New Addition to the Herd

After sitting through 5 bull sales we finally got a bull bought!  It is hard when the end of a sale is coming and the bulls that were on my list to are already sold to someone else to not just buy a bull to join the crowd who were able to buy a bull.  Setting goals and limits are hard, but sticking to them is even harder.  This week I was able to purchase a bull that meets all of our selection criteria (and then some) and was in our price range.... well.... kind of..... With feeder calf prices reaching new highs every week it has made it more difficult to get bulls bought for a "decent" price this year.  Not to mention the definition of "decent" price has risen $1000-5000 over last year as well.  The good bulls are bringing premiums which with the high feeder calf price and higher input cost is to be expected.  The past few years I have bought bulls from seed stock producers who have their sales this time of year but will keep, feed, and deliver the bulls to their new owners in April.  Great for us because at this time of year these young bulls are still growing and need diets higher in protein and energy than my older mature bulls.  This time of year our pens are still full of some of last years calves that we are growing for sale and we need to have some pen space available for the heifers who will start calving any day now.  This year the supplier I purchased the bull from hauls their bulls to the local sale barn and the new owners take immediate possession.  So we sorted out a couple of steer calves to keep the bull company for a few days before we put him in the pen with my horses.  He will get to live with them for a few months till the grass starts to green up then we will move him out with the old bulls.  The steers kept following me around and getting in the pictures making it harder to get a few good pics of the bull (I named him "Cha Ching").  I am hopeful that is the sound we will hear when his offspring are born!!  Next year!!