If you’re a farmer in the dairy or beef business, you’ll need to know how to appraise and purchase cattle. While this can seem like an overwhelming process at first, rest assured that you’ll be a cattle-buying pro in no time. In this article, we’ll break down everything you need to know about buying cattle. From finding potential opportunities to carrying out the transaction and more, we’ve got you covered.

1

Know what kind of cattle you need.

  1. There are a variety of different cattle based on your goals. You need to already know what breed, age, weight, class and type of cattle you're looking for.[1] The type of cattle you're looking for determines what breed (or composite) you're interested in.
    • Type = beef or dairy.
    • Class = age/sex group for a particular kind of livestock, in this case cattle. Classes for sale cattle include the following:
      • Bulls: bull calf, weaner/weanling bull, yearling bull, 2-year old bull, mature bull, bologna bull
      • Cows: bred cow, open cow, three-in-one (cow bred with calf at side), cutter cow, canner cow, slaughter cow.
      • Heifer: bred heifer, feeder heifer, open heifer, heiferette, weaned heifer, heifer calf
      • Steer: feeder steer, dairy steer, steer calf
    • Weight is always approximate, rounded to 100 pounds (45 kg).
    • A word about breeds with large horns: Be aware that large horns mean an increased risk of harming yourself when handling the cattle, as well as intimidating other animals including horses. Be sure you want to own cattle with large horns; they look good but they're harder to transport and to tether.
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2

Set your budget.

  1. Cattle can be expensive, so you must know how much you can spend. This is always important, as you don't want to be buying an animal that you can't pay up front right away. It's also important to have a firm limit in mind when attending an auction, to avoid getting carried away.[2]
    • Of course, if you don't have the money right on hand, you will have to make arrangements to pay later, preferably as soon as possible so you don't forget.
3

Find cattle to buy.

  1. You can acquire cattle via private sales or public auctions. Wherever you wish to buy is your choice. Just remember that the auction (located at a local auction mart or "sale barn") is usually for selling culled or slaughter-only animals. You will need to be very vigilant and not wear your heart on your sleeve when picking and choosing which animal[s] to bid on and ultimately buy. You also won't be able to talk to or even get to know the owner of the animals going through the auction ring. There are exceptions, though. Farm or herd-dispersal auctions quite often are those that sell quality breeding stock to other producers to purchase. The cows, heifers and bulls being sold are what the owner had worked hard to raise and, because of retirement or switching to a different enterprise, a choice to sell them via auction is the best solution. And many auction marts or sale barns sell weaned steers that are quite healthy, though their destination is to be turned into beef, not as breeding stock. Private-treaty may be the best choice, as you have a chance to look at and study the animals you are wanting to buy and to talk to the owner as well if you have any questions. It also means a much reduced potential for exposure to disease that would occur in a generalized place of sale.[3]
    • Other places for purchasing cattle include breed registry or the breeders' websites, state, province or county fairs, online auction sites/forums/email lists (buyer beware), local media and magazines, and possibly your local veterinarian/agricultural teacher/other professionals involved in agriculture.
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5

Set aside time to inspect the cattle.

  1. Always take a closer look before you agree to buy anything. Go to the farm or ranch and have a look at the owner's animals. You should be able to get a look at the other animals the owner has on his/her farm to see the overall condition and health they're in. Ask questions about breed, breeding, calving, weaning, age, health history, etc.



    For the auction, you should be able to have a look at the cattle in their pens prior to the start of sale, and when they go through the ring to make a quick judgement call on whether they're worth buying or not. Particular signs to look for include:[5]
    • Eyes: Should be bright, clear and not runny (no discharge), crusty or bloodshot.
    • Nose: Should be cool, moist muzzle, with frequent licking; breathing should be regular, and not labored; beware of nasal discharge, coughing, wheezing or irregular/shallow breathing.
    • Coat: Glossy, clean and generally unmatted (especially for long-haired breeds), free of extensive "tag" or dried feces over the body (exceptions can be made if there's some tag on the rump, though tails covered in tag need to be questioned); beware of hair coats that appear mangy with some or a lot of hair-loss, have crusty lesions (typically ring-worm), or appear dull and/or dry.
    • Weight: Cattle should look to be at their average weight for their breeding; beware of severely emaciated or thin cattle (even with dairy cattle; if you can plainly see their ribs they're likely undernourished), or overly fat ones. Note, though, that judging body condition can be subjective.
    • Attitude: Curious, alert and contented; beware of cattle that stand apart from the herd, seem disinterested in you, or show signs of aggressiveness, no matter how subtle those signs are. Check the location of the whorl on the forehead––the lower the whorl, the less flighty the animal.[6]
    • Mobility: Walking should be smooth and free of limps, legs and feet should look normal and free of sores, swelling, or lesions; beware of uneven gaits or subtle signs of injury by how the animal stands and walks on. Placement of hind feet to front feet is especially important with breeding stock, but not so much with stock being raised for meat.
    • Udder (for dairy/breeding): It should be healthy; size isn't necessarily an indicator of a good udder, but rather placement of both front and hind ligaments. It should sit forward and square, not sag too much either in the front and rear quarters, and not be too meaty (or appear to have too many fat deposits). Observe the cow when she walks––the udder should not show too much sideways movement. Teats should be small and neatly grouped under the udder, not too large and/or sticking at odd angles.
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6

Aim to get a lower price.

