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Post by ebenezer on Sept 19, 2019 16:25:35 GMT -6
Where would you spend your bucks to advertise? I know that "the fescue belt" is the answer. But what publication or site would cover the most ground and is read or viewed enough to generate some interest?
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Post by franklinridgefarms on Sept 19, 2019 16:38:14 GMT -6
Where would you spend your bucks to advertise? I know that "the fescue belt" is the answer. But what publication or site would cover the most ground and is read or viewed enough to generate some interest? Don't know where you are located or far of a reach that you would want to cover, but in KY we have the Cow Country News monthly publication from our state association. Lot of ads for sales and bulls throughout it. Probably other states have similar publications. Used to a Farmers Pride magazine not sure where it was headquartered. Farm World, mainly covers Indiana, Ohio, KY to a lesser extent, but have advertised a few things and bought a few things with their classified section. I would say the Cattle Today southeast edition but ain't seen hide or hair of that publication for a while, after getting it for years. |
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Post by highgrit on Sept 19, 2019 19:15:50 GMT -6
I have my eye on a couple of bulls at Clemson Edisto forage bull test.
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Post by simangking on Sept 19, 2019 21:12:03 GMT -6
Illinois Farm Bureau has a weekly paper that runs ads. Gets a lot of cattle action. If your state has a farm paper i'd start there because they're about the cheapest also (besides local paper.)
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Post by ebenezer on Sept 20, 2019 12:09:37 GMT -6
I have my eye on a couple of bulls at Clemson Edisto forage bull test. Just curious - how do you deal with the major named sires yet so many of the FSs so small (down to 2.4) and REA/CWT skewed so low? Did they not feed them or what? |
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Post by highgrit on Sept 21, 2019 6:13:19 GMT -6
I have my eye on a couple of bulls at Clemson Edisto forage bull test. Just curious - how do you deal with the major named sires yet so many of the FSs so small (down to 2.4) and REA/CWT skewed so low? Did they not feed them or what? Edisto bull test is a forage test and not a feed test. The bulls are fed up a little for the sale but not pushed at all and are a little older and ready to work. I'm all ears if you want to give some advice and will buy lunch if your ever interested. |
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Post by ebenezer on Sept 22, 2019 6:27:33 GMT -6
Just curious - how do you deal with the major named sires yet so many of the FSs so small (down to 2.4) and REA/CWT skewed so low? Did they not feed them or what? Edisto bull test is a forage test and not a feed test. The bulls are fed up a little for the sale but not pushed at all and are a little older and ready to work. I'm all ears if you want to give some advice and will buy lunch if your ever interested. Thanks for the invite. I'll let you pick what you want. I keep up with mainstream Angus from somewhat of a distance. I know some to watch on disposition, feet, udders, low female fertility, ... in a very minor way and rock along here with what I have. The last time I tried to help someone on a bull sale was my last day of bull buying suggestions. I did not know that one of the faults of a great, wonderful and leading Angus bull at that time was a % of calves would totally stall out after one YO. The guys were pleased to buy a son of that bull but he stalled out and they sold him after one season because the calves did the same but also weaned light. They say there is more variation within a breed than between breeds. I have come to believe that there is more unsaid in AAA cattle than is said. Widespread AI has wiped out most regional lines and intensely bred herds. Either you can breed your own, go back to the golden oldies that worked, use bulls that are semi-proven and you plan to correct their problems in the next round or try to AI cows to new unknowns while keeping your fingers crossed. There is no easy path. I keep a file on mainstream and popular cattle which have a type, EPD range and functions that are possibly interesting. I would not be beyond AIing some cows in the future to more terminal type Angus to increase sales appeal if it made cash flow easier and made cattle useful to buyers. But I will be honest: it is not a big file folder! There are herds that I follow but not many where I would consider going to buy. Too much smoke and mirrors in mainstream: always has been and always will be. The nature of the beast. Bonsma noted that the problems of cattle breeding is that outside incomes influence the breeding selections and directions. He was not blind to men's ways either. |
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Post by farmerjan on Oct 3, 2019 20:33:21 GMT -6
Here in Va there is a farm, Ginger Hill Angus, over in the Culpepper,Va area that promotes that their cattle are "fescue based cattle".. That is their biggest selling point, that the cattle are raised on fescue and perform on fescue. We bought a young bull at the 2017 sale, when we had only gone to look. In early 2018 a friend had a bunch of cattle that needed breeding and he was the only one we had at the time so we loaned him. Then we got him back and he went with some of our cows that will be getting preg checked here shortly. He has kept his weight, seems to be good on his feet. Not aggressive. Won't know much until we have calves on the ground in the spring.
I do know that we have bought 2 bulls over the years,from another breeder, that were REALLY nice to look at, but were way over fed, and could not maintain condition in the "real world" of pasture/rustle your own grub type conditions that we raise our cattle in. One is gone, the other will go this next year.
