How many veterinarians are associated with your practice? Do any of them specialize in large animal practice?ONCE YOU HAVE DECIDED which species and breeds to raise, the next step is to learn all you can before buying. It is also important to locate a good veterinarian at this time, before you bring home any animals. Then, when you’re prepared, begin seeking your stock in the right places.
When starting a new venture, there is usually a strong learning curve to overcome, so it’s best to gain as much knowledge as possible before you begin. Make certain you know your target species to the nth degree. Don’t charge headlong into any livestock enterprise on the basis of hearsay; educate yourself before you buy.
Seek out breed associations. A useful first step is to join appropriate breed associations and scope out their local affiliates. Attend meetings. Volunteer to work on committees. You’ll meet people “in the know” and learn while having a great time.
Attend livestock shows and expos. Examine livestock, watch the judging, and ask questions. Approach exhibitors when they aren’t engaged in important tasks like last-minute grooming or watching their animals being shown.
Read books. If you don’t know what’s available, visit your library and ask to speak with the research librarian. Rare books and books that aren’t in your library’s collection can be ordered via interlibrary loan. Read everything. Don’t overlook juvenile nonfiction; Storey’s guides for young adults (Your Goats, Your Calf, Your Sheep) are jam-packed with easily accessible information.
Utilize the Internet. If you’ve never learned to use a search engine, this is the time. I recommend Google. If you need help, use the great tutorials at Google Guide. There’s a world of easily accessible, free information on the Internet (see Resources for a list of Web sites to get you started).
Use ATTRA’s services. Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas is a National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service (see Resources) jointly funded by the National Center for Appropriate Technology and the USDA Rural Business Cooperative Service. In 2002, its agricultural agents, working out of offices in Fayetteville, Arkansas; Davis, California; and Butte, Montana, fielded more than 30,000 requests from ranchers, farmers, researchers, and educators — people just like you — and all of ATTRA’s services and publications are provided free of charge.
First-time callers receive ATTRA’s bulletin “Sustainable Agriculture: An Introduction,” which is a complete list of more than 200 detailed publications, and a two-year subscription to ATTRAnews. A program specialist takes every call. If existing publications address your concern, he’ll send them; if not, you’ll be mailed a custom report in two to four weeks.
Find a teacher. “When the student is ready, a teacher will come,” so states an ancient adage. And any time you break into a new venture, be it raising miniature sheep for pets or Guinea Hogs for meat, an experienced mentor will pave your way to success.
Don’t, however, choose the first mentor who happens down the pike. It’s important to learn from someone truly knowledgeable; “experience” doesn’t always equate with wisdom. Find someone who produces the type of livestock you admire, not just the “right” breed or species but animals you’d like to have in your barn. This person would ideally be engaged in the same sort of venture you’re embarking on, be it raising grass-fed beef or milking dairy goats. She doesn’t have to live close by so she can mentor you in person (though that’s an asset); telephone and e-mail contact works well, too.
Once you have found someone, politely approach this person and ask if you may ask questions as they occur. Some mentors gladly talk newcomers through scary midnight birthings by means of cell phone, but others don’t. Establish contact protocols early on, and please don’t overstep your bounds.
Always choose a veterinarian for your livestock before bringing any animals home. The process isn’t as easy as you might think. There is a serious (and growing) shortage of large-animal vets nationwide (though minis are relatively small animals, they still need to be seen by large animal vets, as they specialize in the needs of livestock species).
To find a good vet, ask other folks who breed your species for recommendations. Narrow down your selection to several vets most people like, then call their offices and talk to the person in charge. Here are some questions to ask.
How many veterinarians are associated with your practice? Do any of them specialize in large animal practice?
Are your veterinarians familiar with the species I’m raising? Do any of them raise this species themselves?
What range of medical services does your practice provide?
Can I stipulate which of your vets I want to treat my livestock?
How are phone calls handled? When I call, may I speak to a vet?
Do your vets make routine farm calls? Will someone come to my farm in an emergency? If not, do you have facilities to board my species at your practice? What about after-hours, weekend, or holiday emergencies?
What are your hours? To whom do you refer clients when you’re unavailable?
