Purchasing new bulls for a program is a significant event for any producer.While many people consider the immediate cost of the bull to be the most pressing consideration, there is much more to consider than his actual cost! A bull will make a contribution to a herd that will extend for up to 15 years. So the lifetime cost of that bull in a herd is much greater than what you may pay at auction.
I spend a lot of time with producers looking at bulls before sales. I’m often conscious that a large number of people I chat to have only a general idea of the characteristics of the bull that they want. As I wrote earlier, the question “what do I think of this bull?” is a hard one to answer. As we approach the spring bull selling season I’ve prepared a few suggestions to help producers prepare ahead of their next bull purchase.
Know what you want to achieve in your herd
A new bull should be the source of genetics to help move your herd closer to your goals. So you need to be very clear on what you want to achieve. I’d normally start by considering:
Your current market – are your steers and heifers meeting the weight, fat and eating quality specifications?
Your environment – are your cows the size that suits your pasture growth patterns throughout the year
Is your herd fertility as high as it can be? Are your cows going into calf early, delivering calves easily and rearing those calves to weaning?
Are there traits you would like to improve further or correct with genetics?
These are four key questions you should be focusing on as part of your business planning anyway. In terms of seeking a new bull, the answers to these questions will give you a focus on the traits you should be seeking.It’s equally important not to rush this process! You really need to take some time and review the market feedback you have, your fertility data and your paddock notes to see why you have been culling certain females from the herd.
2. Search for bulls well before the sale
If you have identified the traits of bulls that you want bring into your herd, you should start doing some preliminary searching. There are various ways to do this.
Use breed websites to search for bulls with specific EBVs that meet you criteria. This can be useful, however it may mean you need to do some additional searching to find the bulls you have identified with a particular breeder.
I use on line sale catalogues available through the breed websites. This option will bring up the bulls listed at your chosen breeders sale. The easiest way to find the bulls that suit your criteria is to click on the option that asks if you would like to link to Breed Object. This will bring up the bulls with their EBVs and Index values, which makes searching much easier.
3. Use the Indexes
Indexes were developed to help make selection easier in a couple of ways. The first is to remember that Indexes are developed to reflect both the short-term profit that would come from using a bull through his actual progeny. While longer term profit is the influence his daughter have on a herd. The Indexes combine the animals EBVs for their impact on the traits that impact on a specific production and market system.
I personally tend to find the Index that best suits a program and look at the top 5 bulls in the catalogue. If you need to adjust a trait for a reason, one that you have identified earlier, you can then go and fine tune your selection on specific EBVs.
4. Talk to the Breeder
Breeders have an interest in helping their clients. However you also need to make sure that the breeder you are approaching has the same focus or direction you have. Ultimately you have to be confident you are buying bulls from an operation that has the same focus and scrutiny you have for your own herd. You need to do this well in advance of a sale. Trying to make that decision on sale day is never a good idea!
5. Have a physical checklist for sale day
I’ve been to hundreds of bull sales. I know that some people find them exciting and a great day out. Some people find them over whelming and get swamped by the event. You need to go to a sale with plenty of time and a mission. In short you need to:
Arrive early and spend as much time as you need looking at your chosen bulls. Don’t worry about the other bulls in the pen, or what other people like or don’t like! Your herd is your concern and the bulls you’ve identified are the ones that meet your objectives.
Look at those bulls and have a checklist. Are the bulls structurally sound? Do they reflect your maturity pattern? What is their temperament like? Do they have the muscle pattern you need?
Ultimately you need to use your research and stick to the chosen selection. These bulls are those that fit your needs. Don’t agonise about who is better in one trait but not another. If they are all bulls that are in your specifications, rank them in preference, but then treat them the same! Then in the pens use your observations to chose the best on the physical traits that you want. If you do that you’ll have a preference list. These and only these are the bulls you need to bid on!
If you do this properly you’ll have time to enjoy the steak sandwich and the social catch up! You’ll also find that when you ask me ‘what do I think of this bull?” I’ll be able to have a much more useful conversation with you!