Schaff Bulls

[Howdy1]

I got a mailer in the mail from Schaff Angus VAlley and it had pictures of this years calf crop. WOW! My wife walked by and looked down and said "Why is that mature bull sucking that cow?" I said those are 2010 spring bull calves. She stopped and looked twice before she believed me.

It made me think about something new. I always hear how people give Kelly Schaff hell because you know thay are on full feed from birth. They say that it isn't a true representation of what the cattle can do. But my new thought is that it still represents what his cattle are capable of. I have neighbors that creep feed their calves and those calves come in the fall weighing 650-700#. SAV cattle come in weighing 900-1000#. So here is my question...Doesn't that kind of performance even with all that feed still show that his cattle have what it takes to put on serious pounds? My new thought is that the genetics are there to do some serious work even without creep, etc.

I have went to their bull sale in the past and can honestly say they are the best set of bulls I have personally laid my eyes on. I have never walked into a pen of 30-40 bulls and said "I will take any one of these." It was impressive and so were the prices. I repsect Kelly and his family for the success they have obtained.

Just some early morning ramblings.

 

[Howdy1]

As I reread my post it kinda sounded like an ad for SAV. It wasn't! Just was thinking about the weight of those bull calves and their performance. Just curious what you all think?

 

[lazy ace]

I posted something like that last spring about a commercial operator who feeds some calves out and he is thinking like you. He would rather buy a bull that has had some grain or higher gain rate and evaluate feet for himself because he gets tired of calves in his feedlot not performing and foundering. He said it does him no good to have cattle that can't gain weight.

It is a lot different thought process from most people commercial cattlemen.

have a good one

lazy ace

 

[Northern Rancher]

Foundering in the feedlot I'd think is more a function of problems with the ration than with genetic potential for gain. I've finished alot of those so called 'no grow' cattle never had one founder yet-we usually get right around that 3.5/lbs per day gain.

 

[Hillrider]

What do their cows weigh?

 

[canadian angus]

Does anyone know the requirements of being a co-operator, is it true that the better than best feeder on pasture is required?

CA