How is payment handled? Do you offer payment plans for major procedures or collaborate with a lender that does?
Then, arrange for a time to visit the clinic (don’t just show up unannounced). Note the mileage from your door to the vet’s. When you arrive, meet the staff; they are your link to the practice’s vets, so it’s important that you all get along. Are they friendly and knowledgeable? Will someone give you a walk-through tour of the treatment facilities? Do they allow you to speak with available vets who will be treating your animals?
Ask each vet some questions. How long has she been treating the species you plan to raise? Will she mind if you research a problem in books or online and bring her your results? (Some vets appreciate input; others take offense.)
How does she feel about clients performing routine health care procedures such as treating minor injuries and giving their own shots? Will she dispense prescription drugs such as painkillers and epinephrine if you need them? If you would like to investigate alternative or complementary holistic therapies, will she object?
What sorts of diagnostics are available in-house (X-rays, ultrasounds, blood work, endoscopies, and the like)? If they aren’t done in-house, who does them?
Ask about policies and fees. Some vets require extensive, expensive diagnostics before they’ll treat a beast. Can you afford them?
If the practice offers overnight or long-term, in-house care, ask to see the boarding facilities. Are they safe, clean, and arranged so patients can’t physically interact with one another? What sort of feed are the animals eating? Can you provide your own feed if you want to? Is water readily available and is it clean?
Whatever questions you ask, you should never be made to feel inadequate or stupid. They’re your animals and you’ll be footing the bill, so if you don’t like the way you’re treated or how your questions are handled, by all means take your business elsewhere.
Once you’ve selected a practice, don’t wait for an emergency to try out the vet. Schedule a routine farm visit and see how that goes. Does she arrive promptly, or does someone from her office phone to inform you of delays? How does she interact with your livestock? Are you comfortable with her attitude and her work?
James Herriot, world-famous Yorkshire veterinarian, doesn’t practice medicine any more; today’s vets are a breed apart. It’s unlikely you’ll find a practice that satisfies all your needs, so prioritize depending on what matters most to you. Is it worth driving farther to work with a better vet? And which is better, the brusque, abrasive vet with years of experience with your species or the friendly, young vet who is eager to work with you and learn?
Once you decide, treat your new vet like a prince; a good vet is worth his or her weight in gold. If your vet makes farm calls, pay attention to the following:
Have your animals caught, cleaned up, and ready for treatment when the vet arrives. Chasing your animals across a forty-acre field is not her job. Learn to handle emergencies until your vet arrives.
Be there. Your animals know you, and they’ll behave better if you’re on hand to help. If you don’t understand a treatment, ask questions. If follow-up care entails detailed instructions, write them down.
Provide a comfortable, weatherproof, well-lit place for your vet to work. Provide a reliable means of restraint even if it’s a makeshift chute or extra hands to help control a fractious animal.
A cold beverage on a sweltering summer afternoon or a steaming cup of coffee in the winter makes a good vet feel appreciated.
If your vet doesn’t make farm calls, she may be able to talk you through a procedure on the phone. Find out if your cell or wireless house phone works in the barn. Stock well-equipped first-aid and birthing kits and know how to use them. If you have to bring your animal to the vet’s practice, phone ahead, even in an emergency. Know the fastest, safest route so you can arrive quickly and treatment can begin right away.
Don’t disturb your vet during nonworking hours unless she asks you to do so. By the same token, don’t wait until a minor problem escalates into an after-hours or weekend emergency. Know what you can and cannot do on your own and involve a vet as soon as one is needed.
If you have a problem with the vet or her staff, talk to them about it; don’t bad-mouth the practice behind their backs.
And with no exceptions, settle your bill when payment is due.
Nowadays many people prefer a holistic approach to livestock management and care. When their animals become injured or ill, it’s important to find a holistic vet or at least one who is open to alternative and complementary therapies. In rural America, such vets are often few and far between. So, it’s doubly important to locate a vet before you need one. Here are some things to consider:
The American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (see Resources) offers a comprehensive Find a Holistic Vet feature on its Web site. Search by state, modality, or species.
Mainline veterinarians are often willing to collaborate with holistic vets upon request, usually by phone. Ask.
