# how to keep auction calves alive??????



## Key (Apr 2, 2005)

We purchase new bull Holstein calves at auction to riase, and they often get "scours".....(diarhea) and they die within a week. We've tried it all....RESORB, eggs, eligtrolites (spelling?)...HELP! We often buy the light ones.....60-75 lbs. Thanks for your time.
Maybe a shot to prevent this?


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## twstanley (Sep 23, 2004)

Key said:


> We purchase new bull Holstein calves at auction to riase, and they often get "scours".....(diarhea) and they die within a week. We've tried it all....RESORB, eggs, eligtrolites (spelling?)...HELP! We often buy the light ones.....60-75 lbs. Thanks for your time.
> Maybe a shot to prevent this?


Here is some good info on treating scours.

http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vetext/INF-BE_cca/INF-BE_cca01/INF-BE_cca0102.html

If you have lost several calves to scours, you NEED to learn to take them to the vet or get the antibiotics, etc and inject them yourself to save them.....or you are just throwing your money away if you are buying these calves. Antibiotics and shots for cattle are dirt cheap compared to what a health animal is worth.


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

twstanley...if you will email me i will give you some of my ideas on how to raise SALE BARN CALFS......alot ppl think there the same but there is as much differece as a cow and a [email protected]


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## yarrow (Apr 27, 2004)

If it hadn't been for John (myersfarm) I would have lost my first sales barn calf. He was so helpful and supportive. Hattie (3/4 jersey 1/4 holstein) is now a BIG strapping, 4 month old. No one would ever guess now (by just looking at her) that she was on death's door within 5 days of buying her. 
susie


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## twstanley (Sep 23, 2004)

myersfarm said:


> twstanley...if you will email me i will give you some of my ideas on how to raise SALE BARN CALFS......alot ppl think there the same but there is as much differece as a cow and a [email protected]


Thanks for the offer myersfarm, I don't have any sale barn calves. Maybe the original poster will contact you for some info.


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## Daryll in NW FLA (May 10, 2002)

twstanley said:


> Thanks for the offer myersfarm, I don't have any sale barn calves. Maybe the original poster will contact you for some info.


Hi myersfarm, I would be interested in that information,maybe a separate thread? Daryll in NW FLA


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

key i am sorry but i cannot login to my yahoo for some reason...john


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## Key (Apr 2, 2005)

myersfarm said:


> key i am sorry but i cannot login to my yahoo for some reason...john




myersfarm...please email me when you get back online with advice about auction holstein bull calves. Would like help keeping the lil' fellows going....

email [email protected]


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## cloverfarm (Jun 1, 2004)

There's lots of different bugs that can cause scours and, sorry to be gross, but the manure looks a little different for each. Here is a site taht I got a lot of good otu of ...http://www.2farm.co.nz/newborn-animals.html If you scroll down (it's a ways down the page) are good descriptions of the various kinds of scours.

Last fall I raised a bunch of calves for a neighbor. Out of seven sale-barn calves, five survived and did well for him. DH said he honestly thought our neighbor was drunk or high when he went to auction because he sobered up wiht all these calves a day or two before he was leaving on a month long vacation. So, we tried to help out for the sake of the poor calves!

ONe thing taht helped me was to make a chart, ID each one and write down AM and PM how it ate, how it pooped and peed, what meds I gave it and any symptoms I noticed (listless, breathing funny, runny nose, etc.)

Also, with the smallest weakest calves, I did not give them the full amount of milk replacer powder in their mix, but gave them a leaner mixture. It seemed to help.

Good luck with them! They are such cute little beggars, it's tough to see them not doing well!

Ann


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## moopups (May 12, 2002)

Scouring calves need the benifical bacteria assisted on occasion. This is done by adding acidopholis milk to their bottle, yogurt also works as does some medicially orientated products. If you inject any antibiotic you have destroied all the bacteria in their bodies and stomachs, the ones that are needed for digestion - without digestion you have scours.

Also treat for shipping fever as soon as you can, even before leaving the sale yard; spray iodine on the cord also to prevent infections. Keep all feeding item as steril as you would for human babies, avoid drafts, keep them warm and comfortable. A dry warm nose it a danger alert. If your calf makes it through the first 15 days you can then lessen the health watch, but not much until their on grain.


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## Running Arrow (May 19, 2005)

"How To Keep Auction (Sale Barn) Calves Alive?"

Answer: Don't buy them there in the first place. Many of the cattle taken to sale barns are "culled" by the producer for one problem or another. The good ones are sold direct from the ranch (or) at specialty stock auctions. In any event, you need to know what you are buying... don't take on someone else's problem they are getting rid of.


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## cloverfarm (Jun 1, 2004)

Our neighbor bought the small ones because they were cheapest. Not really a bargain.

Ann


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## Misty (May 29, 2005)

many of these calves have not had colostrum. If they don't get it the first few days, they are doomed. It is worth it to spend the extra money and get the bigger calves. Scours could be ecoli, enterotoxemia, who knows.


