• If you are having problems logging in please use the Contact Us in the lower right hand corner of the forum page for assistance.

Full fed Bulls

Help Support Ranchers.net:

C

canadian angus

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Messages
760
Reaction score
0
Location
Northwest Saskatchewan
Had a sale last nine years, have always raised our bulls with no dirty bums, on a TMR so they grow and not hurt, average weight was 1200 as a yearling! IS that wrong or do cattlemen like that?

CA
 
That's what I would look for but I don't even push my young bulls that much but they are younger.

It does seem the "High sellers" at some sales are really brought along but unless you have the "Big" money coming to your sales you are probably at the place you should be with your bulls.

At maturity my ranch raised bulls fit right in with the bought bull after a couple years.
 
I push them now days. Everyone wants bulls that aren't pushed until you have a pen of them to sell. Ours were 1200 to 1500#s as yearlings last year this year will be the same.
 
As long as they don't fall apart when working I guess it works. To many outfits here pour the feed to them then when the bulls are out roughing it they fall apart.
 
4Diamond said:
As long as they don't fall apart when working I guess it works. To many outfits here pour the feed to them then when the bulls are out roughing it they fall apart.
Click to expand...

The program were on is a high protein lower starch diet. I would bet the majority of bulls in South Dakota are on this feed program as well as other states it really works in my opinion. I tried accuration one year it ruined 2 of 30 bulls feet at 2 of 25 heifers won't use it again..
 
veryone wants bulls that aren't pushed until you have a pen of them to sell.

That is soo true. Just like everyone wants moderate frame, but watch what sells the highest.
 
Brad S said:
veryone wants bulls that aren't pushed until you have a pen of them to sell.

That is soo true. Just like everyone wants moderate frame, but watch what sells the highest.
Click to expand...

I have fallen into that myself and I know better. Fat hides a lot of things and the first pen of bulls are always the biggest
fattest ones. I really had to train myself not to bite into that. (I go to bull sales because Mr. FH hates bull sales. When we needed bulls, I would find the ones in the catalog that I liked the pedigree on, then we would go to the sale way early and look at the bulls. He would eye them and then tell me what ones he liked. Then I would cross-reference them and find the bulls we both agreed on. Not that we could always get them bought, mind you. :wink: )

Like our old neighbor used to say "Feed's the breed." :D

I tried to find FIT, not FAT bulls, but it wasn't easy at first.
 
We have four sorts on our bull calves in the first year, at branding, moms, BW, and do ability. Next at weaning, bw/ww, and muscle expression, next is January as to feed ability, and last is the semen test on the remaining 40%, never get rich but have improved our buyers cattle! No need for the fat to cover the mistakes people buy!
 
I like how some brag in their sale catalogs how all the bulls are on a "high roughage diet'. I know for a fact that that claim in more than one instance is complete, total, utter BS. The only time those critters see a high roughage diet is less than a week before the sale. That way they're not lying, though.

These are the same folks that if faced with a severe shortage of grass will beg and plead for pasture, and offer far above market rate for rent. Even if they sign a contract for the rent, at the end of the season they do their damndest to renegotiate the terms or just flat refuse to pay the premium they so willingly agreed to when they were behind the 8 ball and offered the premium. Cheap SOB's.
 
You are EXACTLY right..........fat is the prettiest color. Takes a pretty good cowman or cowgirl to see past that.
 
Bull buyers should be willing (and encouraged) to ask specific questions about how a pen of bulls have been fed (managed) during their lifetime. As a seller of bulls I welcome anyone's questions about our bulls. We only sell 2 year old bulls. We calve in May. We usually wean in November. Our calves get no creep feed before weaning. After weaning they are slowly (it takes about a month) brought up to a ration that is 50 Mcal/cwt of net energy gain (NEg). We feed barley grain and barley silage through a mixer wagon. Depending on the feed tests the ration is usually about 55% grain and 45% silage on a dry matter basis. In May the yearling bulls are turned out onto grass. The only supplements they get are salt and mineral while on grass. At the beginning of November they are brought in and brought up to the same ration they received as calves. They are on this ration until 10 days before sale day (beginning of April). We expect our bull to gain around 2.75 lbs per day while on this ration. If you are not familiar with NEg here is a frame of reference: We feed our heifer calves a ration that is 40 Mcal/cwt of Neg and expect them to gain about 1.75 lbs per day. Most feedlots in Western Canada feed a finishing ration that is 60 Mcal/cwt NEg. I know that our yearling weights could be 100 pounds more and our 2 year old bulls could easily be 200 pounds heavier at sale day, but genetics are set at conception. Extra feed does not make a bull better.
 

Latest posts

Top