I know this sounds weird but I thought I would ask. Worst that could happen is no one offer me any advice.

I am needing to buy beef cow that is of breeding age at the lowest possible price. I know I could go down to the auction barn but I know next to nothing about cows and do not want to make a complete fool of myself in person, here online no problem.

Now here is why. I work at the vet school and we have a program where you can either donate a cow or $1000 to our large animal hospital to help build our teaching herd. This herd is used to teach foot trimming, rectal exams, retrataints and bleeding techniques and more. As part of the program you get to name your cow and be listed on a bronze plaque in the hospital lobby.

Long story not so short. My student worker is a current vet student graduating this may going on to be a bovine vet. So in honor of her graduation I would like to donate a cow to this program in her name. But I don't know how to buy a cow, can anyone help?

Well, I've never bought a cow, but my family has been in the ranching business most of my life. Below are some local and not so local folks I know they have bought from. They typically sell show or commericial cattle. I'm sure you could get some advice on what to look for and finding a breeding aged heifer. They may even have some of "lesser quality" for sale that might suit your needs. Who knows, a local rancher might give you a discount since it ultimately helps the vet school.



Franke Cattle
Bob Franke
979-224-0058
Email: info@frankecattle.com


IC Cattle CO.
Larry Herd
Wheelock, TX
979-589-3787


I really think the auction barn might be a better choice for the purchase [price wise] if you can get some solid advice on what to look for. If you have trouble getting the advice you're looking for, I'll hook you up with my dad. He bought, sold and raised cattle most of his adult life, unfortunately he got out of the cattle business several years ago because of health reasons. I'll keep an eye on this thread.

if you don't care about body or breedability or the like, you can probably pick up a lame cow or heifer for not too much either at the bryan or navasota auction barn...

Look for clear eyes, a clean, wet nose (dirt is ok, but you don't want snot), and unbroken ears. I wouldn't get a lame cow- you want to see it walk, and make sure it doesn't have a limp. they are cloven-hoofed, but there shouldn't be any other splits, especially with as wet as it has been. probably the most common (and possibly affordable) beef cow will be a hereford- they are great for texas conditions. Think of the red or white cows you may have seen in pastures, with white faces. You want decent body condition- in cows, you should see 'some' hip- if you don't see any hip bones, you are getting more fat than meat. (and even though fat weighs less than muscle, if you're paying per lb, you want a slightly skinnier cow). There are others- Charlois (spelling's prolly off there), Angus, Brahama, Santa Gertrudis (spelling, again), etc... A hereford or hereford mix will prolly be your best route. Whichever breed of cattle you choose, you still want to look for the same signs of health. A longer, lankier cow will (usually) not be a beef cow, whereas a stockier, wider, cow will tend to be for beef production. Truly, go with your gut- if you've ever bought any kind of animal, you'll do fine. If something seems 'off' with the animal, don't get it. Animals at the sale barn will be a bit more stressed, since they are out of their element. Check craigslist. I see cattle for sale there (farm and ranch) regularly.
Whew! Animal Science 101 returns...!
Hope this helps- it's been awhile, facts may not be 100% correct, but it should give you an idea of what to look for...
Good luck, and I think it's awesome that you are doing this!
oh- more terminology you may or may not know:
Steer- neutered bull. Heifer- young cow (female, really shouldn't have had a calf). Calf can be male (bull) or female. a heifer may actually be more than an older cow, unless the older one has a calf at her side, or is a bred cow.
Check to see what guidelines there are, if any, for the donated bovine.

A friend of mine told me there's a fireman with the College Station fire department that's a rancher/cowboy who could probably help. Their main office could probably assist you in locating him.

While all the things the guy above said are good the main thing you should look for is disposition. The cow will be in confinement im sure as well as being handled for the different things you stated above. I would be leary of a sale barn as lots of problem cows go through there, if you do shop the sale i would look for an "old cow". Straight off the ranch into confines may be tough as well. Right off the ranch you will likely get something young and possibly a litle wild. All things to think about as you or anybody else doesnt need to get hurt in the name of a good deed.

Call the local 4-H and FFA programs- a lot of those kids have 2 year old heifers that they will not be showing anymore (especially for graduating seniors). They may sell a heifer to you reasonably knowing that it will be very well taken care of in the future.

