August 18, 2012 - Getting out more bulls

[Soapweed]

Members of the Bull Brigade

Pausing for refreshment

Kosmo Kid

Peach

Sunflower

Getting six bulls out of a two section pasture

They are coming

Heading for home. Every bull on the ranch will be sold soon, and I will start over next spring.

Stinkweed in bloom

A different pasture, with more bulls leaving from where they spent the summer with their girlfriends

Moseying merrily along

Followed by three riders

Through the shifting whispering sand

Being pursued relentlessly

On the march

Loading bulls to haul home. I spent the day riding a Polaris Ranger and checking the far corners of the pastures. It was filled with gas
this morning, and the mileage was zeroed out. By this evening it had acquired 49.5 miles. Cell phones also came in handy. These methods
saved a lot of miles for the ones on horseback. Altogether today, we pulled 21 bulls from three different pastures. Two of the pastures were
two sections each (1280 acres), and the other was double that size at four sections. All of these pastures were hilly and somewhat hard to
negotiate. The weather was perfect, with a high near 80 degrees. All things considered, it was an enjoyable and successful day.

 

[eatbeef]

Enjoy your pictures soap. Are you selling all the bulls on account of the drought and feed? Or you got other ideas for the new ones?

 

[Soapweed]

Enjoy your pictures soap. Are you selling all the bulls on account of the drought and feed? Or you got other ideas for the new ones?

With hay at $200 per ton, and a bull eating at least thirty pounds of hay per day, it will cost a minimum of $800 per bull to feed them for the next nine months that they are unneeded. My per bull investment isn't so much that I can't pull the plug on the ones we have, and re-invest in new bulls next spring. This is something I have done on several other occasions through the years, and so far at least, it has always worked out. :wink:

 

[Zilly]

Looks like Kosmo needs a raise. The poor guy can't even afford a new zipper. :wink:

 

[DejaVu]

Do you retain any replacements or do you buy all your females? When you bull shop, do you try to keep them all about the same for EPD's? If not, do you see variation in the calf crop? I've had a few bulls with really extreme epds for growth and their calves expressed none of the implied growth.

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

Why would you have to feed hay for the full 9 months? :???:

 

[Denny]

Why would you have to feed hay for the full 9 months? :???:

No grass maybe?

 

[Soapweed]

Looks like Kosmo needs a raise. The poor guy can't even afford a new zipper. :wink:

Yep, times are pretty tough around here. However, we need to look at the glass as 10% full, instead of 90% empy. :wink:

Do you retain any replacements or do you buy all your females? When you bull shop, do you try to keep them all about the same for EPD's? If not, do you see variation in the calf crop? I've had a few bulls with really extreme epds for growth and their calves expressed none of the implied growth.

Our females are nearly all home-raised. When looking for bulls, EPDs are not even a consideration. I look for good commercial bulls (no papers necessary) that have eye-appeal, uniformity, and are available in quantity at a volume discount.

Why would you have to feed hay for the full 9 months? :???:

No grass maybe?

We are closer to being out of grass today, on the 19th of August, then we usually are at the end of December. It's a long time until the growing season of 2013. For the expense of feed, I'd rather put it into pregnant females than into bellering ground-digging obnoxious bulls. :wink:

 

[katrina]

YUp..... Been feeding cows now for a month.... Just holden on...... Will wean in two weeks and by then our silage should be ready.... New one, we cut silage in July...

 

[Larrry]

Kind of year when all plans get changed to, buckle up and watch this.

 

[4Diamond]

Soap I think it is genius to get rid of those bulls. To me bulls are by far the worst part of cow/calf operations. I agree with your comment on grass being farther gone now than December. We have gotten rain last week so I am curious to see if it will go to work for us..

 

[3 M L & C]

I do agree that bulls are a pain to keep around, and with the drought selling might be the best option. But the bulls should be the best part of your opperation not the worst. One bull has as much influence on your herd as 20 to 30 cows. Having a good bull or breeding ai to a good bull is the best way to improve your herd keeping heifers back from them.

 

[gcreekrch]

I do agree that bulls are a pain to keep around, and with the drought selling might be the best option. But the bulls should be the best part of your opperation not the worst. One bull has as much influence on your herd as 20 to 30 cows. Having a good bull or breeding ai to a good bull is the best way to improve your herd keeping heifers back from them.

Exactly........ but that doesn't mean they have to cost a lot. I wish I had a close source of good quality "range type" commercial bull calves to choose from as Soap does. Until that happens we will keep buying a few good bulls and raise about half of what we need. :wink:

 

[Hereford76]

when soapweed accepts my application for the internship on the soapweed ranch - i think he found my handle. you got peach, blossom, soapweed, kosmo, sparky, and soon to come... stinkweed! i'm applying for the picture taking internship so soapweed can start getting his hands dirty again.... oh, and soap - i will always remind you to suck it in.


i kid, i kid...

 

[4Diamond]

Split calving seasons also help to keep bull costs down in my opinion. I realize that is a curse word to some and not feasible to others but it works here in MO.