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## Misty (May 29, 2005)

Running Arrow said:


> "How To Keep Auction (Sale Barn) Calves Alive?"
> 
> Answer: Don't buy them there in the first place. Many of the cattle taken to sale barns are "culled" by the producer for one problem or another. The good ones are sold direct from the ranch (or) at specialty stock auctions. In any event, you need to know what you are buying... don't take on someone else's problem they are getting rid of.



I have to say for the most part I agree with you, however, I know that if I have a doe die and the kid has has colostrum, many times I will take the kids to the sale barn just because I don't want to be tied down with a bottle schedule and a goat under my feet. 
It is usually buyer beware...most good stuff is sold off the farm. Yes, usually at a higher price, but it also comes with a gaurentee of health/vaccines/etc..


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## dosthouhavemilk (Oct 29, 2004)

Holstein and Jersey bull calves generally go to the sale barn. Mostly because they come from dairies and dairies don't have the time or money to invest in bull calves.
Our Jersey and Jersey/Norwegian Red bull calves used to always be sent to the local sale barn...but I've changed that as much as I can.
Our bull calves have always been treated the same as a our heifer calves. They get their colostrum within 12 hours if we have a say (after 24 hours the colostrum doesn't do the calf much good, is any). The only time it doesn't happen is when the dam hides tham and we can't find them.

Anyways, nowadays I sell straight off the farm to individuals. I have homes for the next five if not six bull calves born on this farm and that is a waiting list. We got tired of the range in price from -$1.00 for a healthy, bucket trained, two week old bull calf to maybe $30 for a week old calf if we were lucky and the beef farmers were in looking for replacements for their lost calves. Now I sell them for $10-$35 dollars depending on factors here. Sometimes we make money and sometimes we lose money if we follow the current market trends...

I guess my point is that not all animals that go through a sale barn are culls. They aren't all unhealthy. If you go to smaller auctions they should generally have a clue about the animals going through and if you can find out about sellers and how they operate you can probably find decent calves for cheap prices.

Though buying direct from a farm is better. Fewer exposure to disease and then you know their history.


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## Key (Apr 2, 2005)

I agree with you, Roseanna, that not all animals sold at a sales barn are culls. We have sold goats, rabbits, horses, and calves at auction, and I never sold any animals with a health problem (that I was aware of). Local dairy farmers do usually just send the bull calves at a young age becasue they are already up to their gills in work, so they sometimes do not want to take on raising the little fellows. 
I realize we could get more money for our animals direct marketing, but sometimes we are frustarted by the amount of time, money and energy it takes AND also by the amount of tire-kickers that want to come look at the animals for something to do for fun. I love to talk animals, but a petting zoo, we are not 
Yet it is naive for me to think that all animals that are sold at auctions are healthly...I have attended TOO MANY livestock auctions to try to argue that. SOmetimes I have been tempted to buy unhealthly, neglected-looking animals to try to "save" them, but I never have becasue I certianly would not want to bring any problems home with us. 
I also know that it is best to buy larger animals that have had the great benefit of colostom, but that is not always an option. 
FYI-Myersfarm did write me with some experienced advice, so I do thank him and all that offered suggesitons for our problem. Thanks, again.


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## dosthouhavemilk (Oct 29, 2004)

I'm sure John gave you wonderful advice. He is a great man. I had the pleasure of meeting him this past spring. He actually purchased two of our bull calves.  

I know there are some bad things and unhealthy animals at sale barns. I just get a little frustrated because if everyone ignores the sale barns except the meet buyers then those little bull calves that did get a good start don't get a chance and those people that do put ahrd work into their animals get screwed.


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## PLPP (May 24, 2005)

Soend the extra cash and get healthy cattle.


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

glad you all think buying sale barn calfs doesn't pay.....that just makes them cheaper for me......i raise 50 a year this year hoping to raise 150 some i have paid $5.00 and saved but you have to know what your doing and you only get one chance with these calfs.........btw i didn't say i saved everyone....had a $250 calf die on the way home in the trailer i guessed from shock....i now have a drug for that also so i give them a shot before i leave the sale barn...john


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## dan44mag (Jun 29, 2005)

myersfarm, i tried sending u an email the other day did u get it????

Mine is [email protected]

i was wondering if u could send me some tips on keeping these calves alive as well. we have been raising some the last few years since we quit milking cows along with a beef herd- anyways we have been having some trouble as well. a couple weeks ago the farmers we buy them from delivered 3 of them- and they were some of the nicest calves they have ever brought us. 1 had scours the next day but it started recovering right away with electrolytes and pink stuff. the other 2 got it and died in a day. Vet took tests and said it is crypto plus e-coli. the people we got them from said they vaccinated for e-coli and that their heifer calves have no problems. So now they are keeping them longer- we should be getting more any day now. am hoping for better luck. last year we had alot of naval infection trouble from them- we treated with penacillan and that took care of most of them. now they are dipping the navals with stronger iodine but we still had 1 already this year that we had to give pennacilan.  

anyway if u can give me your tips that would be great- and if u know anything about selenium deficiency that would be great too, thanks

Dan.


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