I showed cows thru high school and was always pretty attached to them as they were like my pets.

Plus, they would be very docile, halter broke, well taken care of, and you would know their age and history.

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Call the local 4-H and FFA programs

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The Brazos County Extension Office would be a good place to start.

Call Glen Hughes (979)277-8918 at LK Cattle in Brenham. Tell him exactly what you need it for (what your OP said) and see if he has something for sale. Tell him Jarrek told you to call.

Thanks for all the info!!!! Keep it coming. I will make a few phone calls this afternoon. Do y'all think I will be spending more than $600? That is the most I am wanting to see myself spend and I would prefer to stay closer to $500 and of course I'm American so the lowest price wins as long as it is healthy. I want to make sure these are realistic numbers before I call and offend someone.

Contact the cowboy, the kids will need more money for their efforts and costs put into the animal.

At $600 you are not going to be able to buy any cow. With an average cow weighing 1100 lbs and at a price of $.96/lb right now you are looking at $1056 for a decent cow even at a sale barn.

I know this may sound crazy, but I would check with the school for more details before running over to Rancher John's and buying a cow. The school may have certain requirements, or a pre-approved list for purchasing.

Interested in a longhorn?

that's why I suggested a lame cow or a low scoring heifer...

You can find a 400 lb yearling, but if it has a high body score the price will be a bit higher than just /lb since it has potential.

I kind of figured that since it was the vet school, a lame cow wouldn't be a bad buy... it'd always be good diagnosis practice.

Well that is not what I wanted to hear and for the person who asked about the requirments all the information I have been give thus far has said in exact words, a beef cow of breeding age. As for it being lame or low scoring(I don'tknow what low scoring means by the way) it does have to be cleared by a vet before being allowed to join the herd.

As for the longhorn they currently don't have any in the herd but I could call the Dr. in charge of the program to see of he would take one. Do you have one in my price range?

Saw some on Craig's List.

http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/88511572.html

Maybe you can go get that one

That would be horrible! In your honor I donate this interanlly bleeding cow. That is what I think of you.

I know a steer in Austin that you could steal and become a campus hero.

That cowboy/rancher from the fire department in College Station owns longhorns according to my neighbor.

Score would be the body score.

a 9 point scale. 4-6 is generally ideal. 9 is obese, and 1 is thin.

a low scoring cow could potentially be brought back up if nothing serious is wrong with it. I figure that in the care of the vet school, a cow with a minor issue that many ranchers wouldn't want to buy for full price might be attainable for a discount, and have its issues taken care of...

...my that was a strange sentence.

why buy a cow when you can get the milk for free?

You don't "buy" a cow, you trade for one. Do you have any magic beans?...

You might indeed have better luck getting what you're looking for by buying from a cattleman directly. If the above leads don't pan out, I'd inquire at Producer's Co-op in Bryan or call some of the ag teachers at the school districts around here to see if they know someone who could set you up.

talk to whoever runs the sale barn in Bryan. Tell him what you want, what it's for and then tell him how much you want to spend. Many cows come thru the barn that are fine, the owner need to sell for cash, ran outta grass, etc.

Or you just might want to donate the money in the name to the vet school even if it's not $1000. It's A&M, they won't turn away hard cash.

my parents started their ranch by buying cattle at auction.

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At $600 you are not going to be able to buy any cow. With an average cow weighing 1100 lbs and at a price of $.96/lb right now you are looking at $1056 for a decent cow even at a sale barn.

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You wont have to pay $.96/lb. That is what you would have to pay for a calf weighing 500lbs. Prices for cull cows at the sale barn are probably around $.45/lb. Replacement heifers would cost close to $1000 at a replacement sale. You probably could get a yearling heifer weighing around 750-800 lbs for $.80/lb.

http://collegestation.craigslist.org/for/1654675280.html

[This message has been edited by AggieBarstool (edited 3/22/2010 10:57p).]

Call Pat Shields at Brazos County Livestock - (979) 272-3109

Or Greg Goudeau at Navasota Livestock - 936-825-6545

Either one is your best bet, they know almost everyone who sells cattle in this area, and if anything is available in your price range.

FWIW: http://www.landandlivestockpost.com/news/Livestock-Market-Reports2010-03-16T10-58-36

This is what my husband does. We have cattle, and he has a lot of contacts. Call 220-5995. We will try to help.