Farm Fest coming up

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

Once again, it is time for the Ozark Farm Fest, which means we will have bulls on display and for sale. We weighed them all yesterday, clipped them up a little, and will give them a bath on Thursday. Friday we move in for three days full of a lot of cattle talk and meeting up with old customers! I love this time, since I love to talk cattle!
Here are a few of the pasture shots I took today. These bulls range from 9 months to 12 months old, and range from 900 to 1180 pounds. We develop our bulls on 1.5% of their body weight with bull ration and of course, pasture. I like them ready to go to work when their new owners bring them home. All of them are going in for a BSE tomorrow, and all with be Trich tested, even though they are virgin bulls.
12 month old, 3/4 blood, sired by Head's Up out of a Pacesetter x Built right cow

11 month old, Purebred, sired LLSF Uprising

10 month old Grandmaster 3/4, out of a Rocking P cow (owned by Ron)

11 month old Dream On sired embryo (bought from Lazy H dispersal sale), calving ease

Embryo brother to the red bull, Sired by Dream On, owned by Ron (he bought a heifer carrying this calf in her)

December half blood, sired by Final Cut out of a Pioneer angus cow. Calving ease

And the flush brothers are always hanging out. Seems like they are always together!

I hope I see some of you if you come out! As always, I will offer you a bowl of chili or soup, depending on what I made for lunch that day. Come introduce yourself to me, and let me know you are from CT!

 

[Craig Miller]

I was just looking at those a few minutes ago on fb. Pretty nice. Are there others at the sale or only yours? I was planning on being up in north arkansas maybe this week but looks like it's not gonna happen. I sure would have came on up if I had been though.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

I was just looking at those a few minutes ago on fb. Pretty nice. Are there others at the sale or only yours? I was planning on being up in north arkansas maybe this week but looks like it's not gonna happen. I sure would have came on up if I had been though.

There is bulls from every breed and every color there! It has become a huge bull bonanza, where most people go to shop for a bull because of the volume and variety. Some bulls are tied, some are loose in pens. I bet at least 400 bulls on display!

It would have been neat to meet you. Farm fest is an experience like none other. Cattle, and everything related to farming is for sale and/or on display. Ron was going to try to make it out, to help sell his bulls, but he is in the middle of calving so staying home in KY.

 

[Ky hills]

Very nice bulls. Farm Fest sounds like an interesting event.

 

[FlyingLSimmentals]

Would love to go check it out but just don't see how I can find the time to make it. In the process of getting hay up, would have to find someone to take care of the heifers and bulls in the paddocks as well as the dogs, and plus I would have to be back Monday morning for my Dr. appointment to get this cast off. Sounds like a great event and the you all's bulls look nice. Good Luck with them.

 

[gizmom]

Your Bulls look really good! Hope the sell good for you as well! Sound like the kind of event I would love to attend.

Gizmom

 

[frieghttrain]

I like that red Dream On and that Final cut bull calf with that blaze face!

 

[dun]

Very nice bulls. Farm Fest sounds like an interesting event.

Farmfest is the one reason I go to Springfield. I make the trek once a year.

 

[Craig Miller]

Do you have a link to it?

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

I've never been to Farm Fest; hubby has a couple times; bro-in-law in MO goes every year. It's on my bucket list.

 

[dun]

http://www.farmtalknewspaper.com/commun ... 74e63.html
http://www.ozarkempirefair.com/events/2 ... l-farmfest

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

Very nice bulls. Farm Fest sounds like an interesting event.

Farmfest is the one reason I go to Springfield. I make the trek once a year.

Stop by and see me Dun. Sit and enjoy a cup of coffee, or even a bowl of soup with me!

 

[wbvs58]

It sounds like a good venue to market your bulls. I like the age you are unloading them at. If clients can be trained to accept buying them at that age they are also a year better off.

Ken

 

[City Guy]

Are animals sold by auction or private treaty? This sounds like a great event; I'm planning to attend next year!

 

[dun]

Private Treaty

 

[True Grit Farms]

It sounds like a good venue to market your bulls. I like the age you are unloading them at. If clients can be trained to accept buying them at that age they are also a year better off.

Ken

" I like them ready to go to work when their new owners bring them home." Around here a 9 to 12 month bull is not ready to go to work.

 

[wbvs58]

It sounds like a good venue to market your bulls. I like the age you are unloading them at. If clients can be trained to accept buying them at that age they are also a year better off.

Ken

" I like them ready to go to work when their new owners bring them home." Around here a 9 to 12 month bull is not ready to go to work.

They grow into the job.

Ken

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

It sounds like a good venue to market your bulls. I like the age you are unloading them at. If clients can be trained to accept buying them at that age they are also a year better off.

Ken

" I like them ready to go to work when their new owners bring them home." Around here a 9 to 12 month bull is not ready to go to work.

They grow into the job.

Ken

Exactly Ken! I took all 7 bulls in on Monday for the BSE, all of them but one passed as very good, with high numbers. The one that did not pass would not give us a sample. We ran him through two cycles, doc just said he needed a little more time and should be fine in a few weeks (he is a late November, and had the smallest scrotal size of all of them at 32 CM). Every one of the 6 can cover a cow, but when I sell them I make sure the buyers know not to use them on any more cows than their age (so a 12 month old bull can be used on 12 cows). I have used one of them, a really nice calving ease 11 month old bull, on a heifer that no one seems to be able to get through the cervix on (even Ron could not stick her). Guess what? She was 42 days post breeding last weekend. I think it is safe to say she stuck to that little 11 month old bull.

 

[Margonme]

It was a delight to join Kris and her family at Farm Fest.

A great way to meet people who share a passion for cattle and farming.  I spent Saturday and Sunday at the Fire Sweep Stalls where two of my Bulls were on display.  It is a learning experience.   Marketing cattle is greatly underrated.   Marketing is as Important As breeding!  I have learned in the last couple years that quality is essential but marketing is even more important.  Two beef growers who can produce stock of equal quality are separated by the one who can market!

Interesting results.  The two Flush Mates out of Dream On both sold.  The Red One first.  My Grandmaster bull was very popular; a birth weight of 96 pounds did not meet calving ease criteria for buyers who liked his phenotype.  Even though he has good CE numbers and does not add weight.  But he certainly was a very attractive bull and people were attracted to his beauty.

Grand Price.  Sire: Grandmaster. DOB: 11/4/15.
Weighing 1180 pounds.

Lucid Dream.  Sire: Dream On.  DOB: 10/26/15.
Weighing 1090.

 

 

[wbvs58]

Ron his actual birth weight should not come into, it should be his EPD's that are only concern. Your cattle being in such prime condition will always have higher BW and that is why you can't compare actual figures between herds only compare between peers in same management group. The EPD data base deals with herd difference using things like common bulls used in herds to link the figures and herds and come up with an EPD that reflects their value.

They look good any way Ron but it gets down to buyers getting nervous when they part with the money and what they perceive to be best. They would be missing out on lots of extra kilos in their calves by forgoing him.

Ken