Bull sales

[grassfarmer]

As bull sale season is getting into full swing what are you all thinking prospects are? Dearer, cheaper or much the same as last year? How have some of the early bull sales gone in your areas? Will any breed be a winner or loser due to changing trends in the industry?

[SASH]

I'm curious to know this as well. I suspect that with talk of the border opening to OTM cattle, the market should be stronger than last year. I'd sure hate to spend a bunch of money on a bull and have him come up lame with the prices that cull bulls are bringing right now. Seems like alot of risk when there are so many cheap older bulls available. As long they've had a BSE and been checked for VD, I'd still be inclined to go that way.

[gopher]

The bull sales are under way here and the prices seem to be alittle on the low side or very similar to last year. One can pick up a good horned hereford bull anywhere from $2000 - $2500. The red angus bulls are going for alot less - in the range of $1200 - $2000. There is a top polled hereford beeder just down the road from me who sells all his bulls right off the farm for $2500 each - your pick and he's already sold all his bulls. There seems to be a real move in this area towards using only polled bulls. We went that way two years ago and sure don't miss dehorning those calves.

[grassfarmer]

Gopher, I hear you on the horns issue.

We were out at Rawes Charolais sale today - they got a good trade, i'm guessing they would be $1000 up on average but they got a really bad trade last year at around a $2000 average.
Last year only a few guys were prepared to go to $3000 - this year there were quite a few going over $4000 (saw one at $6000 too) to get what they wanted. I still think these bulls are relatively undervalued for the experience and quality of program they run.