  1. Like used car shipping, you can always negotiate over the cost of cattle. It is helpful to know what is a good price for the animals that are being sold beforehand to avoid getting ripped off (paying more than what they're worth) or worse. Most cattle sold by private treaty are either sold according to current prices on a $/cwt (one hundred weight) basis, except for purebred stock, which may be a little more expensive. In the auction, you have to have a maximum price you can bid up to for a particular animal, and keep bidding until either it gets sold to you, or the price is too high for you to bid on.[7]
    • If the animal[s] aren't worth your time or not to your expectations, neither buy nor bid on them. For buying cattle one-on-one, tell the owner you're just shopping around and exchange other small talk, then say a friendly "thanks for letting me look at your animals."
    • When negotiating the price, don't just think about cash and cattle. Also request expertise as part of the price, namely, the ability to call the owner for a set time in the future to ask questions or seek help, especially where problems might arise.
    • Ask to see––and then check––the relevant registration papers before signing for purchase. Also ask to see vaccination, de-worming and production records.
7

Settle the transaction.

  1. Purchase the cattle you've chosen once you’ve chosen the cattle. If they're worth it, and the owner and you agree on a price for them, buy them. When paying for the cattle, don't bring your credit card, debit card or any other card with you. Cash or cheque (check) is best for this sort of purchase. Most auctions are an exception though, as normally they will accept debit or even credit cards, in addition to cash or cheque (check).
    • Ask if there is a guarantee. Not all sellers are willing to give this but where the seller is, get it in writing.
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8

Arrange for transport.

  1. Bring the cattle home, to the farm, or to the factory. Normally the person buying the livestock should have a trailer to take them home in. If you don't have a trailer as of yet, you can arrange with the seller to haul them home for you. Once home, settle them into their new surrounds gradually, feeding them well and keeping a close eye on them for the first few days until they seem contented.[8]
    • Always have a separate area set up for new cattle being brought home. This gives them a chance to acclimate to their new space, see your existing cattle without actually having to meet them immediately and generally feel comfortable while settling in.
    • If bringing home a bottle calf, have his or her milk replacement ready.
    • If this is your first time for owning cattle, already know who your vet will be and have his or her contact details somewhere easily accessible. Also, have a halter and lead, adequate food, grooming gear and appropriate shelter.

Community Q&A

  • Question
    Is having a cow in my backyard a sensible thing to do?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Not if your backyard is less than an acre in size. Even one acre is not enough to support a cow, because you will be feeding most of the time and cleaning up a lot of poop too. If you have no extra acreage (over 2 acres) for pasture, and not enough room for an extra cow for her company, it's not a sensible thing to have a cow in your backyard. Even if the cow is a miniature animal, it still needs room. And you need extra room to store all the feed you need to keep the cow without having to go out and buy feed every other day like taking a quick trip to the grocery store. When you get feed, you should have enough to last you for several months or even a year.
  • Question
    In one production cycle, how many calves should I expect to be male?
    Karin
    Karin
    Top Answerer
    For any cow, you have a 50% chance of getting male calves.
  • Question
    I want to start business of buying cattle, but I don't know where or what to do, and am new in this business industry, can you please help further?
    Karin
    Karin
    Top Answerer
    Go to school, college preferably, and take some agricultural business courses, along with a course or two on beef cattle production, cattle pricing, beef economics, and similar things. To start earning money, work at a livestock auction where you get to see and work with the various kinds of animals that come in, and learn as much as you can there. You will need to spend money to learn in order to make money being a cattle buyer, and start from the bottom in order to get to the top. Talk to a few livestock market sales people to see how and where they got to where they are and see if they have any tips for you!
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Warnings

  • Don't buy based on emotional value of a particular animal. You should be more interested in its productivity and use to your farm and cow herd, not whether it looks cute, or if you feel sorry for it because it looks sick or terribly thin, or even based on coat color. However, it should also be mentioned that there can be exceptions to this rule, especially with the coat-color and possibly the cuteness factor. Above all, don't bring a contagious animal back to your own ranch––if in doubt, it's better to spend the money on a vet check before purchase, or leave it altogether.
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  • Beware of scams and spammers. Though this is more rare in the cattle industry than any other industry, you still need to be cautious.
    • Beware of sellers who ask you for cash only and no cheque (check), request to pay before sending animals out (especially if you don't have a trailer to bring them home with), ask for your bank account number, credit card number, or anything else related to finances and banking that the seller has no business knowing.
      • These type of people are ones to avoid and to keep well away from. Most importantly, if they do ask for such information do not give it out. Instead, either tell them that you'll pay them face to face after you've got the animals in your trailer, or tell them, "I would but I'd have to phone the authorities first."
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  • Keep a look out for owners that seem to be getting impatient, defensive, offended or even telling seemingly tall-tales or lies about a particular animal you're asking about.
    • People who are just getting into the cattle business and don't have a good idea of how to negotiate prices, ask the right questions or even how to watch the person you are buying cattle from for signs of falsehoods may get swindled more easily than those who are more experienced buying cattle one-on-one.
      • If this may be the case, and if you are that person, bring a friend with you, particularly a friend that is very experienced in the ins-and-outs of buying cattle.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
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Things You'll Need

  • Access to relevant media for browsing/searching out sales opportunities
  • Registration papers (optional)
  • Pre-determined budget and plan
  • Vet contact details
  • Appropriate shelter, food, grooming gear, halter, lead, etc.
  • Transportation

About This Article

KL
Co-authored by:
Animal Scientist
This article was co-authored by Karin Lindquist. Karin Lindquist earned a BSc in Agriculture as an Animal Science major from the University of Alberta, Canada. She has over 20 years of experience working with cattle and crops. She's worked for a mixed-practice veterinarian, as a sales representative in a farm supply store, and as a research assistant doing rangeland, soil, and crop research. She currently works as a forage and beef agriculture extension specialist, advising farmers on a variety of issues relating to their cattle and the forages they grow and harvest. This article has been viewed 221,714 times.
173 votes - 85%
Co-authors: 14
Updated: December 16, 2022
Views: 221,714
Categories: Featured Articles | Cattle
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