Now what do I do?

[JA in WA]

This may sound stupid but here it goes. I've been looking for about two years for an unusual breed of beef cows (cows/cow-calf/heifer) for sale in the NW and I finally found someone looking to sell. They're a day trip away so I will mostly do the buying over the phone & with pictures. Other than price, What questions do I start to ask? What do I need to worry about transporting over State lines?

[genebo]

The seller should make arrangements with his vet to have the cattle inspected and issue health certificates. The vet will know what is needed to transfer cattle from where they are to where you are.

It's up to the person hauling the cattle to make sure this is done. That's who will be in trouble if caught hauling across state lines without the healt certificates.

As a buyer, you should make sure that the health inspection is done, also.

If you intend to handle the cattle, I'd make sure that their temperament is mild enough to permit it. That's one of the things you'd normally see with a visit.

Ask every question you can think of. Medical history, vaccinations, antibiotics used, hormone implants, last worming, registered or not, size and age, previous calves, cost of delivery, type of feed, etc.

Ask if the females are "free martins", born as a twin with a male. These are usually infertile.

There has to be a hundred more questions to ask. Maybe someone will tell you the important ones that I left out.

Genebo
Paradise Farm

[Celtic Herritag]

Even though it's a day trip up there invest at least one trip to see the cattle, it will be a wise investment and an easier way to get the real information out of the guy. It's too easy to lie over the phone or doctor pictures. I would advise making arangments to go up there when the vet is doing his checks, so you can make sure it is done properly. You've already spent a good deal of time finding these cattle don't skip the last important step and find yourself with animals you'll resent because they were'nt everything promised.

[JA in WA]

Thanks for sharing your wisdom!