High priced bulls. Are they worth it?

[S.R.R.]

What makes a bull worth $53,000.00?

I am the first to admit that to a point you get what you pay for when it comes to bull power. You have to spend on average $3000 - $5000 for a real good herd improving sire but what or why would you spend $53,000.00 or more on a bull but for bragging rights?

 

[MikeC]

What makes a bull worth $53,000.00?

I am the first to admit that to a point you get what you pay for when it comes to bull power. You have to spend on average $3000 - $5000 for a real good herd improving sire but what or why would you spend $53,000.00 or more on a bull but for bragging rights?

A friend of mine has sold around 65,000 straws on a bull he owns.

He ain't bragging either. ;-)

To think that someone would buy a bull for $53,000 just to breed cows naturally scares me. :shock:

 

[bigbull338]

What makes a bull worth $53,000.00?

I am the first to admit that to a point you get what you pay for when it comes to bull power. You have to spend on average $3000 - $5000 for a real good herd improving sire but what or why would you spend $53,000.00 or more on a bull but for bragging rights?

when you buy herd bulls for $3000 to $5000.your just planning on getting 4 calf crops from them an then sale the bull.but when you give $50,000 or more your going in it for the semen sales.an to make money off the bull.

 

[curtis]

I think a lot of it pay back, one seller to next.

 

[ilfarmer92]

I think a lot of it pay back, one seller to next.

Im sure alot of it is that.

 

[aplusmnt]

Semen sales are growing more and more every day. Even the commercial guys are A.I.'ng. Lot of money to be made with them High dollar A.I. Bulls if you know what you are doing and got the connections.

 

[S.R.R.]

Wave of the future eh.

 

[ENNOT]

Alot of times it is a business decision. Yes you can sell semen, but alot of ranches paying this kind of money are needing a right off for their other businesses. It's been going on for a long time.

 

[Limomike]

Here is a post that you should read with regards to that 53K Bull... this one was a 100K bull.
Read: http://cattletoday.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=27127

 

[Herefordcross]

Here's how I look at it, you can take some average cows, put a very good bull with them (very good to me is 3-4k, good enough) and improve your bottom line with the calves.

We have taken some Holstein/Angus cross cows, holstein was about five generations back, long story, and they've thrown some awesome calves because of the milk they give but the good black bull put the body on them.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

A lot of it is just phony "hype" phony money.
But money can make money. If they paid that much $$ for him, than they have the money to promote him & get top breeders to use him.
BUT - (big but) - if he doesn't produce winners - he will fade away, and there is no way to recoup that kind of money.

 

[Dave]

Do you have to spend $4,000 or $5,000 for a good herd improving bull? Does spending that much make a bull good?

The best bull I have ever had I went to the same guy I get my bulls from but it was late in the year. He only had 4 left to choose from. Other people had already taken 28 bulls from this group and passed this bull by. He turned out great. His calves were the best I have ever raised.

How many of those tail enders turn out to be pretty darn good bulls?

 

[Aero]

this is one of the few times he might be worth it.

Selling 1/2 interest and no possession. The purchaser will be our partner in the lease with Select Sires.

http://www.gardinerangus.com/sires_page ... ction.html

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here is some funny math if you believe in the $Indexes the AAA puts out.

assume the $53000 bull (A) is in the top 1% of $B (+51.19) and a decent bull (B) is average for $B (+29.15) and sells for $3000 and calves will be owned through feedlot and the grid. with a $22.04 difference per head (51.19 - 29.15), bull A will have to produce 2269 [(53000 - 3000)/22.04] calves to be worth the money... or 50 calves for 45 years or 40 calves for 57 years. sure, you could use him AI but the number of calves would have to be increased to cover collection, freezing, storage, synch, and time.

realistically, assuming you will use the bull for 5 yrs on 50 head, you will breed ~250 @ 95% conception, you will get 237 calves. with a $22.04 difference per head, bull A is theoretically worth $5223.48 more than bull B, so $8223.48 would be the max he would ever be worth unless he goes to a bull stud and sells 10000+ straws (not very likely).

if someone was using the bull as most do and selling calves at weaning, the numbers look even worse.
assume bull A is in the top 1% for $W (+33.54) and bull B is average for $W (+22.54) and we are selling at weaning and the herd is made up of 20% heifers. for bull A to be worth $50000 more than bull B, the $W difference (11.00) will dictate that bull A must produce 4546 calves to be worth the money (few AI bulls reach this level).

what is he really worth to the average cow-calf producer? 5 years w/ 50 cows @ 95% = 237 * $11 = $2607 more than the average bull B at maximum... so $5607. SRR looks pretty close to me. :)

so this might not be very realistic, it's still fun and you can see things from another perspective.

 

[S.R.R.]

this is one of the few times he might be worth it.

Selling 1/2 interest and no possession. The purchaser will be our partner in the lease with Select Sires.

http://www.gardinerangus.com/sires_page ... ction.html

-----------------------------------------------------

here is some funny math if you believe in the $Indexes the AAA puts out.

assume the $53000 bull (A) is in the top 1% of $B (+51.19) and a decent bull (B) is average for $B (+29.15) and sells for $3000 and calves will be owned through feedlot and the grid. with a $22.04 difference per head (51.19 - 29.15), bull A will have to produce 2269 [(53000 - 3000)/22.04] calves to be worth the money... or 50 calves for 45 years or 40 calves for 57 years. sure, you could use him AI but the number of calves would have to be increased to cover collection, freezing, storage, synch, and time.

realistically, assuming you will use the bull for 5 yrs on 50 head, you will breed ~250 @ 95% conception, you will get 237 calves. with a $22.04 difference per head, bull A is theoretically worth $5223.48 more than bull B, so $8223.48 would be the max he would ever be worth unless he goes to a bull stud and sells 10000+ straws (not very likely).

if someone was using the bull as most do and selling calves at weaning, the numbers look even worse.
assume bull A is in the top 1% for $W (+33.54) and bull B is average for $W (+22.54) and we are selling at weaning and the herd is made up of 20% heifers. for bull A to be worth $50000 more than bull B, the $W difference (11.00) will dictate that bull A must produce 4546 calves to be worth the money (few AI bulls reach this level).

what is he really worth to the average cow-calf producer? 5 years w/ 50 cows @ 95% = 237 * $11 = $2607 more than the average bull B at maximum... so $5607. SRR looks pretty close to me. :)

so this might not be very realistic, it's still fun and you can see things from another perspective.

Interesting, and as much as I hate math I read the whole thing!

 

[Frankie]

What makes a bull worth $53,000.00?

I am the first to admit that to a point you get what you pay for when it comes to bull power. You have to spend on average $3000 - $5000 for a real good herd improving sire but what or why would you spend $53,000.00 or more on a bull but for bragging rights?

I don't think people turn $53,000 bulls out to breed cows in the pasture. At least not on a regular basis. Anyone paying that much for a bull is planning to promote him and sell semen. At least I hope that's what they're doing. If not, they'll have to sell a lot of calves to pay for him. :shock: