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you can also ask your local Feed Stores they will know, if the counter people don't , ask the loaders, and look on the announcement boards, and ask the old timers that drive up. Also ask your local Large animal Vets. By the way what do you plan to purchase at the Sale Barn? Take a person that knows what they are doing , or meet them there, to help you pick out the Best one, Read up on it before you bid know what your doing, sometimes it is best to just watch the first time , unless you find a real good animal, just be prepared for the worst with Anti - Biotics or Propbiotics and Natural Remedies to take care of possible health problems , and keep separated from other healthy animals for a good while . Good Luck.
ps reread and saw Jersey calf's , on your first one i recomend you buy one from a good Dairy or Family Farm, take a look at the KFC group- Keeping a Family Cow a book by Joann Grotham has this web site with many threads including an Auction Barn thread with some for sale from around the country ,Canada, and the World, you will see good info on buying calves as well, on here there is some good info as well to read. We got one Jersey /Holstein cross from a Drafty cold hard Sale Barn in Mo . and She got sick on us, now is fine, but we learned a lot, and spent some money and emotion on her, she might be a good one , time will tell. I strongly recomend if this is for a Family cow, then get a good one from the start, if for resale then you know the risks, and might as well shoot them up with Baytrill or LA200 some simple penicillin before they get on the trailer, and have Electrolytes ready for scours, Milk Replacement (from a good Farmer or Dairy they usually let them drink Colostrum for 2-3days,then then Milk comes thru and they get antibodies naturally this is a very important difference you need to know about)unless you have access to good fresh milk , and Colostrum from Gallon containers usually given to you with calf, for the first 24hrs , so many things for you to learn first , be prepared my Friend, we learned a lot fast just to keep up , now 5mos later she is fine and a sweet little heifer. Enjoy , it is worth it if you are going to have your own fresh milk,cheese etc.Another thing, is it true its Mandatory in Michigan that you have to chip your cows ? with RFID s i heard this from a person from there or maybe it was Wisconsin ,so the question- for your sake i hope not, We are so anti NAIS down here, there is a state wide Bill we are fighting for to Ban MAndatory Animal IDs- its Fighting words here, a serious issue.
Last edited by Farmsteader; 04/14/09 at 12:28 AM.
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