Good year to buy bulls if you need them.

[Aaron]

Slaughter price for the older guys is healthy and steady. Price for the new ones is dropping everyday. Just watched a premier Canadian Hereford sale yesterday online, talk about a blood-bath for the seller. I would say down at least 25% from just last year. Lots of deals. Big name breeders were buying in bulk like it was a store liquidation sale. Floor was $3500 and 13 of 50 bulls never even made it that high. Over 1/2 the bulls that did sell could be had under $5k. Majority two year olds and some long yearlings.

Looking forward to buying a new heifer bull even more this year!

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I read that as a harbinger to further declines in feeder prices so forgive me if I don't share in your enthusiasm. That and the fact that I have 9 bulls to sell ranging in age from 12-24 months.

 

[Aaron]

I read that as a harbinger to further declines in feeder prices so forgive me if I don't share in your enthusiasm. That and the fact that I have 9 bulls to sell ranging in age from 12-24 months.

Prices are just catching up to current feeder prices, something that never happened this time last year.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I read that as a harbinger to further declines in feeder prices so forgive me if I don't share in your enthusiasm. That and the fact that I have 9 bulls to sell ranging in age from 12-24 months.

Prices are just catching up to current feeder prices, something that never happened this time last year.

That doesn't make me any happier Aaron, lol!

 

[BC]

Seed stock sales usually lag 6 to 8 months behind what is happening at sale barn.

 

[SPH]

It's definitely a softer market than it has been in the past year or 2. Just watching some sale averages and what other guys are advertising private treaty right now you can see that. It's comes and goes in cycles with what the sale barn markets are doing, when prices are high at the sale barn guys can afford higher priced bulls when they are getting good return at the sale barn on their calves.

Still will see some guys spending big on top end bulls, the value is really whatever a potential buyer feels a bull is worth to him. Some guys will get great buys while some may overpay too depending on how motivated the seller is to either move their bulls or hold out for a certain price.

 

[3waycross]

Beef prices here in the West are up and bull prices have not tanked like we thought they might.....The good news is good bulls seem to still be bringing good money here.

 

[js1234]

Bull sales, while down noticeably have held together better than I thought they might. So far this Winter/Spring, I've bought 23 bulls, we have about 13 yet to buy before we have our needs buttoned up for the Spring calving 1/2 of our cowherd. 11 of the bulls so far have been Hereford. Our average on those 11 is just over $4,500, cheapest Hereford bull we bought was $3,400 and the most expensive was $6,150. Angus are similar for us this year but didn't look as we seem to be talking about Herefords in particular on this thread.
I did also buy a SimAngus bull, but he's a different deal as a friend and I viewed him as something pretty special in terms of potential semen sales etc. and possibly partnering with a stud or selling him to one outright after we've done some promoting of him and used him in some commercial heifer projects along with getting some more detailed RFI data. Based on his exceptional numbers and appeal as an outcross sire for several different types of breeders, he sort of skewed the average you could say.

 

[elkwc]

The prices have been all over the board here so still too early too tell. The sale a person misses is usually the one he should of been at. Saw one last week that averaged over $5,300 on 80 plus Angus bulls. The majority of the good ones above 6. Four of the 6 I picked went $9,500 and above. I can't pencil in a bull at 6 and above and make him work. If we were buying several I might be 1-2 there and average him out but when you only need 1-2 bulls it is hard to do. Will try to attend a sale this Saturday. They are all yearlings so will be interesting. Then the RA Brown ranch is having their spring sale down the road from the lady I help next week. This is the first sale here so will be interesting what they do. Sure a lot of outside bidders will influence this sale. I'm busy now so don't plan on attending it. So after the next two weeks we should have a better idea. In private sales a few PB breeders have adjusted their prices down. But most have only lowered the bottom end they should of been steers anyway. I've also noticed that the 2 y/o bulls seem to be strong. Even seeing a drop off on 18 month old bulls. Many breeders bought yearling bulls when there was a shortage and now want the older bulls again and are willing to pay extra for the age. I've seen up to $3,000 difference in the same genetics and quality.

 

[True Grit Farms]

You folks that need a few good bulls need to come to the southeast and buy them. A few bulls from here will be selling at the Gardiner bull sale on April 2nd. Those bulls will bring $2-3k more than you would of paid if you bought them here. With the use of AI and ET everyone is selling close to the same quality of animal. The breeders name, feed and management practices are the only differences anymore.

 

[elkwc]

You folks that need a few good bulls need to come to the southeast and buy them. A few bulls from here will be selling at the Gardiner bull sale on April 2nd. Those bulls will bring $2-3k more than you would of paid if you bought them here.

With the use of AI and ET everyone is selling close to the same quality of animal. The breeders name, feed and management practices are the only differences anymore.

Very true and why a buyer doesn't have to pay the big bucks for one. You can many times drive down the road a few miles and find one bred the same way and of the same quality for considerably less.

 

[Nesikep]

You folks that need a few good bulls need to come to the southeast and buy them. A few bulls from here will be selling at the Gardiner bull sale on April 2nd. Those bulls will bring $2-3k more than you would of paid if you bought them here. With the use of AI and ET everyone is selling close to the same quality of animal. The breeders name, feed and management practices are the only differences anymore.

None of which affect the quality of his calves He just might look a little fancier if he was babied

 

[Nesikep]

Only problem is you get less for your old bull these days too.. Bull in my avatar picture we bought as a 2 year old for $3K delivered in 2009, sold him for $3200 at the auction in 2014... Went a long way to pay the $3500 for a new PB Limo long yearling we got as a replacement

 

[True Grit Farms]

Only problem is you get less for your old bull these days too.. Bull in my avatar picture we bought as a 2 year old for $3K delivered in 2009, sold him for $3200 at the auction in 2014... Went a long way to pay the $3500 for a new PB Limo long yearling we got as a replacement

I saw a couple of slaughter bulls sell for $.99 Wednesday. That will go a long way towards a good bull in the southeast right now. The value of a good bull is in his offspring, especially the heifers.

 

[Nesikep]

Only problem is you get less for your old bull these days too.. Bull in my avatar picture we bought as a 2 year old for $3K delivered in 2009, sold him for $3200 at the auction in 2014... Went a long way to pay the $3500 for a new PB Limo long yearling we got as a replacement

I saw a couple of slaughter bulls sell for $.99 Wednesday. That will go a long way towards a good bull in the southeast right now. The value of a good bull is in his offspring, especially the heifers.

Yep, and I got a lot of good heifers from that guy!