What's a fair price?

[JeffMills517]

I have a bull I'm wanting to sell. He is about 3 years old. SimAngus. I'm not sure what I should ask for him. I will try to get a picture up but basically would only expect to get fair mkt price for a bull. What do you think I should ask for him? Thanks.

 

[JeffMills517]

Here are a couple of his calves...

 

[fitz]

I guess whatever the market will bear Jeff. I checked on slaughter bulls this week in S.W. Virginia markets and they were all over the board. 1500# - 2500# bulls anywhere from 66.00 to 93.50. Saying if your intentions are to market the bull as a breeder don't sell him any cheaper than slaughter prices in your area.

fitz

 

[tom4018]

Don't know where you are in West Ky but slaughter bulls at 2 markets in west part of the state were 70 to 75 cwt range. If you can get his weight you might price him slightly above market if he is a good breder otherwise if he is not he is just another slaughter bull.

 

[Goodlife]

So why you sellin' the young man anyway?

 

[JeffMills517]

Selling him because we don't have enough cows to really justify feeding him for another winter, most of them are bred back already. He is a VERY good natured bull and is registered. We used him on heifers and there hasn't been a problem with calves.

 

[JeffMills517]

He actually is 3/4 Simmental. His sire is Who Made Who and his dam was a PB Simmental.

 

[urednecku]

Yes, I know the markets vary wide across the USA, and by breed, but I just paid 1200 for a registered 5yo Angus. The same ranch sold all this year's new breeding bulls @ 2400--before they were really ready to release them. They said the buyers had money in hand & wanted them NOW.

 

[JeffMills517]

So would $1500 be a decent price to expect? I don't think I could let him go for less.

 

[houstoncutter]

The bull is worth whatever slaughter price bulls in his class are bringing. If he is out of Who Made Who, he is a Maine/Simm cross, so basically he is a mutt. Not trying to hurt your feelings, but if you are happy with his calves you might want to reconsider keeping him. Otherwise the bull will most likely go to slaughter. Me personally I am not a fan of the show string composite bulls, cause they dont put enough pounds on their offspring in a commercial setting and the offspring of that cross puts even less pounds on their calves.

 

[JeffMills517]

So far, his calves are growing like weeds. We bred him to commercial Angus and a few other british based breeds. If he is continental based, why wouldn't there be a good deal of heterosis? Basically I would like to know how you came to these conclusions.

 

[houstoncutter]

So far, his calves are growing like weeds. We bred him to commercial Angus and a few other british based breeds. If he is continental based, why wouldn't there be a good deal of heterosis? Basically I would like to know how you came to these conclusions.

This is only my preference, in a commercial setting. Purebred of one breed bred to the purebred of another. Example, Brahman crossed with a Hereford, makes a great animal that can be covered with an European bull for extra hybrid kick. You have a bull that is a composite Simm, Maine, Angus, how much of these who knows. Who Made Who is papered as a Maine, but his bloodline is MainexSimmxAngus. Too many unknowns in this breeding, the calf in the first pic looks like a runt. The second one looks good. A old cattle breeder once told me to use the KISS method in raising cattle. I have found that works for me, but perhaps you are raising calves in a niche market that will reward you for the type of offspring that this bull will produce.

 

[JeffMills517]

We bought the bull to breed our few cows. We had no idea his bloodlines. It was only after I contacted his original owner that I found out. The heifer calf in the first pic is no where near a runt. Can't really tell where you are getting that from but maybe that's because I know what she actually looks like apart from the picture. I understand the keeping it simple method. I'm not into raising club calves and I don't show cattle. Despite his show cow background his calves would still out sell brahman x hereford cattle in this mkt up here.

 

[BC]

The heifer calf in the first pic is no where near a runt. Can't really tell where you are getting that from but maybe that's because I know what she actually looks like apart from the picture.

Pictures can be deceiving. I can't speak for HoustonCutter, but to me the heifer in this picture does not appear to be as growthy or thrifty as the second calf. From the picture, her hair coat is long and dull, she appears to be a bit pot bellied and a little keener boned than you would expect from a continental bull.

 

[houstoncutter]

I guess we will have to agree to disagree, but one thing I do know for certain. A bull is not getting turned loose in my pasture unless I know everything their is to know about him.

 

[backhoeboogie]

There has been a heck of a lot of great bulls go through the sale barn this year. Drought wiped out a lot of herds.

Most of the bulls going to slaughter were hands down better than this thing. That is just the facts.

It makes no sense to hold a bull when all of your cows are sold off.

 

[JeffMills517]

I'm not in Texas. We didn't have a drought. However, I assume there are plenty of better bulls available, that's why I asked what a fair price for him was. All our cows are not sold off...we only have half a dozen. We sold a couple this year. I don't want to keep him thru the winter with that few of cows.

 

[Lucky_P]

Jeff,
I seriously doubt that you're gonna find many, if any, commercial cattlemen here in the 'Fescue Belt', who are gonna have any interest in one of those hairy WMW clubby type critters for a herdsire. There's enough discrimination against some lines of Angus cattle that don't slick off soon enough, that most aren't gonna be ga-ga over something intentionally bred to have 'good hair'(whatever THAT means).

If you could find someone who wanted him for a price similar to - or even a little higher - than what he'd bring going through the local salebarn as a slaughter bull - you'd better take whatever they offer.
Not trying to hurt your feelings, but what I'm seeing in the photos of the bull and that first heifer - ain't much punkin.

 

[JeffMills517]

That's fine, and it doesn't hurt my feelings. But what I was looking for is an actual dollar amount. It is a hassle to take him to the sale barn. I would have to take a day off work, etc. Plus get charged commission. I'm not trying to make a killing. I just wanted to know what people thought was a fair price, if that is mkt price then so be it. But I don't know what mkt price for a bull is...and like I said, I don't want to have to make a trip to the auction if I don't have to.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

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