Page 51 - Red Hill Farms Red Angus and Simmental Annual Bull Sale 2017

Bull-Buying Decision

by Marty Ropp, Allied Genetic Resources
I’m just buying a bull ... right?

Most of us don’t really believe that (statement above), yet the gravity of the decisions associated
with selecting the next generation of seedstock may be greater than you fi rst think. All of us
consider the calves these bulls might sire and the value they should return to the ranch. Most
consider pricing bulls based on a projection of years of service, hopefully four to eight years
barring injury and the calf performance we might expect them to sire. If you don’t keep your
own replacement heifers, this makes some sense. If, like most, you keep females, the long-term
effects of this year’s buying decisions on ranch profi tability may not be quite as obvious until we
break it down based on the long-term maternal value traits we are purchasing.
Let’s assume your operation purchases four bulls this coming spring of 2017.
- First calves born in spring of 2018
- First daughters calving in spring of 2020 (First granddaughters calve in 2022)
- With any luck, two or more of these bulls are still breeding at age 7 (2023)
- Last calves born sired by these bulls in 2024

- Last calf crop females have their fi rst calves in 2026 (Their fi rst daughters calve in
2028)
- In 2027 a substantial share of the 2- to 7-year-old cows are daughters of the bulls
purchased 10 years before.
- In the year 2035 there are still a few 11- and 12-year-old daughters in your herd sired
by the 2017 purchased bulls.
- In the year 2035 the granddaughters and great granddaughters of the bulls purchased
18 years ago still make up a substantial portion of the genetics of your herd.

I know, most of us don’t like to think about the year 2035. Seems like the Bi-Centennial was
just a few years ago (actually 41 years!). If however your plans are to keep or make the beef
business an important part of your family’s livelihood as far out as 2035, which most of us do,
the bulls you purchase this year will still be an important piece of the profi ts you enjoy or the
challenges you are still working through nearly 20 years from now. Sire selection is that import-
ant, so use all the tools available to make the best decisions you can every time!
So, if you would like to see a snap-shot of your cow herd 10 to 20 years from now in 2035, you
need only spend some time with the seedstock herd you purchase bulls from. With the exception
of a few differences created by environment, what you see is where you are headed! The size,
disposition, body condition, udders, feet, calving ease, fertility, longevity, etc. of your future cow
herd is right there to see. Not just the mature cows either; make sure you look at the 2 and 3
year olds too and consider the direction your source is moving. That is why it is so crucial to
choose a seedstock source that is headed where you want and need to be.

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