I agree,
@Warren Allison @TCRanch i prefer going to a breeder rather than a sale. I like to see the management and disposition of the bulls, as much as anything else. I don't care how good a bull is if it's not fairly docile I want nothing to do with it. I also prefer getting young bulls from 12-15 months up to 18 months if they are good natured. That way they kind of are still young enough to get accustomed to our management and are not set in their ways.
I've found that a lot of older animals are set in their ways and we have to work around them and I don't want that especially with a bull.
I like to be able to ask questions of the breeders. It gives you more time to look at the bulls than if at a sale. I think a lot of times Cattle can get stirred up at sales and not really be themselves, however it's too risky to take a chance on the auctioneers or sale managers word that they were just fine earlier.
I have a couple breeders that I respect and trust and this year it's likely going to be a hard choice between the two, once we see what both of them have. Seen bulls from one yesterday and waiting to set up a time with the other.
They are both long time breeders that I consider friends and trust what they tell me.
I was buying several bulls from a different breeder a few years back, I liked their management in that they weren't pushing their bulls to get fat and were priced reasonably. My issue came when they tried to sell us a bull with one testicle.
I've had a lot of things. go wrong with bulls over the years and want as good and right as I can get for the best price.
I'm willing to pay the going rate but not close to that or even a major discount for an animal that already has an obvious issue.
I've bought the second high price bull at a popular consignment bull sale in our area years ago only to have him go down in a couple of days to hardware disease. He did not likely get it here as the breeder admitted he had another animal that had hardware at that time but would not stand behind the bull. He hung up the phone.
Would never do any business with him or his program again ever.