off to look at more bulls

[cypressfarms]

As Brandon has suggested, I have done my research. The calves that brought the most this year so far at the stockyards I go to are black baldy steers and heifers and yellow steers. A char would give me yellow calves on the beefmasters, and should throw a bigger calf than when I used a Angus plus on the beefmasters. I was also looking for a hereford to cross with the brangus girls, but that search hasn't yielded any good prospects yet. I still have time, won't need the bulls to work until about Feb 1st.

It's happened more than once on the board - I've posted pics of a young bull and he was tore up. Posted pics of the same bull when he was 2 or 3 years old and everyone raved about him - this happened most recently with a brangus bull I have. We all have different environments and things that affect our cattle. A mature bull will obviously look better than a long yearling who's still growing. I would rather buy a muscular thin bull than one that is butterball fat. I'd have to worry about the butterball melting becuase he was fed out of a sack to get that build. Is this a show looking charolais, NO!, but you can't judge a yearling the same as you would a mature bull. I think too many people have an image in their head of what a bull should look like, and that's a nice shiny butterball looking mature bull. There are not many butterball shiny bulls around here when the heat index has been over 100 every day for over a month and we've had one of the driest couple months on record. It aint gonna happen.

 

[alacattleman]

As Brandon has suggested, I have done my research. The calves that brought the most this year so far at the stockyards I go to are black baldy steers and heifers and yellow steers. A char would give me yellow calves on the beefmasters, and should throw a bigger calf than when I used a Angus plus on the beefmasters. I was also looking for a hereford to cross with the brangus girls, but that search hasn't yielded any good prospects yet. I still have time, won't need the bulls to work until about Feb 1st.

It's happened more than once on the board - I've posted pics of a young bull and he was tore up. Posted pics of the same bull when he was 2 or 3 years old and everyone raved about him - this happened most recently with a brangus bull I have. We all have different environments and things that affect our cattle. A mature bull will obviously look better than a long yearling who's still growing. I would rather buy a muscular thin bull than one that is butterball fat. I'd have to worry about the butterball melting becuase he was fed out of a sack to get that build. Is this a show looking charolais, NO!, but you can't judge a yearling the same as you would a mature bull. I think too many people have an image in their head of what a bull should look like, and that's a nice shiny butterball looking mature bull. There are not many butterball shiny bulls around here when the heat index has been over 100 every day for over a month and we've had one of the driest couple months on record. It aint gonna happen.

thats not the issue when looking at pictures, what they look like down the road year or two from now... dont have that kind of time too see if my calves are gonna make something.. that charolais bull might do great on beef type momas.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Ain't no dought he will put calves on the ground that will grow. Not the point i was trying to make myself. Them buyers that will be buying them calves also like guts and muscle. That bull is going to need a lot of grass in two years, and he ain't got no place to store enough.

 

[xbred]

contact William Bell in Picayune Ms. he has some good Herefords....I've crossed char and herfords for several years and they make excelent calves..Char over your cattle will do well, or you may want to keep some hereford over your cow calves...you can usually find his name and number in the market bullentins La, and Ms...If I could get photos to post I could show you come calves of this cross, but either my computer or this forum will not let it happen...PM me for more info...

 

[I luv herfrds]

Cypress did you look at the bulls at Debter Hereford Farm? They are in Horton, AL.

 

[alacattleman]

Cypress did you look at the bulls at Debter Hereford Farm? They are in Horton, AL.

ive ran that by him a few times they raise horned cattle, and he wants polled don't blame him really, in a crossbred program.

 

[cypressfarms]

Cypress did you look at the bulls at Debter Hereford Farm? They are in Horton, AL.

ive ran that by him a few times they raise horned cattle, and he wants polled don't blame him really, in a crossbred program.

I am hard headed, that's for sure; I did contact Debtor, Mead and Innisfail (sp?) I even contacted HR (char breeder in Miss.), but they never returned an e-mail - which just isn't good business. I've really been trying to find a bull locally (within a couple of hours drive), but most of the "good" bulls are either Angus, Brangus, or Angus Plus. I hadn't looked at limo's - had a bad experience with them back some time with calving trouble. Unfortunately, it looks like I'll either have to "settle" on something that's not that good (which I detest!) or drive a very long way. There are some sales coming through late in '09, I may just have to wait until then. I don't need a show bull, heck I don't want a pretty boy show bull, but it would be nice to find some decent bulls to choose from.

In the meantime, I'm taking the 'ol timer that I visited with this bull up on his offer. I'll be his "feed test" for several months and we'll see how this boy looks coming into January. I have to say, the guy is pretty confident, he's letting me take the bull without paying for him until I'm either happy or return the bull. That gives me wiggle room to still purchase a bull if the right one comes through. I've said it before, I wish Knersie lived close to me.

 

[xbred]

you can't beat the deal he offered you...HR didn't returm my e-mails for nearly a year...at sale time they called me saying they really wanted me to attend their sale...

 

[jedstivers]

That bull will be better than most on here think unless he just really comes apart and quits growing and filling out. A year from now will tell the tell but I think he will be good to better than average but not a great bull

 

[BRG]

Ask Mike Dominique about him, he knows him and what he usually has. Mike should also know some breeders in La with good bulls.

I did ask the mgr. of Dominiques stockyard in Baton Rouge. He did give me the name of a couple of farms, but all of them cater to seedstock type people. I'm not going to spend $3500 to $5000 on a commerical bull.