We also have bought several, 5 or 6 from Benfield Angus in the Deerfield, Va area. Don Benner is a pretty decent fair guy to deal with and we have gotten to know him and his wife over the years. They advertise that their calves are not crep fed on pasture, and we have been more than happy with their bulls. In fact, bought in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, if I am not mistaken and still have all but the first one. Twice we had no intention of buying a bull, went to the sale for the "social aspect" to see and visit and talk to other farmers. Since we rent quite a few places, and were running close to 200 head, we needed at least 6-7 bulls and always like to have one or two in reserve...in case.... we have rented out a few over the years to a couple of friends with 20 cows that just cannot justify buying and keeping a bull. All these bulls have good dispositions, are quiet to work around; the easy calving bulls throw small, but very vigorous calves that the heifers just pop out and they get up and get going. The plus weight bulls throw nice sized calves but not monsters. We were afraid that we were getting too many "small calves" so the last couple have been plus weight to put more size into the calves at birth on the experienced cows.
They had a bull sale every year for 20+ years, but have not had one in a year or two. I think they decided that there just was not as much call for it as there are dozens and dozens of sales now. Plus I don't think that they are the "chasing the newest, flavor of the month" type of people and that seems to be the new norm. But I would buy another of their bulls in a heartbeat. We may even keep a bull calf or 2 this next year out of the one bull as we like the way they looked this year.
Since we may be going to weaning and selling calves at 60 days weaned, and may try selling in this newly formed county group, we can leave any NICE bull calves as bulls and then band any when we wean them if they don't do as good as we want. They will have plenty of time to recover and get it together as a steer to go in the group.
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Post by farmerjan on Oct 3, 2019 20:38:59 GMT -6
Va Cattleman's Assoc puts out a monthly newspaper that has all the local Va news and sales, and some of WVa also. Also will see some of the big sales advertised.
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Post by ebenezer on Oct 8, 2019 7:19:11 GMT -6
Here in Va there is a farm, Ginger Hill Angus, over in the Culpepper,Va area that promotes that their cattle are "fescue based cattle".. That is their biggest selling point, that the cattle are raised on fescue and perform on fescue. We bought a young bull at the 2017 sale, when we had only gone to look. In early 2018 a friend had a bunch of cattle that needed breeding and he was the only one we had at the time so we loaned him. Then we got him back and he went with some of our cows that will be getting preg checked here shortly. He has kept his weight, seems to be good on his feet. Not aggressive. Won't know much until we have calves on the ground in the spring. I do know that we have bought 2 bulls over the years,from another breeder, that were REALLY nice to look at, but were way over fed, and could not maintain condition in the "real world" of pasture/rustle your own grub type conditions that we raise our cattle in. One is gone, the other will go this next year. We also have bought several, 5 or 6 from Benfield Angus in the Deerfield, Va area. Don Benner is a pretty decent fair guy to deal with and we have gotten to know him and his wife over the years. They advertise that their calves are not crep fed on pasture, and we have been more than happy with their bulls. In fact, bought in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, if I am not mistaken and still have all but the first one. Twice we had no intention of buying a bull, went to the sale for the "social aspect" to see and visit and talk to other farmers. Since we rent quite a few places, and were running close to 200 head, we needed at least 6-7 bulls and always like to have one or two in reserve...in case.... we have rented out a few over the years to a couple of friends with 20 cows that just cannot justify buying and keeping a bull. All these bulls have good dispositions, are quiet to work around; the easy calving bulls throw small, but very vigorous calves that the heifers just pop out and they get up and get going. The plus weight bulls throw nice sized calves but not monsters. We were afraid that we were getting too many "small calves" so the last couple have been plus weight to put more size into the calves at birth on the experienced cows. They had a bull sale every year for 20+ years, but have not had one in a year or two. I think they decided that there just was not as much call for it as there are dozens and dozens of sales now. Plus I don't think that they are the "chasing the newest, flavor of the month" type of people and that seems to be the new norm. But I would buy another of their bulls in a heartbeat. We may even keep a bull calf or 2 this next year out of the one bull as we like the way they looked this year. Since we may be going to weaning and selling calves at 60 days weaned, and may try selling in this newly formed county group, we can leave any NICE bull calves as bulls and then band any when we wean them if they don't do as good as we want. They will have plenty of time to recover and get it together as a steer to go in the group. We like similar traits as far as ease of handling, proper development and such. We like the slick haired cattle that shed early and also work towards a 60 day calving period or less. The sad part of the deal right now is with the drought we have no winter grazing growing or stockpiled right now and have sold down as far as we should sell, it seems. |
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Post by ebenezer on Oct 15, 2019 11:54:49 GMT -6
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Post by Jake on Oct 21, 2019 20:34:22 GMT -6
Go through some of the popular angus pages on facebook and start stirring stuff up. Gets pretty entertaining and you can get quite a few varied view points. We don’t have fescue, bought a set of cows off of fescue and put them on our grass and watched them gain a ton of weight in a hurry so it’s quite obvious to me that my opinions of what will work on fescue mean nothing as I have no experience.
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Post by bulltrader on Oct 21, 2019 21:26:16 GMT -6
Works great coming off fescue onto your grass but they fall apart coming from the west to fescue.
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Post by Jake on Oct 22, 2019 18:09:15 GMT -6
Works great coming off fescue onto your grass but they fall apart coming from the west to fescue. That was the point I was trying to make. Must have done a poor job |
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Post by bulltrader on Oct 22, 2019 18:17:37 GMT -6
We bought a pot load of black cows out of South Dakota in the mid 2000's. Average cows but thin. They got old and never adjusted to the fescue.
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