I prefer the K.I.S.S. method of raising cattle. There are a lot more things that concern me than whether or not a calf from our program will grade or not.

We pick sires with the type that fits our operation, have acceptable BW's, and some performance in real numbers. Our experience without the knowledge of EPD's is that the bigger,high performance bulls leave progeny that take more feed to produce a calf.

Our aim is to produce females that will live in our environment on what we are prepared to feed them in order to breed and wean a calf. The steer end can look after itself.

Apparently the steers are doing fine as repeat buyers are requesting them again and again.

In my narrow little mind,   I still have a mental block as to where an AI program for commercial producers really pays. A $4000 bull that is used on 25 females for 4 years with a yearly upkeep of $500 and a salvage value of $1400 costs $46 per cow.

$25 semen with a 60% success is $37.50. Add in the heat inducement or time spent for detection and time breeding it would be very close.

On average, are the buyers for feeder cattle paying more for AI progeny than run of the mill naturally bred cattle?

It would be interesting to see a comparison between the two production methods on a country-wide survey from conception to plate. :wink: