Workshop: Livestock Buying 101

It’s tough being new to livestock- and living things are fraught enough without choosing a good, solid animal to begin with. As my neighbor Ron says, “All livestock is dead stock.” Hopefully, armed with some good information- you can get there on your own terms as much as possible.

 In this class we’ll discuss what you want to look for and specific questions to ask when buying cattle, goats, pigs, and poultry. Proper vocabulary and terminology when referring to various types, ages and genders of animals will also be clarified, as this helps interactions with sellers go more smoothly (think about various cattle identifiers and descriptors alone: cow; heifer; calf; steer; bull; ox; short-bred; fresh; open; freemartin; dairy breeds vs. beef breeds etc.)

 We’ll visit with Taproot’s own farm animals (dairy cows and heifers, working steers, dairy goats, pigs, ducks, chickens, and turkeys) and view strengths and weaknesses. There will be ample time for discussion and specific questions.

 Visit the Taproot Commons website to register.

Note: This is an introductory 101 class, not a livestock “care” course. There will be a solid overview of each animal mentioned, but we will not go into much depth. If you would like to see a specific animal all around care and housing course (such as “Raising Ducks”)- let us know, and we’ll see if we can put one together for next season.