[robin4]

Just bought 2 bred cows from the stock barn. (Our first cows) Should they already be vaccinated? Should I worm they right away? Is there anyting I need to do to endure their overall health.

One aged, and due in December. One 3 year old, due in March. They both look a little skinny.

My husband and I know nothing about cows, we are just trying to start building a herd and learn along the way, listening to people and asking questions. Paying cash for everything, and don't have a lot of money.

 

[mjs500doo]

Just bought 2 bred cows from the stock barn. (Our first cows) Should they already be vaccinated? Should I worm they right away? Is there anyting I need to do to endure their overall health.

Please send off for a Johne's test right away. You can vaccinate them, yes. Call up the vet and get recommendations for your area. You can worm them as well, but cattle usually don't have issues with worms like goats.

One aged, and due in December. One 3 year old, due in March. They both look a little skinny.

Are these dairy origin, or beef origin? This really matters on fat deposits...do you have pics? You must start slow, but feeding alfalfa, corn/oats, and calf manna is a great start. A comfortable hay to begin with would be a 1st crop alfalfa mix, slowly transition to 2nd, or 3rd. You can also feed flakes during feeding grain. Silage or baleage helps as well.

My husband and I know nothing about cows, we are just trying to start building a herd and learn along the way, listening to people and asking questions. Paying cash for everything, and don't have a lot of money.

I would go for the oomph and buy a couple ton of corn silage.

 

[milk and honey]

Good for you guys!!! We have just started with cattle too.. We have a young steer, young bull and an older cow. These are for meat/breeding. We are really enjoying them...and trying not to make too many/too serious mistakes!

 

[ptgoats45]

I would get them vaccinated, usually cows at the sale barn aren't vaccinated. You want to make sure you get a killed vaccine and not the modified live. Ask you vet what vaccines would be best to give them, cows should be vaccinated for lepto and the respiratory diseases as well as blackleg and tetanus. I would worm them too, you can use either the pour-on or the injectable (both given the way they are labeled to be given).

If they are a little thin and your area has a lot of grass right now, I would be worried about Johnes. It is pretty common in cattle. Do they have diahrrea? Cows are usually looser than goats, but it shouldn't be watery. If you have the cows for awhile and don't notice a gain in weight I would have them tested. If you do go to buy more cows, try not to buy any that are less than about 5 months bred, if the cows are at least this far along you can be pretty safe that they do not have trich, or were not bred by a bull that had trich. Trichomoniasis is an STD in cattle that can cause abortions early in pregnancy, cows can clear the disease but bulls are infected for life.

Do you have any pictures of them?

 

[ptgoats45]

If they are beef cows they should stay fat on grass. You can feed cubes in the winter, but beef cows should really take care of themselves.

 

[LiptrapLivestock]

If they are beef cows they should stay fat on grass. You can feed cubes in the winter, but beef cows should really take care of themselves.

Thats is for sure. I would vaccinate them, worm them and kick em out. Feeding beef cattle grain on a regular basis cuts your profit margin greatly. Feed any hay you want for the winter but a good worming and some groceries (grass/hay) is all they need. Just like in goats feeding high protein feed this far in gestation grows the calve rapidly, sometime too big.

Caleb, Liptrap Livestock

 

[robin4]

Thats is for sure. I would vaccinate them, worm them and kick em out. Feeding beef cattle grain on a regular basis cuts your profit margin greatly. Feed any hay you want for the winter but a good worming and some groceries (grass/hay) is all they need. Just like in goats feeding high protein feed this far in gestation grows the calve rapidly, sometime too big.

Caleb, Liptrap Livestock

Shouldn't they already be vaccinated? After all, they did come from someone's farm...to the stock barn.

 

[BrokenArrowRanch]

You should have asked if they were vaccinated. If there is any doubt vaccinate them. Not all owners are responsible and vaccinate their animals.. Id vaccinate, deworm and kick them out on pasture.

 

[Jessica84]

Yes worm them!!!! We have made major money on just simply buying wormy cows them worming them and turn them out to eat. Not only that if they were just hungry not wormy to start with the moving around stresses them out and the worms can take over.
As for vac. I say it depends on what you choose to do. We never did till the owners son of land we were renting decided he should be able to have cattle as well and they all dropped like flies because the place he bought them from is known for sickness. We now vac. With triangle10. IMO cattle is way more easy to take care of then goats. They are not as pron to things like over eating and such. Right now I would just make sure you worm them and they are getting enough to eat especially with the one being so close to her due date.

