Sending cull cows to the mart

Agrian Brian

Hi all,
bit of a novice when it comes to sending culls to the mart so bear with me....
I have 3 empty older cows in the dairy herd which I'd consider sending to the local mart.
My question concerns the buyer in the mart... How is the buyer to know whether they've been dried off properly and received dry cow therapy or if they've just come straight from the parlour that morning?

As there's bound to be some issue or another with a cull cow being sent to a mart, I was just wondering how is the buyer going to know what ailment has led to the cow entering the sales ring or is it irrelevant?

Many thanks,
AgrianBrian.

Grueller

Agrian Brian wrote: »

Hi all,
bit of a novice when it comes to sending culls to the mart so bear with me....
I have 3 empty older cows in the dairy herd which I'd consider sending to the local mart.
My question concerns the buyer in the mart... How is the buyer to know whether they've been dried off properly and received dry cow therapy or if they've just come straight from the parlour that morning?


As there's bound to be some issue or another with a cull cow being sent to a mart, I was just wondering how is the buyer going to know what ailment has led to the cow entering the sales ring or is it irrelevant?

Many thanks,
AgrianBrian.

Any I see in the mart were in the parlour that morning and the buyers for them will assume that too. The buyers of these are specialists in this trade and will be well able to deal with mastitis issues.

Water John

The main thing is that if you are selling them as not in calf, that you are accurate on this. After that, leave them off.

Lady Haywire

The buyers are canny enough to know if she's from parlour or dried off.
Dry cows are generally sold as seen so pre-existing ailments such as bad feet//temper/high SCC/recurring mastitis etc etc don't matter like they would for an animal that would be expected to last a few more years.
As WJ mentioned above, the only thing that can haunt you would be having them incalf or if they go straight to factory and had been treated and still within the withdrawal period.

Agrian Brian

Thanks all, really appreciate that advice :-)

Bass Reeves

In most of the marts I go to cows are sold as seen and any undertakings given are not bindings. In theory that mean that you can say they are not in calf even if they are. However you may need to come back to sell next year and dealers are very unforgiving.

Water John

Down south Bass, you declare and are bound by it.

Bass Reeves

Water John wrote: »

Down south Bass, you declare and are bound by it.

When a buyer starts asking questions in the two marts I see it at the auctions in both cases starts to tap the notice on the wall in front of the ring and tells lads to read it.

I think that marts do not want to be involved in arguments over what is declared or not declared about cows. However like I said if you declare wrong dealers are unforgiving.

Agrian Brian

So the intended culled cow can simply be milked, teat sprayed and driven off to the mart without any further action?

What if she was milked the night before or is it wise to also milk her the morning of going to the mart?

Lady Haywire

Agrian Brian wrote: »

So the intended culled cow can simply be milked, teat sprayed and driven off to the mart without any further action?

What if she was milked the night before or is it wise to also milk her the morning of going to the mart?

I'd milk them before going, more from an animal welfare point of view. It would be very uncomfortable for a cow to be full of milk and stressed on concrete all day. Just doesn't look right seeing a cow having milk dripping out of her in a pen, shuffling from foot to foot.

whelan2

Agrian Brian wrote: »

So the intended culled cow can simply be milked, teat sprayed and driven off to the mart without any further action?

What if she was milked the night before or is it wise to also milk her the morning of going to the mart?

Brought 1 two weeks ago, milked her that morning , loaded her up and brought her to mart. A lad bought her to put a calf on her, even though she was calved since February. He had lost a cow the previous day.