Many modalities, such as massage, treatment with homeopathic or flower remedies, herbs, and Reiki, can be used to complement your mainline veterinarian’s allopathic treatments. Take some classes, read some books; many of these therapies aren’t difficult to learn and they are very, very effective.
Once you have covered the preliminaries, it’s time to start looking for livestock. In the next chapter we’ll talk about what to look for. For now, let’s discuss where to look.
No matter what type of livestock you’re buying, it’s important to deal with reputable sellers of healthy stock.
Start by contacting organizations involved with the species and breeds you choose. Most registries supply lists of breeders on request and most host directories on their Web sites.
Check out online breeder directories. To find them, type the name of the animal you’re searching for (for example, Lowline cattle, miniature horse, Pygmy goat) and the word directory in the search box at your favorite search engine (for example, Google).
Visit breeders’ Web sites. Find them the same way by substituting the word sale for directory in your search engine’s search box. You could also qualify it by state (Babydoll Southdown sale Montana). If breeders’ Web sites don’t offer the precise animal you’re searching for, e-mail sellers and ask if they have additional livestock for sale. If they don’t have what you want, they may know someone who does.
Join species- and breed-related e-mail groups in which subscribers post what they have to sell.
Check out the periodicals listed in the resources section at the back of this book; they all run display ads, directories, and classifieds. Subscribe to your favorites or pick them up at newsstands and farm stores such as Tractor Supply Company.
Take in a show, seminar, or expo. Visit information booths and chat with exhibitors between classes. State and regional breed associations sanction shows and host seminars and expos; e-mail or call these organizations for specifics.
If you want to breed miniature livestock, start with breeding stock from successful producers. Study show results, read pertinent material in magazines and online, and talk with other breeders who consistently produce the kind of animals you’d like to own.
TELEPHONE PROTOCOL
Chances are you’ll make a lot of calls before you buy your first handsome beast. Sometimes you’ll reach call waiting or an answering machine. When you do, make it easy for sellers to get back to you. In the last two months I’ve been unable to return three calls because I couldn’t understand what the caller was saying!
If possible, use a landline for making inquiry calls. In some rural areas, my own included, cell phone reception is erratic. Cell phones are notorious for fading and cutting out.
Please, speak slowly and clearly, especially when leaving your name, a phone number, or a mailing address. People that hail from other parts of the country may not readily understand regional speech patterns. I live in Arkansas, and some Southern dialects still leave me scratching my head.
When leaving a phone number, read the number through, pause, then read it through again. If the person you’re calling doesn’t understand you the first time, give him a second chance to get it right.
If you don’t receive a return call, don’t assume the recipient isn’t interested — call again. It can’t hurt and may help you find just what you want.
If you can buy the stock you need close to home, this is good. Healthy animals acclimated to your region that are spared the stress of long-distance hauling tend to stay healthier than those trucked in from distant sources. If you plan to breed high-end show and breeding stock, however, you may not have a lot of local options.
There are many reasons to shop the Internet when you’re looking for livestock: you can shop anywhere in the world, at any time of day, seven days a week, without leaving home; you can select from a vast pool of animals and breeders; and, you can research interesting animals and sellers before you deal, thus saving time and money on farm visits. However, be especially careful to deal with reputable sellers. Request buyers’ references, and always follow through.
When you find something that piques your interest, check it out. Calls are better than e-mails (unfortunately, many times e-mails go unanswered). You can request video footage of the animal that interests you. If video isn’t available, ask to see additional photos taken from many different angles. Examine these materials very carefully and address any issues before you buy.
When you’ve decided to purchase an animal, insist on a written guarantee and negotiate its terms before you commit. Be clear about how and when you will take delivery of the animal before you make a deposit. Work out all of the details: Who pays for interstate health papers and the tests they entail? How long will the seller hold the animals once payment is made and you’re lining up transportation? Who foots vet bills incurred during that wait? What happens if an animal dies or is injured? Get everything in writing; never leave anything to chance.
Once you’ve narrowed the field to a group of people selling what you want, contact them, and if possible, arrange to visit their farms.
Arrive at the designated time. Look around. Farms need not be showplaces, but they should not be trash dumps, either. Are animals housed in safe, reasonably clean facilities? Are they in good flesh — neither skinny nor blubbery fat? You might spot individuals that are skinnier or fatter than the norm, but the majority should be in just-right condition.
