Getting the Right Bull at the Right Time

In the seedstock sector, and even in the greater industry, bull selection is one of the most important decisions you make for your herd. Some operators focus on getting the newest genetics with the most opportunity. Some wait for several years to be certain of what they are bringing into their herd. That is a tough call to make with pros and cons on both ends of the spectrum.

In recent herd calls, I was able to witness possibly the best outcome of bull selection for a herd of around 50 mature females. In this scenario the breeder has in the last year moved out one mature herd sire, has had two sets of calves from another, and is currently calving out the first progeny of his newest acquisition.

With the mature bull he was able to bring in carcass quality in a big way. This bull also produces very complete sons for the commercial sector. They are correct, capacious, and square made. His daughters are much the same but could use a “tick” of muscle.

The current herd sire brings a ton to the table. First, he puts the prettiest, slick polled head on EVERY calf he sires. They also follow his trend for enormous amounts of length, structural correctness and an unassuming amount of natural thickness.

The newest acquisition is a quintessential power bull. He maintains the length from the last bull, is massive from behind, and travels like a dream. His first calves are hitting the ground and from all signs and symptoms, he throws calves the way he is made.

These are all big growth bulls with solid carcass EPDs to boot. They are all structurally correct, long-bodied, and most importantly, they complement each other. You see, on the same cow base this breeder has not just added growth and carcass in a very maternal set of females. He has also systematically made fine-tuned adjustments by adding points for style, then length and head scores, and now he is in the stage of adding copious amounts of muscling and natural thickness. In the next three years I expect he will be ready to include the next bull to the lineup.

By using AI (Artificial Insemination, not the other kind) in this herd we will be learning what type of bull we need to add to the program. This is a way to build confidence based on your cowherd before you make the major purchase of your next herd sire.