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Bull day on a progressive ranch

Soapweed

Well-known member
Bulldayonaprogressiveranch.jpg

Bull day on a progressive ranch
330bullcalvesandtheirmotherswerecor.jpg

330 bull calves and their mothers were corralled and the cows sorted away from the calves.
Agoodcrewwasonhand.jpg

A good crew was on hand
Thesortingsystem.jpg

The sorting system
Severalpenswereavailablefordifferen.jpg

Several pens were available for different sire groups.
Cullsweresentallthewaydownthealleyt.jpg

Culls were sent all the way down the alley.
Nicehalfbrothersineachpen.jpg

Nice half brothers in each pen
Lotsofbeefonthehoof.jpg

Lots of beef on the hoof
Thesebullshavealotofthickness.jpg

These bulls have a lot of thickness and capacity
Viewfrominsideanoldlogbarn.jpg

View from the inside of an old log barn
Withouttheflash.jpg

Without the flash
Probablylotsofhistorywiththisoldbar.jpg

If this old barn could talk, it could probably tell some good stories.
Weighingindividualbulls.jpg

Weighing individual bulls
Goingafteranotherone.jpg

Going after another one
Thesecretarialstaff.jpg

The secretarial staff
Thebullsthatdidntgetpickedtoday.jpg

The bulls that didn't get picked today were sold and hauled off to a reputation seedstock operation that will winter these bulls and rent them out next spring.
Cowsmissingtheirbabyboys.jpg

These cows are missing their baby boys.

I had an interesting day, and got to pick out some bulls that should be worthy consorts for our cows next summer.
 

Shortgrass

Well-known member
Elaborate a little on your bull program. You sell all your bulls each year, but then do you grow these calves out?
PS those calves do have great thickness & depth. Bet they are what you picked to consort with Spearhead cows. Looked like they had good weaning weights.
 

Soapweed

Well-known member
Shortgrass said:
Elaborate a little on your bull program. You sell all your bulls each year, but then do you grow these calves out?
PS those calves do have great thickness & depth. Bet they are what you picked to consort with Spearhead cows. Looked like they had good weaning weights.

This is the first year I have been aware of this particular operation and been a part of picking some bulls from them. The price of the bulls is determined by what the best Angus steer calves are bringing that go through the sale barns during the third week of October. For a rancher to choose from these bulls, the price is steer price plus ten cents per pound plus a fifty dollar "picking fee." For example, if the price of the best 700 pound steers at the sale barns is $1.25 per pound, the seven hundred pound bull would cost $1.35 per pound or $945 plus the $50 which would make the value come to $995. Each bull is weighed individually, and you pay by the pound. Any bulls that aren't sold by the picking process are sold to the bull supplier by the pound plus the ten cents per pound, but the big buyer doesn't have to pay the fifty dollar picking fee. This outfit then rents out a lot of bulls each year.
 

efb

Well-known member
This information is not only entertaining and interesting , but very valuable. An outstanding use of this electronic technology. A couple questions. Do they register these bulls ? Could you share a few of the sire groups that looked good to you ?
It might be another post, but I was wondering how their bull rental program worked. I have thought about doing this, but have been worried about the disease issue and the kind of care some guys would take of them. I have sold young bulls to guys who turned them out with too many cows and too few groceries and ran them into the ground. I would think that would be a greater temptation if you were renting bulls.

Great post. Thanks.
 

Julie

Well-known member
Love that picture out the barn window ..
And guys leaning on stock sticks....makes you want to be able to hear the stories they are telling!!

Thanks Soap
 

Turkey Track Bar

Well-known member
Neat photos Soap!

I have to say this is one of the most innovative ways I've seen to market bulls. What is the feeding arrangement for those bulls you selected, if you don't mind sharing?

It looks like you got into a good set of bulls...how many did they peddle this way? Approximately what are the birth-dates of the bulls?

Thanks for sharing!

Cheers---

TTB :wink:
 

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