 

[robin4]

You should have asked if they were vaccinated. If there is any doubt vaccinate them. Not all owners are responsible and vaccinate their animals.. Id vaccinate, deworm and kick them out on pasture.

It's an auction. You can stop the auction and ask if the cow has been vaccinated. Everything happends so fast.

 

[robin4]

Yes worm them!!!! We have made major money on just simply buying wormy cows them worming them and turn them out to eat. Not only that if they were just hungry not wormy to start with the moving around stresses them out and the worms can take over.
As for vac. I say it depends on what you choose to do. We never did till the owners son of land we were renting decided he should be able to have cattle as well and they all dropped like flies because the place he bought them from is known for sickness. We now vac. With triangle10. IMO cattle is way more easy to take care of then goats. They are not as pron to things like over eating and such. Right now I would just make sure you worm them and they are getting enough to eat especially with the one being so close to her due date.

What is a safe worm medicine to give a pregnant cow?

 

[NubianFan]

Anything you get from any kind of auction, wise bet to quarantine from other animals of the same species at least, not an issue for you since these are you first cows, and treat as if they have never been treated for anything. Because honestly most likely they haven't, especially if they were cheap and thin. I would vaccinate them, worm them, and turn them out on pasture with free choice good quality hay, a salt block, lots of fresh water, and some sort of shelter to get in or under.

 

[Jessica84]

We use ivermectin or a generic brand....same thing just cheaper.
Not everything that comes from a sale yard is a walking problem. Most of our cattle as well as a good chunk of my goats have come from the sale yard. The key is to understand that every animal is there for a reason even for money and you just need to look for anything that might be wrong. People and farmers are having a hard time with money. I know we are having a hard time with lack of rain and hay prices and we are selling very decent cattle to be able to feed the rest. Just keep a eye on them because let's face it yes they might be sickly but they also have a chance of just simply needing food.

 

[LiptrapLivestock]

I 2nd all Jessica said. Sale barn livestock get a bad rep but plenty are perfectly good. Many times it is lack of knowledge on the sellers part. With some common sense and tlc plenty of yard bought livestock can thrive and make you money.

Caleb, Liptrap Livestock

 

[LiptrapLivestock]

I 2nd all Jessica said. Sale barn livestock get a bad rep but plenty are perfectly good. Many times it is lack of knowledge on the sellers part. With some common sense and tlc plenty of yard bought livestock can thrive and make you money.

Caleb, Liptrap Livestock

 

[TDG-Farms]

Never a good idea to buy at a general livestock auction. Just about anything bad a cow can get can be passed onto goats. Quarantine and do full spectrum tests but as mentioned, mainly johnes.

 

[MsScamp]

...some sort of shelter to get in or under.

Cows don't need shelter - trust me on this. My family has raised cows for 50+ years, and they were never provided with shelter.

 

[MsScamp]

I 2nd all Jessica said. Sale barn livestock get a bad rep but plenty are perfectly good. Many times it is lack of knowledge on the sellers part. With some common sense and tlc plenty of yard bought livestock can thrive and make you money.

Caleb, Liptrap Livestock

I agree 100%.

 

[mjs500doo]

I disagree with the previous...disease and illness are broad spectrum in the auctions. Yes, it is true that there are great outcomes with auction houses but more bad than good. I agree with providing a shelter, especially if they're slightly I thin or the hair hasn't come in thick yet. You don't know their history. In my perspective I would rather pay to vaccinate again, even if they'd or everything once already, instead of not knowing. This would be a high priority if I had others especially.

On another note-how are their feet?

 

[robin4]

I disagree with the previous...disease and illness are broad spectrum in the auctions. Yes, it is true that there are great outcomes with auction houses but more bad than good. I agree with providing a shelter, especially if they're slightly I thin or the hair hasn't come in thick yet. You don't know their history. In my perspective I would rather pay to vaccinate again, even if they'd or everything once already, instead of not knowing. This would be a high priority if I had others especially.

On another note-how are their feet?

I haven't noticed anything unusual with their feet. To my knowledge, vaccinations are to keep an animal from getting the disease. What if the animal, by chance, already has it. What can vaccinating do for the animal?