If you ask the right questions and get the right answers, and if you like the animal you came to see, ask to see its registration papers and its health, vaccination, deworming, and production records. And ask about guarantees. Some producers give them, some don’t. If there is one, insist on getting it in writing.
Finally, trust your intuition. If a seller makes you feel uneasy for any reason, thank him for his time and leave. There are so many honest sellers out there; there’s no need to deal with someone you don’t quite trust.
Production and dispersal sales are first-class venues for buying quality animals at fair market prices. The best are publicized months in advance. These sales offer printed catalogs that highlight sale animals’ pedigrees and production records. Production sales can be the perfect places to meet people and purchase quality livestock.
Major sales make provisions for absentee bidding (usually by phone, fax, or e-mail), but it’s best to be there in person. Arrive before the sale starts and do hands-on inspections of the animals you think you might bid on. Another sensible ploy: mark your catalog, designating which animals you plan to bid on, and make a notation of your absolute top bid so you don’t get carried away in the heat of a bidding war.
Unless special arrangements are made in advance, payment in full is expected on sale day; don’t plan to pay by check unless you’ve cleared this in advance, too. Animals sell with registration papers, health certificates, and any other documentation needed for interstate shipment. Guarantees, if any, are stated in the sale catalog.
If you bring livestock home from any type of sale, plan to quarantine them away from your existing herd. House them in an easy-to-sanitize area at least 50 feet (15 m) from any other livestock but preferably where they can see other animals of the same species at a distance. Deworm them, vaccinate them, trim their hooves or toenails if needed, but keep the new animals isolated for at least three weeks. Don’t forget to sanitize the conveyance you hauled them home in.
During the quarantine period, feed and care for your other livestock first, so you can scrub up after handling the new additions. Never go directly from the quarantine quarters to the rest of your animals. If you can prevent it, don’t allow dogs, cats, poultry, or any other livestock to travel between one group and the other. When the new additions’ time in quarantine is up, sanitize the isolation area and any equipment you’ve used while caring for them.
The first rule of livestock buying is to buy from individuals or at well-run dispersal and production sales and never from neighborhood sale barns — they’re dumping grounds for sick animals and culls.
If you buy at sale barns, you won’t know for sure if the animal you buy has been vaccinated, how it’s been handled, if it’s pregnant and by what sort of male, or if difficult or impossible-to-eradicate diseases such as hoof rot, caseous lymphadenitis, tuberculosis, and Johne’s disease are present in its flock or herd of origin. A male may be infertile or so dangerous that its owner is willing to see the last of it at any price. And animals that weren’t sick or exposed to disease before they’re sold through a sale barn will be by the time the sale ends.
If you attend sale barn livestock auctions, even just to look, you’re sure to be tempted to buy. If you succumb to temptation, remember: Never, ever turn newly purchased sale livestock out with the rest of your herd. Always, without exception, quarantine them for at least three weeks.
And whether you buy or not, scrub your hands using plenty of soap and sanitize the clothes you wore to any sale before going near your other livestock. Use one part household bleach to five parts plain water in a fine-mist spray bottle to thoroughly spritz boots and shoes, and launder all other clothing in hot water and detergent. It sounds like overkill, but it isn’t. Foot rot, soremouth, ringworm, respiratory diseases, and a host of other problems can hitchhike home on your hands and your clothes, so it’s best to never take chances.
Miniature livestock frequently sell through exotic animal auctions — auctions that sell everything from lion cubs to exotic birds to gnus to more mundane species such as unusual breeds of cattle, sheep, and goats — often at bargain basement prices. But should you patronize them? It depends.
Some exotic sales are long-established, well-run affairs, but most aren’t, and even the best are usually held at livestock sale barns where the animals will be exposed to the hazards named in the section above. The bottom line? Attend a sale before you go to buy. If you’re comfortable with what you see, it might be worth it. However, it’s always better to buy directly from individuals and from production or dispersal sales, because you’re more likely to find healthy livestock. The dollars you save at an exotic sale may not go far toward paying a hefty vet bill.