A heifer was born and BIL told me it nursed. The next day it was lethargic and getting worse. Wife and BIL took it to the vet. That's when I found out calf was not actually hooked up and nursing but "looked like it would since it was under there...." $275 and a dead heifer that might have brought $125 (then) as a day old at the sale barn if she would have indeed nursed. That was not an animal that came from the sale barn!

Amazing that a vet would pass judgement on you and refuse to help just because you don't do things exactly like he does....seems those folks would be the one make him successful. Hope you've found another one.