Steps in Buying a GF Animal
1. Read about the species and breed you are considering, talk with knowledgeable people (extension agents, neighbors, breeders, etc.) and sort through the information, look up the breed on the Web, and visit herds/flocks when possible.

2. DEVELOP YOUR OWN GOALS for your animals.  Realize your limits.  Be clear with yourself and with the breeders you talk with about what you are looking for.  Many of the breeders of my acquaintance can help you avoid a mismatch IF you let them know your needs.  (I did not realize this when I was buying.)

3. Recycle through 1 and 2 several times.  Each reading and conversation with a breeder can potentially modify your goals.  Do this as many times as necessary for you to believe that you are taking the plunge responsibly.  Remember that in our modern world these animals will depend on you for their very lives, even if they have the ABILITY to survive on their own "in the wild."

4. If you see something you want to pursue buying from Gladhour Farm, make contact by emailing: info@gladhourfarm.com and send your name and contact information. There are usually animals for sale.  However, I am fond of my animals that I have worked with and look at placing the animals as "matchmaking" rather than "selling."  So please be ready to tell me your goals and interests, and perhaps the biggest considerations in your list as you are looking.

5. When we settle on an animal of interest, I can send pictures with views of your choosing and/or refer you to pictures already on the Web.  I have several pictures on the ADCA and PDCA pedigree pages but often do not register my Dexters until they are a year or so old, so will need to send pictures individually of youngsters.  The Babydolls are registered within the year of their birth.  I try to disclose limits or drawbacks of individual animals, but keep in mind that I am operating from MY experience (and sometimes my vet’s judgments) and your goals and important preferences may be different from those.  ASK QUESTIONS!

6. When you decide to buy a Gladhour Farm animal, a 10% non-refundable deposit will hold the animal for you for 30 days.  This will provide available funds for such things as vet inspections, which I cover in the purchase price.  Additional tests need to be discussed at this time; costs of additional tests need to be covered by you.  In many cases, the cattle have already been tested free of brucellosis, TB, Johne’s, BLV, and typically they will also have had the usual vet-administered vaccinations for this region.  Ask, if that is of interest to you.  I have had many of my herd tested for chondrodysplasia and will always tell you the results I received when asked.  This is an important genetic characteristic that you should know about and consider in your GOALS (see "What about Chondrodysplasia?").

7. Balance (in cash, cashier’s check, or other type acceptable to both parties) will be due within the 30 days and pickup needs to be within that time.  I can often help you find a hauler if you do not want to pick up the animal(s) yourself.

8. When you are doing the pickup, please keep in mind that a vet inspection paper is needed for out-of-state travel, so plan ahead enough for this to be done.  I will want to take a picture of you with your purchase before I say good-bye to "my baby"!  If the animal is being shipped, one of the things I have found a good method is to buy the animal so that it is owned at the seller’s farm and then pay for a year’s insurance with American Livestock Insurance Company—and that insurance covers shipping.  That is at your discretion but has worked well for me.  It’s easy!  Give GF a call!

Pricing
For the cattle, I don't have a standardized pricelist but I can tell you the principles I use for the prices I set for bulls.  More trained means more invested in (time, effort, money) and usually more loved, and thus means higher price.  Nature's endowments in factors that go into making a "good bull" from my perspective (including natural temperament, conformation, bloodlines, mother's qualities, etc) are subtle but often affect my pricing (as well as my offering them at all as bulls).  More age (and thus ready to work [buyer's perspective] and more expensively invested in [seller's perspective]) means higher price.  Non-carrier of chondrodysplasia is the status of nearly all my bulls, but the investment in testing is taken into account; the occasional carrier bull offers something I consider valuable but the price reflects the status as well.  Market factors related to color and polledness will be taken into account.  Occasionally a discounted bull is offered for sale, with reason for discount.  So tell me the price you want to pay and I will probably have a bull in your range with good genetics... so I have something for everyone.

Pricing of females similarly reflects my investment in the animal in training and testing, and in market factors, such as polledness, color, size and carrier-status relative to it.  It also reflects whether or not a particular female is being sold as bred, and her age as far as readiness to produce and productive life expectancy.  I sell one or two females after a bull purchase to those who want a breeding pair.  aAa analysis can assist in pairing animals. I've had several of my herd analyzed so can disclose those numbers to buyers as well.

(Go to Articles and FAQs for thoughts on preparation for buying [perspectives], chondrodysplasia, horns/dehorned/polled, "miniature" cattle, Dexter breed guidelines and color.)