Question about buying bottle calf

longhorngal · #1 04/22/09, 04:36 PM

There's an ad on my local craiglist for calves going to Tulsa and that could be picked up by buyers enroute. Says they will be 4-7 days old straight from the dairy. I really want to get a couple of them but not sure if this is a good idea. Can anyone tell me some questions I should ask? I can tell if an animal is obviously sick but other than that don't know much about cows yet.

Also, there's a big sale every Monday in Tulsa that's cattle I guess it's probably mainly for people buying and selling in quantity but might that be a good option for calves as well?

travlnusa · #2 04/22/09, 05:32 PM

If I understand you correctly, a guy loads a truck with calves, and if you wan to buy a few, he will swing buy your place and sell you calves off the truck.

If that is correct, I would never buy such a calf. This guy does not care how healthy they are, just as long as they are alive. The will be stressed from travel, picked up bugs from the other calves, not had good access to milk replacer or water, etc.

Drive around, find a farm, buy direct.

Callieslamb · #3 04/22/09, 09:10 PM

I bought two calves from such a person. I had to go to him - he didn't come to me. One died, but she was less than 25 lbs. The other is very healthy and bawling for more food all the time. Has been since day 1.

My guy travels to local dairies and picks up their bull calves. I got them from him the same day he got them from the dairy. He said they had 3 days of colostrum...but I am not sure if he knew that or not. Neither calf got sick...the one died due to MY mistake.

I would ask your guy where he got the calves. How old they are. When they were last fed and with what. Who fed them enroute? What were they fed? I would be ready with electrolytes for them ASAP - feed them very little milk replacer at first. Feed them 3x times a day rather than 2.

If this is the only access you have to calves it can be a good thing. But I would not take a calf from him that had been traveling for several days. If you look at a calf, you want it to be a tad curious about you. Ears up - eyes bright. Nose moist. If they are standing away from the other calves, head down, etc - don't buy it. I would also not pay more then $35 for any calf off a truck. Know what you are getting and know the risk. Then decide if it is worth it to you. It was to me. It might not be to someone else. If you don't know the farmer - I would certainly NOT drive up to his house and disturb his work to ask about a calf - especially one that doesn't sell for enough for himi to give his time to it. I would not do this for with the hopes of getting a good family milk cow either.

copperhead46 · #4 04/22/09, 09:16 PM

Hi longhorn gal, I saw that ad and I thought he was a little high on them. I priced some at a dairy by me and they said probably $35.00 for bull calves. If they are 5 to 7 days old they could probably make the trip OK, but, I was a little leery about him too.
I don't know if they sell baby calves at the Tulsa Stockyards, you could call out there and find out. I know they sell them at Tahlequah on Sat around noon, and there is a sale at Leach on Fri nite, and they sell babys too. Of course, you have to wait till about 10:00 before they start on the calves, they sell hogs first, then calves and then goats!!
P.J.

longhorngal · #5 04/22/09, 10:23 PM

Thanks for all the help. I did write to ask where they were coming from and he hasn't written back yet. Might not I guess. Tulsa is about an hour from me so I wasn't sure if I wanted to hook up the trailer and drive for calves that might be sick or too stressed.
PJ-I didn't see any baby calves the time I went to the T. stockyards either.
I'll have to check out Tahlequah, a neighbor of ours sold a bottle calf a couple of years ago out there and got $150 for it but it was an all beef type so maybe that's why.
I thought Leach was Monday night-I might have to look into that one.
Does that guy at the dairy by you still have some do you know?
Cara

francismilker · #6 04/23/09, 01:13 PM

There's been a fellow making the rounds down here near Ada lately with these kinds of calves and the survival rate on them is near zero. A guy told me yesterday he had been successful raising 12 out of 35. I think they might be coming all the way from a dairy in Texas from what I can figure out.
If you're really experienced at rearing bottle calves and you could get them at current dairy salebarn price you MIGHT try it. Otherwise, leave it alone. IMHO.....

copperhead46 · #7 04/23/09, 10:17 PM

Cara, I'll call him tomarrow and see if he has any calves. I need two for my Jersey cow and when I talked to him last week, he said he had 5 getting ready to freshen.
Francismilker is so right about those "travlin' calves". there should be a law against them dragging those babies around like that, they just die from exhaustion. Leach is on Friday nite, but I don't know if they are having the sale every Fri nite anymore, someone told me that it was just twice a month now. Do you still have my e-mail address? I was messing around with my computer a few weeks ago and deleted my address book, so I've lost yours. Send me an e-mail and I'll give you the name of the dairyman, he's in Locust Grove. (hey, I need some more soap too)
P.J.

longhorngal · #8 04/24/09, 11:06 AM

Thanks Francismilker for the info. He never did email me back and I see another ad up on there again today for him. Will steer clear of those for sure.
Thanks PJ. if your email is the same I still have your address and I'll send you a p.m. That would be great if I could pick up a couple close to home.
Want to trade a little Dexter beef for some soap? :-).
Cara

bigmudder77 · #9 04/27/09, 07:28 AM

ya i wouldnt buy any thing from some one like that they dont care they get them cheap and sell them high and do nothing to them so there sick weak and give up and die most of the time