From the bit of experience we have of trying to buy from farms i would say not but then again all comes down to how good the farm is and suppose you maybe able to do a deal for them to do some of your vacinations and such earlier , so your calves would be covered sooner. The only way is to try and a buy a batch direct off a farn and see how they compare to your orginal system.I suppose the question I'm asking is: -
Buying what u want from the market and putting up with the associated bugs, would I end up with the same % of "3rd rate" calves as taking EVERYTHING from a farm?
I believe that the largest % of our bottom-enders is due to the pressure of bugs we bring in