This time of year, I glance through hundreds of catalogs and advertisements for bull sales. With very few exceptions, everyone is essentially offering the same product. It is extremely rare to find anyone with a program or a product that differs from the status quo. Some may talk about the importance of fertility, fleshing ability, cow size, maintenance costs, etc., etc., but very, very few have a product that will actually make a difference.
One bull sale ad stated, “Ranchers need low-cost / low-input cattle…” Since this is exactly what we’ve been saying for nearly three decades, it got my attention. Just for the fun of it, I decided to see how their bulls compared to our bulls in regards to maintenance requirements. Since their sale catalog was not yet available, I averaged the maintenance energy ($EN) values of their AI herd sires. I was not at all surprised to discover their bulls had an average $EN value of -17.60, which happens to be in the bottom 10% of the Angus breed.
In contrast, 99% of the Angus bulls selling in our three spring bulls sales are in the TOP 20% of the Angus breed. Pharo Cattle Company has what everyone else is talking about. We have been “walking the walk” for over 30 years. We were Herd Quitters when being a Herd Quitter wasn’t cool. That is why our program and our bulls are so different from status quo programs and bulls. Others may be able to change their story overnight, but it will take years for them to change their program and their genetics. Talk is cheap!
When you purchase bulls… the first and most important thing to consider is the program behind the bulls. Does it line up with your long-term goals? If it doesn’t, you are wasting time and money. The bulls you purchase this spring will have a long-term effect on your profits – or lack thereof.