Finding Livestock for Sale: Ask These Questions before You Buy

Livestock is usually bought and sold through some kind of market, auction, or personal contact with the producer. In any case, if you are buying livestock, it is always strongly advised to talk to the seller before you buy. It is important to get all the facts and ask all the right questions before you purchase your new livestock. Although most livestock sellers are ethical and likely to have vaccinations and similar treatments current, there are still many vital questions that should be asked. Below are some questions buyers frequently miss.

Q.1: Can I See the Animals Ahead of Time?

If you are buying from an auction or even in some markets, you might have to make special arrangements to check out the livestock before buying. It is important to inspect them and make sure there are no obvious health issues. This is the first step in verifying the well-being of your purchase. Remember that this is often a large business investment, so it is important to start by seeing what you will get for your money.

Q.2: What is the complete vaccination history of each animal?

Determining the general health of livestock is usually accomplished with a few questions. However, many buyers don’t ask them. In this case, the vaccination history is especially important for a number of reasons. To begin with, you will want to be sure that initial and booster shots were given for the most common diseases in your area. You need to determine if there are diseases you need to worry about that the livestock has not been covered for in order to practice good preventive medicine. You will also need to know the full vaccination history to determine if you will have to provide boosters for vaccines already given. It is also important to know about all preventive management tasksperformed and specific dates they were administered.

Q.3: Where were the livestock raised?

Different areas have different hazards in terms of diseases and parasites. Leptospirosis, for example is a disease rather prevalent in Eastern Canada, but not very common out west. Likewise, prevalent internal parasites vary from place to place. Knowing where your livestock is from will help you with biosecurity.

Q.4: What Health Measures Will I Need to Consider After Bringing My Livestock Home?

Regardless of the vaccination records and any health issues that might or might not be uncovered prior to sale, you will want to quarantine your livestock for at least a couple weeks. This will allow time for incubating diseases to show up. This is especially true with common issues like respiratory diseases that can incubate in that short amount of time. Although this quarantine will help you determine the general health of your livestock, remember that some diseases take years to be recognized.

Q.5: When is the Best/Worst Time to Buy?

When it comes to Livestock for sale, there isn’t necessarily a best time to buy, but there is sometimesthat are worse than others. An example of this would be right before calving season. Consider some of the incubating diseases we just mentioned. If they present just as the calves are born, the newborns’ immune systems will be considerably more vulnerable than the full-grown livestock. When buying commercial or purebred cattle, determine if the cattle had scours protection to limit the effects of contagious diseases on their calves.

As you can see, the most important things to verify revolve around the health of the livestock you are purchasing. Remember that whether you are buying dairy cows or feedstock, your investment relies on their overall health. Following these suggestions should put you well on your way to building a healthy herd.