Heifer Problems

Is it out of line to ask a seller for a refund on a heifer or posibly swap for another, I purchased a heifer from a local breeder and she acted fine for about 12 hours then just went nuts. I have had her for about three months now and she has not gotten anybetter.  The first day we had her she ran through a high tensil fence and a 5 strand barb wire fence. We finally caught her two days latter and she has been tied up and being led to water ever scince til  today she got away from us and ran through a fence and ened up in the pasture. She went off feed a week ago and has lost some weight. Just wanted to know what any of you sellers would do in this situation. I dont want to ruin this guys reputation because he has helped us out in the past, but i dont know how he would react to this. We told him we were having problems and he said that she would calm down... What should I do ?

I would definitely contact the seller.  If he wants to sell you anything in the future he will make it right.  What is the breeding on this heifer?

If the seller wants to be a jerk it's gonna happen, but 99 percent of the time they will either trade you or tell you to take her to town and make up the difference.  If they don't,  bite the bullet and don't be shy about letting others know about the problem. 

We bought a heifer a few years ago that became crippled in her back legs due to a joint problem. The breeder took her back and fed her out and butchered her. He gave us the pick of some heifers in the same price range, or we could pay the difference for a higher priced heifer.

To me this is kind of an iffy subject. Technically a seller is under no obligation to refund or replace. There are risks that are inherent when you are dealing with live animals. A lot of people feel like a seller should replace an animal of it becomes crippled etc. Well I have to ask the question, was the animal sound in your opinion when you bought it? If not, then why did you buy it? Was it just understood that there was a concern or risk that you were willing to take? If so then why should the seller be responsible for a risk that knowingly accepted? If the animal was sound when you bought it, is there chance that unsoundness is due to injury? Again an inherent risk which the seller is not responsible for. If the animal seemed sound and you had no reason to believe he would develop an issue at time of purchase then why should the seller believe he should develop an issue? And why should the seller be responsible when he does? Is it the sellers fault? Sometimes it is and in those cases then yes the seller should make it right. If the seller guarantees a calf sound and you get home and the calf isn't and it is an issue that most likely happened before delivery then yes I feel the seller should make it right. If the calf was sold as gentle and halter broke and the next day turns into a Mexican fighting bull then yes the seller should make it right.
I guess the big question here is did the seller sale the calf as being gentle and halterbroke? Have you been in contact with the seller since day one and made sure he was aware of the issue? If the seller didn't guarantee the calf gentle then technically he is under no obligation to replace her or refund your money, but still most decent sellers or breeders are going to replace one that is to crazy for a kid to show.

When we started selling registered stock I went through the breed associations and found a set of Ethics that I liked and manipulated to my personal situation, I now attach that with the invoice of every animal I sell privately.

In this case, if the breeder expects to maintain his reputation he should replace or refund.

Maybe this isn't the heifer or seller's fault.    Have you checked for stray voltage in the area where she is kept or on your farm.    One of the most common causes for an animal to go off feed is lack of water and you mentioned she is off feed for the last week.  The water may appear to be available and may appear to be OK but has  low voltage present.    The old Richie water tanks were the worst offenders as the heater or wiring under the tank fails and send a constant low voltage to the tank and corral.  As the wiring progressively becomes worse,  the voltage increases.    Humans are much less sensitive to this than cattle and you may not feel anything that is readily apparent to her.  Get a qualified electrician to check your farm and corrals. 

I would think you should have been in contact earlier than 3 months.I have sold many calves and if for any reason their is a problem it is corrected.Not all feel that way and their reputation can be damaged.The golden rule doesn't always apply in money or[cattle] transactions.I have bought a couple with disposition problems and some broke and some didn't but I knew the risk.Usually you don't have to buy problems as they should be free. 

She is a About Time x LCC Jemma Reg Hereford. We dont currently have any electric running to the trough she just seems to be over all flighty she hates to be around any people or even any other cattle she just wants to be alone.  The reason i waited so long to really speak up much is i figured she would mellow out eventually but she has not.  He convinced me to bring her to our local county fair so he could look her over and hopefully being around the people would help but we never got to show her because the whole first day she just stood and shook all day so we brought her back home.  I brought up trading or taking her to the sale barn and getting a little diffrence but wanted to wait til they got off the show circut so he could work with her.  I was told she could be showed when i bought her but she was not dead broke yet

Has she been with other cattle since you've had her?  About Time's are some of the easiest breaking cattle I've ever been around.  We have some About Time cows that were never halter broke that love people.  Most of our Herefords are broke to tie in one afternoon and broke to show completely within 10 days.  I'm very sorry you've had this problem.  If you're somehow near western IL, I'd like to come see the calf and help you out if you still need help.

I live just north of Macomb IL with Herefords but my dad and family live outside of Hoopeston. If you don't get something sorted, let me know and I'll have my dad look into your situation.

Hey Devin, you have a lot of resources here in Edgar county, I'm not sure how old you are but even more so if you are a kid. Almost all of the producers around here will bend over backwards to help young people. give me a call if I cant help you with the heifer ill get you in touch with someone that can.

Sorry I thought my number was in my profile. 217 251 3710