February 28, 2009
Calhoun Stockyards
Sale Facility
Calhoun, Ga.

Sale Reported by
the Spitzer Family

When it rains, it pours! And just sometimes it pours blessings; as it certainly did on Saturday, February 28 for the folks at Spitzer Ranch. The thought seemed to be that since it was raining there wasn't much else to do but attend the sale and over 225 individuals were in the seats when the auction began. Of course you can't keep ‘em if the offering isn't right. The cattlemen in the crowd endorsed the program that offered 65 percent AI sired bulls and a genetic selection program that has consistently focused on producing CURVE BENDER BULLS. This year's set of bulls saw their “average bull” rank in the Top 30 percent of the breed for low BW EPDs and at the same time that “average bull” ranked in the Top 25 percent of the breed for heavier YW EPD. Professional Commercial Cattlemen were certainly enthused by a sale order based on the Spitzer Ranch Exclusive Curve Bender Index and that 44 percent of the sale were flagged as Calving Ease Bulls suitable for use as heifer bulls.

High selling honors went to SVF Lead Gun 23 T742, a really neat Lead Gun of Brinks 222K14 son out of the 23M28 Donor Matron at Salacoa Valley Farms. This bull triple ranked in the Top 10 percent for BW, REA and IMF EPD and ultrasound scanned a nice 14.2 sq in REA (107 ratio) with 3.66 percent IMF (111 ratio) at only .21 in of rib fat. T742 also ranked in the Top 20 percent for YW EPD and packed all that growth on a 5.5 Frame Score. Dr. Mo Williams, MO BRANGUS, Longwood, Fla. gave the final nod at $5,000 for one-half interest and possession with the bull immediately going to GENEX for semen collection.

SR Wrangler Warrior U827 earned the rights to second place in the high selling category with the final bid of $4,250 for one-half interest and possession, going home with Evan Mobley, Girard, Ga. This powerful young prospect is sired by Aces TF Wrangler 145/8 and out of a daughter of Cadence of Brinks 535D3; both of whom showing up as repeat performers on the Brangus Trait leader List. U827 had a Frame Score of 6.3 while ranking in the Top 10 percent for WW EPD and the Top 20 percent for YW EPD which sure caught the attention of the whole crowd. The maternal strength of U827 was also evident in his Top One Percent ranking for Total Maternal EPD and Top 2 percent ranking for Milk EPD. Carcass mathematics indicated a huge 14.8 sq in REA and 3 percent IMF at only .26 in. of rib fat. He also was on the trailer to GENEX for semen collection immediately after the sale.

The seventy Brangus bulls averaged $2,209 and sold into the nine states of South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, Missouri and Texas. The Spitzers have a great deal of pride in the large number of bulls that find their way into the commercial cattle industry every year. And they especially are thankful that the vast majority of these bulls go home with repeat customers. Trent McKnight, McKnight Ranch, Throckmorton, Texas left for home with 10 bulls; Evan Mobley, Girard, Ga., loaded up seven bulls; and Mike Vann's Rocking V Cattle Company, Pike Road, Ala., took five bulls to be volume buyers. The many buyers taking advantage of three or four bulls were sure appreciated, but were too numerous to list.

Providing a service to buyers, and a marketing avenue for Spitzer Ranch bull customers, is the Commercial “Brangus Gold” Customer Female sale held following the bull sale. All females offered in this event are sired by or out of cows sired by Spitzer Ranch bulls. Twenty four open yearling heifers, mostly consigned by G. K. DuBose, DuBose Cattle Company, Rembert, S.C., were on hand for this year's sale and sold for an average of $850. New customer Kelley Stewart, Petersburg, Tenn., was female volume buyer taking home seven heifers. Long time repeat customer Bobby Sholar, B & P Farms, Wallace, N.C., also added 4 heifers to his previous bull purchase; one pen of which were the second high sellers at $925. But, not to be outdone, A. D. Dodson, Craborchard, Ky., bid $1,000 each to own the high selling fancy pen of heifers.

The 2009 Spitzer Ranch Sale was actually the first event planned by the newly formed SALACOA VALLEY FARMS-SPITZER RANCH ALLIANCE. Next on the agenda will be the Salacoa Valley Farms Registered Female Production Sale scheduled for Saturday, June 13, 2009 followed by the Salacoa Valley Farms Performance Tested Bull Sale and Commercial “Brangus Gold” Customer Female Sale on Saturday, September 26, 2009. The next Spitzer Ranch Sale will be the last Saturday in February, February 27, 2010. The SVF-SR Alliance will publish Quarterly Newsletters, the Female Production Sale Catalog and 2 Bull Sale Catalogs each year. To be added to their mailing list, call the Spitzers at 864/972-9140 or e-mail spitzeranch@mindspring. com or call Salacoa Valley Farms at 706/337-2295 or email ben@svfbulls.com. Also be sure to check for updates on both sales at www.svfbulls.com.

Auctioneer: Tommy Barnes, Gallion, Ala.

Sale Manager: Spitzer Ranch, Fair Play, S.C.

Marketing Consultant: John Maurer, Bryan, Texas.