Buying Calves

Yesterday we loaded up the family and headed to a stocker/ heifer sale so that we could buy some calves for beef and to eat down the plethora of grass we have in the fields.  The sale ring was loaded with buyers and sellers alike, and  being that my kids aren't wealthy and in the market to buy cattle, I stayed outside with them to free up seats for "serious" buyers...like my husband.   We walked the pens ahead of time making note of what we wanted to bid on, and then the kids and I just had an adventure outside while Dad did the bidding inside.



Here we are just kickin' rocks while we waited.



The kids were wild with anticipation while they waited to see what we were going to bring home.

I was just enjoying the beautiful fall day.  It was a perfect day for buying cattle. 

If you've ever been to a stocker sale then you are well aware of the enormous volume of the stockyard.  If this concept is new to you then let me enlighten you.

1.  Imagine 10,000 head of calves taken away from their nursing mothers and shipped to the sale.

2. Now imagine all of them screaming for Momma simultaneously, and not being able to find her.

3. Some are hoarse, some are high pitched, but the overwhelming majority of them sound like they're throwing a tantrum.

Weaning is the noisiest time of year on most outfits, and it takes a while to learn to tune out the sounds of bawling calves, and  tight bagged cows, but it dies down after a few days.



While we were at the sale my kids saw the grossest bug I have ever seen in my life.  Thank the Good Lord that it was dead or I would have freaked out when my son touched it.





Here are a few awful pics of some of the calves.  I wanted to take some good pictures for your viewing pleasure, but my husband informed me that we were beyond late so I shot these as I was making a bee-line for the truck and trailer. 

In closing, I would just like the world to know that freshly weaned calves are some of the stupidest creatures on earth.

1. They're like Houdini...here one minute, gone the next.

2. They're like the 3 Stooges... no one knows what's going on.

3. They're little escape artists that must be kept in an Alcatraz style corral so they don't wander down the road looking for Momma.

4. They don't respect fences.

5. They're like the blind leading the blind.

It took less than 24 hours after releasing them into their lush oasis of a pasture for them to make their first jail break to go looking for milk.  It's sad, really.  Poor little guys.  They just miss their mommas so much.  And their little tummies are just craving that milky goodness something awful! 

This too shall pass, little guys, this too shall pass.