Hello Folks, and welcome to our 2024 spring opening day Private Treaty Bull Sale. We continue to follow the private treaty format to keep the sale low-key and more of a Ranch-type atmosphere. By doing so, the opening day event allows all the buyers to have an equal chance at each bull. The Bulls are offered in catalog order, and a minimum bid is placed on each lot ahead of time. We also incorporate an auctioneer to settle the differences in bids and continue to raise at a modest amount each bid until the animal is sold.
We feed all the Bulls and females here at the ranch on a high-fiber, low-concentrate diet for a slow, steady gain. It is amazing how these bulls will continue to grow and develop, adding muscle and weight right up until they are delivered. This allows the Bulls to maintain their athletic condition for their advantage instead of being pushed to a high degree on hot feed rations and then going into a slide down, losing weight before they are ready for use.
The heifers are fed in a similar manner, receiving only grass-based forage in silage form and 5 lb of alfalfa as a protein supplement. This keeps the heifers lean, giving them the opportunity to gain weight on grass. Many of them are cycling prior to turning out on a forage-only diet.
We have raised the base price on the sale animals this year simply because the cattle market has increased substantially. With 800 lb steer calves bringing nearly $2,000 per head, this establishes the beginning value of the Bulls when they go on feed in the fall. Expenses are added to that to establish the base price. By leaving the Bulls on the ranch utilizing homegrown feed stuffs we are able to keep the expenses of developing them at a much lower cost. We have fewer Bulls at offering this year due to the much higher-than-usual heifer calves born last spring.
Our breeding program continues to focus on a balanced, high-volume, easy-fleshing animal while incorporating optimal growth and high maternal and high carcass values. I stress optimal growth versus maximum growth. Keeping growth in check requires a very disciplined selection criteria. Birth weight is of utmost importance, by sacrificing maximum growth it prevents the unexpected extremes in birth weight that sometimes happens as calves with exceptional growth potential can grow in uterum beyond what the cow can deliver. It also ensures that our cow’s mature size does not exceed manageable degrees.
We are so blessed with our family and the continued involvement and dedication from multiple generations. Our fifth-generation grandchildren are heavily involved with the day-to-day operation of ranch activity. It is the exception rather than the norm these days to have youngsters with so much interest in agriculture. We are honored to have the opportunity to serve the agricultural community and perceive this responsibility as a commitment to the betterment of the beef industry.
Thank you for your interest in our program, and we look forward to the opportunity to discuss your needs and how we may be of assistance to your program.
Leonard, Naomi, and family
