Bruce in Canada

Donald Lehman · Feb 16, 2016

Yes sometimes you are farther ahead to just get shoot the cow. We have two vet services around here. One service charges about double what the other service does. Problem is, the one who charges the lower rate has about ten times the work he can keep up with. For the second cow Jeff got the cheaper fellow on the phone at just the right time and he took care of the cow. Jeff said if he couldn't have gotten ahold of this fellow the cow would have been on the truck to the sale barn the next morning. She simply would not have been worth having the high priced guys show up.

Now least anyone think I am disparaging either of these services, I will say they are both excellent services. If anything, the fellow with the cheaper service is better at saving really sick, borderline "should we try to save her or just shoot her" cases. It's just that one service charges much more than the other.

It's always a balancing act as far as "when to give up on them", isn't it, Bruce?

Oh yeah, the price of milk is down again this month. We are just jumping with joy.

Brendon Warren · Feb 16, 2016

I'll tell you a good one. The farm where my brother works called the vet the other day. The real vet couldn't come so he sends his student. My brother walks by, does a double take, asks the student why she is giving an IV to a dead cow. She checks and says you're right this cow is dead. Her and their herdsman hadn't caught this, both standing there. I bet they still get a bill for IVing the dead cow.

centash · Feb 16, 2016

Now, that's scary!

Ben

hd6gtom · Feb 16, 2016

Old reliable vet clinic was bought out by a bunch of new guys, Pal took his dogin for a ck up $900.00 dollars later he gets his dog back. Couldn't find anything wrong but did give him a rabies shot. Old vets had always worked his calves, new vets called wanting to schedule an appointment to do his calves. He told them "if you are going to charge me $900.oo to give a rabies shot, I cant afford to have youlook at 200 calves." hung up on them. That was last spring.

Brown Swiss · Feb 16, 2016

I haven't had the vet around here for close to 15 years, last time he came was for a blue roan with a thrown calf bed or prolapsed uterus, whatever you want to call it, she had it stepped on and torn so the vet was going to cut it off and sew her up and then ship here out, but her intestines were in there and he started cutting them so he said she is a goner, shot her and he didn't send a bill. After that I had 2 of them over the years and I just tackled the job myself, I also preg check my own cows so I don't need a vet, cheaper that way!

Bruce from Can. · Feb 16, 2016

Yes Don , it is indeed a balancing act.Providing good care for stock and being able to pay the bills , and make a profit too. Seems that it has become a crime for a farmer to "make money" on the food people need.With the current over supply of milk in the world market , I don't see milk price coming back up any time soon. The EU is trying to find a home for all the products that they used to send to Russia . All the while Brussels keeps sending checks to farmers in the EU , and they keep producing instead of rioting about low milk price. 20% of our milk price is based on the world price , and that has dragged our blend price down over the last year. Folks are starting to feel the pinch here too.And combine that with a Canadian dollar that is worth around .70 U.S. , you will here even more whining north of the boarder come spring. The dairy industry seems to have plenty of pain to go around. Bruce

Bruce in Canada

Donald Lehman

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Brendon Warren

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centash

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hd6gtom

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Brown Swiss

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Bruce from Can.

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