# Vet Checks at Sales/Auctions



## SunnydaleBoers (Jul 28, 2012)

So we had just mentioned lesions/lumps/etc slipping through vet checks at some shows. I'm watching the SE KS Production sale online right now and they just announced that one of the lots has a "touch of soremouth". So disappointing- they've had some really nice goats go through the ring at REALLY nice prices, and all I can think is that they've all been exposed to this doe for the last 24 hours.

I realize orf isn't life threatening, and it is treatable, but it's also highly contagious and from what I've read a pain in the butt to treat (we've been lucky enough to dodge that bullet so far). It's like come on people, why would you take that animal out in public?!

I know it also means the animals I'm interested in are going to start selling for like $50 bucks a head and then it's really going to be a Sophie's Choice for me...


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I hear ya, it is terrible and so unfair to buyers.


----------



## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

That is bad, the owner of that doe should have just left her and their other goats at home. They even had the head sheep and goat guy from K State doing a seminar yesterday they should have had him look at the doe and at least keep her completely away from the others. I was going to go to that sale, just to watch, but ended up going to Bass Pro instead lol. 

How did the goats sell there? What was the price range?


----------



## SunnydaleBoers (Jul 28, 2012)

ptgoats45 said:


> That is bad, the owner of that doe should have just left her and their other goats at home. They even had the head sheep and goat guy from K State doing a seminar yesterday they should have had him look at the doe and at least keep her completely away from the others. I was going to go to that sale, just to watch, but ended up going to Bass Pro instead lol.
> 
> How did the goats sell there? What was the price range?


Lol, it probably ended up much cheaper to go to Bass pro!

I didnt watch the entire sale, but prices went from $75 to 2K. Only 12 out of 130 lots went over 1K, and it looked like the average price was around $400- if we'd actually been at the sale we probably would have come home with a tote load. There were an awful lot of really nice genetics that didn't sell for much at all. However, our checkbook is thrilled to report that we actually sold goats here on the farm today, instead of coming home with new ones!

In all fairness I was sitting at home on the computer, so I can't say what a "touch of soremouth" actually looked like- it could have been a couple of little warts or it could have been full blown lesions. The auctioneer does get props for mentioning it, but yes, I don't think that particular animal should not have been at the sale, and it really makes me leery about the other animals from that farm.


----------



## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Every livestock auction I have been to (4 different ones within 100 miles) and they are all the same. They wont take anything with an open wound. May refuse an obvious infection like sore mouth but for the most part, they are dumping grounds. Broken legs, hugh bellied wormy poopy animals and heavily johne's infected dairy cows. You get some big cattle or boar outfits who sell pretty much just at the sales, but everyone who cant sale their sick or nasty goats off their farm can always sell em at the auction. Everyone needs to realize that for most, the auction is were the worst of the worst end up. Every once in awhile someone will sell there who didnt put in enough effort to sell their good goats off their farm or who might of just needed to dump em.


----------



## SunnydaleBoers (Jul 28, 2012)

TDG-Farms said:


> Every livestock auction I have been to (4 different ones within 100 miles) and they are all the same. They wont take anything with an open wound. May refuse an obvious infection like sore mouth but for the most part, they are dumping grounds. Broken legs, hugh bellied wormy poopy animals and heavily johne's infected dairy cows. You get some big cattle or boar outfits who sell pretty much just at the sales, but everyone who cant sale their sick or nasty goats off their farm can always sell em at the auction. Everyone needs to realize that for most, the auction is were the worst of the worst end up. Every once in awhile someone will sell there who didnt put in enough effort to sell their good goats off their farm or who might of just needed to dump em.


This was a production sale, and not a "true" auction, so typically you'll see a higher caliber of animal at those sales. Maybe it's a midwest thing, but we'll have quite a few goat sales in our area that bring quality show animals. However, one of the caveats of those sales is that you're bidding on HEALTHY, breeding sound animals!

We've got plenty of the sale barns you described in our area though too- just because you've got an arena doesn't mean you're an auctioneer! I think that as the goat industry continues to develop we'll eventually see better auctions, much more on par with the feeder/stocker and finished cattle sales. We do have quite a few good, high quality cattle sale barns in our area, but they're primarily dealing with beefers. A few of them are starting to do monthly goat/sheep auctions, which helps.

I would agree though- if you're going to a sale barn/meat auction it ought to be because you've got a good group of kids to run through the ring, and not because you're looking for breeding stock!


----------



## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

TDG-Farms said:


> Every livestock auction I have been to (4 different ones within 100 miles) and they are all the same. They wont take anything with an open wound. May refuse an obvious infection like sore mouth but for the most part, they are dumping grounds. Broken legs, hugh bellied wormy poopy animals and heavily johne's infected dairy cows..


Sunnydale is talking about a Boer goat production sale. Not the same as your average livestock auction.


----------



## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

wish we had something like that around here. The only thing close to that is the market wethers sold at the fair and of course that doesnt apply to us oldy folks


----------



## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

TDG-Farms said:


> wish we had something like that around here. The only thing close to that is the market wethers sold at the fair and of course that doesnt apply to us oldy folks


There is a sale in Moses Lake every year in May. "Exhibitors Edge". There is an upcoming sale in New Plymoth ID. Sept. 21.
http://www.srmga.com/production Sale/2013productionsale.htm


----------



## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

SunnydaleBoers said:


> Lol, it probably ended up much cheaper to go to Bass pro!


Lol, I had a gift card from Christmas that I hadn't used yet  so it was a lot cheaper. I ended up coming home with one of those hunting games...


----------

