Last week, we spent two days in the hot sun grading PCC Sale Bulls in Cheyenne Wells, Colorado. This was the first leg of a series of Bull Workdays that will also take place in Nebraska, Montana, Saskatchewan, and Texas!

The approach to this exercise is very pragmatic and thorough. I’ll start by saying it’s a more detailed grading than anything else I’ve witnessed in North America. We were as detailed as this in South Africa, but the grading was done by one inspector. Having several graders and the need for consensus makes the PCC® system much more meaningful.

Every bull was evaluated for Masculinity, Muscling, Thickness, Foot Structure, Fly Count, Hair Coat, Temperament, and Preputial Prolapse. An Overall Rating was also given. Along with all of this, notes were taken on eye-pigmentation, cloudy eyes, short tails, and any other points of difference.

I was so impressed with the foot quality of the 240 bulls we graded in Colorado. I was also impressed that the few bulls with poor dispositions were immediately culled.

My favorite part was the VIP tour we took through a few cowherds. The mass, muscle, and power of the herd bulls compared with the refined, feminine cows they were running with was remarkable. Sexual dimorphism was on display in every herd.

The udder quality was consistently good. And the evidence of quality milk flow showed in the vitality of the calves at foot!

I’m excited to see what the other workday venues will have served up for us!   The fact that the public is allowed to join these Bull Working Days and interact with their questions and observations augurs well to the transparency and accountability of the PCC program.

Quote Worth Re-Quoting

“If you don’t drive your business, you will be driven out of business.”   ~ B.C. Forbes

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