I still have one more bull to buy, trying to decide between a hereford and a simmi. I do have one simmi that looks o.k.- we'll see.

What makes you think he caters to seedstock breeders only? $3500 to $5000 is alot for a commercial bull, but it happens all the time.(As an example we sold 100+ bulls last year and averaged around $3200, with the highest price selling for $7250 and he went to a commercial ranch in UT) I would be willing to bet not all of them sell for that amount. You will most likely be able to pick up a better bull for a few hundred bucks more at these ranches. Their USSUALLY is a reason why the higher selling priced seedstock ranches get more for their product.

 

[KNERSIE]

That bull will be better than most on here think unless he just really comes apart and quits growing and filling out. A year from now will tell the tell but I think he will be good to better than average but not a great bull

I'm sure the bull will look better, all late maturing bulls look better with age and feed, hence the term "late maturing". I just wanted to see him more masculine with more capacity.

 

[cypressfarms]

(As an example we sold 100+ bulls last year and averaged around $3200, with the highest price selling for $7250 and he went to a commercial ranch in UT) I would be willing to bet not all of them sell for that amount. You will most likely be able to pick up a better bull for a few hundred bucks more at these ranches. Their USSUALLY is a reason why the higher selling priced seedstock ranches get more for their product.

Hey BRG, if you can sell bulls to commercial outfits for $7250, more power to ya. I can't justify spending that amount of money, because IMO there is not that amount of difference in the profit you would get from using that high dollar bull. I've run the numbers many times before. For my operation, I need to be under $2500 for the price of a bull. That's calculating keeping the bull until he's around 7 years old. I don't need the best bull, I just need a good bull. I've spent more than $2500 on bulls before, but for me to stay or be profitable I have to keep costs down. At the end of the day I produce calves that will ultimately be in feedlots. None of my calves will ever be shown, none will have ribbons around their neck; they'll all probably be in Winn Dixie's meat section or in my wife's hamburger helper tonight. So I go through the same routine, look at many, many bulls and try to find the best fit for me. Don't mind me, I'm just in my usual routine of complaining about the quality of bulls. It just seems that in the last few years there are more people calling themselves "seedstock" producers that should really be steer producers - at least around here. I do wish I would have made it to this Char. breeders farm while he still had some of the 2 year olds left. He really seemed to know his cattle, and he definitely stands behind their quality.

 

[user1]

Hey BRG, if you can sell bulls to commercial outfits for $7250, more power to ya. I can't justify spending that amount of money, because IMO there is not that amount of difference in the profit you would get from using that high dollar bull. I've run the numbers many times before. For my operation, I need to be under $2500 for the price of a bull. That's calculating keeping the bull until he's around 7 years old. I don't need the best bull, I just need a good bull. I've spent more than $2500 on bulls before, but for me to stay or be profitable I have to keep costs down. At the end of the day I produce calves that will ultimately be in feedlots. None of my calves will ever be shown, none will have ribbons around their neck; they'll all probably be in Winn Dixie's meat section or in my wife's hamburger helper tonight. So I go through the same routine, look at many, many bulls and try to find the best fit for me. Don't mind me, I'm just in my usual routine of complaining about the quality of bulls. It just seems that in the last few years there are more people calling themselves "seedstock" producers that should really be steer producers - at least around here. I do wish I would have made it to this Char. breeders farm while he still had some of the 2 year olds left. He really seemed to know his cattle, and he definitely stands behind their quality.

Heres a way to look at it, if you save heifers and we all know what a good female is worth. 7 years times say 10 females a year come to seventy females X even say a 50 buck added value for a quality female. Some people could come up with a hundred or two premium. Now throw in the value of the bull calves. What I am saying just don't get stuck in the RUT thinking and fail to take advantage of a superior bull.

 

[RD-Sam]

Cypress did you look at the bulls at Debter Hereford Farm? They are in Horton, AL.

ive ran that by him a few times they raise horned cattle, and he wants polled don't blame him really, in a crossbred program.

I am hard headed, that's for sure; I did contact Debtor, Mead and Innisfail (sp?) I even contacted HR (char breeder in Miss.), but they never returned an e-mail - which just isn't good business. I've really been trying to find a bull locally (within a couple of hours drive), but most of the "good" bulls are either Angus, Brangus, or Angus Plus. I hadn't looked at limo's - had a bad experience with them back some time with calving trouble. Unfortunately, it looks like I'll either have to "settle" on something that's not that good (which I detest!) or drive a very long way. There are some sales coming through late in '09, I may just have to wait until then. I don't need a show bull, heck I don't want a pretty boy show bull, but it would be nice to find some decent bulls to choose from.

In the meantime, I'm taking the 'ol timer that I visited with this bull up on his offer. I'll be his "feed test" for several months and we'll see how this boy looks coming into January. I have to say, the guy is pretty confident, he's letting me take the bull without paying for him until I'm either happy or return the bull. That gives me wiggle room to still purchase a bull if the right one comes through. I've said it before, I wish Knersie lived close to me.

Innisfail is bad about not replying to emails, that is no way to run a business. There are many other breeders that will not reply either. I wonder how many more cattle they could sell if they acted like they cared?

 

[KNERSIE]

Innisfail is bad about not replying to emails

They've never replied to any of the numerous e-mails I've tried to send them either.