cattleman99
Well-known member
There are guys that over feed and wreck them. I know a few and won't buy from them. However there are 1650 lb yearling Simmental, Charolais and Angus bulls at 14-15 months that will go on to breed for a decade if they are kept that long. They are not wrecked by over feeding.I'm fully aware. It's much the same in NC and it's a shame bulls are sold from such artificial environments to inflate numbers so buyers can think bigger is always better. If a commercial cattlemen could feed all of his calves like that bull was fed and turn a profit, it might have a chance of making sense.
A lot depends on your environment and how the bulls are developed.
I would argue as many bulls get wrecked by being underfed and not developed properly.
When I go to a bull sale the owner has fed them all the same. If I'm looking for a performance bull I'm not buying the 1350 lb bull I am looking at the 1500 lb plus ones.
Yearling weights are definitely going up in all breeds. A 1500 lb bull at sale time used to be massive not so many years ago. Not anymore.
Also keep in mind I'm up North in Canada. The further south you go the lower the weights. That's environment.
I don't want 65-70 lb calves at birth. Those are a big problem here in January when I calve most of them. My mature cow preference is a 90-105 lb calf at birth that gets up and goes.
Everyone has to use what works for them.