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Bull Sale Question

A

Anonymous

Guest
The last couple of weeks I've received several catalogs of "Fall" bull sales- one of which (Diamond D) is an outfit I wouldn't mind buying some bulls from-- but I really won't have any idea of what I need until I see how the ones I have test in the spring......

It seems like more and more sales are in the Fall...What is the reason for the fall and winter sales?-- Is there that much Fall demand?..... Like with Diamond D, I see where they will winter them for another $250- but to me thats just $250 more you won't have to spend at a spring sale- when you actually have a better idea of what you need- and won't have to worry about them freezing their unit or their jewels, before you even get to use them.....Just curious...
 

alabama

Well-known member
In the Southeast, most people put the bulls in about Jan. 1. If I was you I would buy one when I need him of buy a young one off his momma and raise him the way I wanted.
 

IL Rancher

Well-known member
OT... Perhaps they are worried about people calving i the late winter /spring and not being able to get to the sale... Others like to acclimate their bulls to their conditions over a long time before breeding season... Heck, as a spring calver I have more money in the fall, lol..

Are they sellling 1.5 year olds in these catalogs? I don't get too many Black Angus catalogs but get tons of red Angus ones... Most just get tossed in the circular file as I am not looking right now... At least that is what my wife keeps telling me when sshe sees the stack of catalogs.
 

BRG

Well-known member
We moved our sale to the fall for only one reason. We now calve in May/June and sell coming 2's in Nov. We do not want to winter 100 head of fighting, growling, crabby bulls. They wreck way to much stuff when you have that many together. We will winter them but at a private feedlot, not at our ranch.
 

Hereford76

Well-known member
What is the reason for the fall and winter sales?--

There are a lot of reasons for a purebred outfit to have a fall/winter sale and BRG gave a good one. I think a lot of the guys selling bulls have been trying to find ways to cut down their breakeven on a sale bull and calving later (April, May, June) is the easiest way to do it. Most of the bull buyers that are used to buying yearlings in the spring have had a hard time coming around and buying older bulls in the Fall/Winter before they need them, but there are advantages to a bull that has been raised and offered as a coming 2 in a Fall/Winter sale. A lot of my customers that take the bulls home in the Winter like the fact that they can get them used to the bulls they already have at home and they don't have bulls killing themselves at turnout. Also, a coming 2 bull offered in Fall/Winter more than likely hasn't been pushed like the yearling bulls sold in the spring. Another is that you don't have to give any special treatment to a coming 2 year old bull compared to a yearling. You would spend that same $250 or more giving that yearling bull back what he needs to mature out his first winter at your place, where the coming 2 can be fed the same as the older bulls.
I also believe that guys selling bulls have better luck getting guys to attend a Fall/Winter sale compared to that in the spring. You are just lucky if you plan a spring bull sale and you don't get some kind of storm that keeps all the bull buyers tied up at home. But I think the main reason is that it takes a lot of the work and expense out of selling bulls.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Thanks- I was just curious as I seem to be seeing more fall/winter sales.. In looking thru the Diamond D catalog, these are long yearlings they are selling (born March, April 2005)- but they said at request they are also selling 10 weanling bull calves...Wish I knew what I was going to need for bulls next spring...
 

kolanuraven

Well-known member
I sell every bull from here under 1 yr of age. Since I wean in the fall.....I've bulls for sale now till the last, which is usually about Jan or so.

All of my customers raise their own once they get them from me.

I've customers that have bought bulls for over 20 yrs like that.
 
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