I am quickly losing what little faith I had in sale yard vets. I bought cows based on their preg checks to calf in February and March. So far only 3 calves have been born in February. I had a few early but fewer of them than normal. I have 50 left to calf. There is 37 days until the end of March. It will take 1.35 per day in that time for them to get finished on time. There is always a few late ones but not suppose to be half the herd.
Losing faith
- Thread starter webfoot
- Start date
Puzzled
Well-known member
They maybe waiting for bad weather.
Can you exchange them or get a refund
Can you exchange them or get a refund
You are joking, right. Ever buy a bunch of cows at the sale?They maybe waiting for bad weather.
Can you exchange them or get a refund
Puzzled
Well-known member
Yes and yes. Well not a bunch, but enough to know that when they say sold, they mean it
Puzzled
Well-known member
Hopefully they pickup the pace a bit.
Is the vet that did the preg check at the sale barn, a different vet than has been there in the past?
Is the vet that did the preg check at the sale barn, a different vet than has been there in the past?
2 different sales different vets at each. La Grande has a man who arms them. Vale has a lady vet who ultra sounds them. The vet at La Grande says he use to be a dairy vet and almost exclusively did preg checks all day long.
Faster horses
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Those vets that have a lot of practice are very good. Our local vet in Montana was one of the first to start ultra sounding. He went all over with a hydraulic portable chute. Every time the chute closed it sounded like a cash register to him. He was very fast. Maybe too fast. But he made a name for himself, everyone knew about him.
Puzzled
Well-known member
"Rufus had drug up a good fresh after birth", this quote was taken from "Ranchers dog food".
So I'm guessing at least one more of your cows has calved ? 
So
I'm guessing at least one more of your cows has calved ? 5 last week. A total of 11 down and 46 to go."Rufus had drug up a good fresh after birth", this quote was taken from "Ranchers dog food".
So
DosArroyos
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Better a little late than never
I have had 8 born since the first of March. Including 4 today. 3 were born the normal way. The following story is about #4.
So we had a cow who had been down for several day. No luck getting her to stand. Last night after working with her B asked me if I had a sharp knife. I said mine barely cuts twine off the bales. Neither of us had a sharp knife and day light was beginning to fail. We looked at her Bangs tatoo and decided she was 16 years old. So we gave her some more food and water. This morning I saved the last flake of hay and took it to her. She was laid out flat and not moving. From about 30 feet away I thought she had died. Went out with the tractor around 11 to drag her off. She wagged her tail. Tried to sit her upright but it wasn't happening. Called B and told him to bring his sharp knife. Emergency C section. Got the calf out. Cow got pain killer from a rifle. Calf is in the barn. Got tubed with colostrum. A rude arrival into the world but seems to be doing good. So it is not a complete loss.
So we had a cow who had been down for several day. No luck getting her to stand. Last night after working with her B asked me if I had a sharp knife. I said mine barely cuts twine off the bales. Neither of us had a sharp knife and day light was beginning to fail. We looked at her Bangs tatoo and decided she was 16 years old. So we gave her some more food and water. This morning I saved the last flake of hay and took it to her. She was laid out flat and not moving. From about 30 feet away I thought she had died. Went out with the tractor around 11 to drag her off. She wagged her tail. Tried to sit her upright but it wasn't happening. Called B and told him to bring his sharp knife. Emergency C section. Got the calf out. Cow got pain killer from a rifle. Calf is in the barn. Got tubed with colostrum. A rude arrival into the world but seems to be doing good. So it is not a complete loss.
Puzzled
Well-known member
Sorry you lost the cow. At 16 she earned the right to die on a ranch. She hung in there long enough
for you to get the calf out alive, and that was good.
She didn't earn any rights here. I paid about $2,000 for her back in November. Do this one and done program every year and you soon learn that about 5% will die on you. Helps to keep the coyotes, magpies, and ravens well fed. Getting the calf out of her keeps it from being a complete loss.
Big Muddy rancher
Well-known member
Those Baby calves are selling high, should almost break even if you don't count feed, interest and work.
That's ho w this ranching seems to work
That's ho w this ranching seems to work
This calf has a ways to go before he is a $1,000 bottle calf. His legs have got a lot stronger but his suck reflex is needing some work. Still getting about 2/3 of his feed by way of the tube.
Faster horses
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Right up to half done. Not great, but that will sure work!
Puzzled
Well-known member
They gotta hang in there and drop about 2 calves a day. I bothers me when they drop a calf and a half.
