The Angus Journal® is a monthly magazine known for in-depth coverage of American Angus Association® programs and services; the Angus business; herd management; and advertising reflecting genetics and herd philosophies.
Issue link: http://angusjournal.epubxp.com/i/789531
Ohio angus Breeders Ohio angus Breeders Burgett Angus Farm Keith, Phillip and Bryan Burgett 1246 Antigua Rd. SW Carrollton, Ohio 44615 (330) 627-5414 • Cell (330) 771-0482 Fax (330) 627-6314 burgettangusfarm@yahoo.com www.burgettangus.com Working Cows Certified & Accredited Herd Negative for Johne's and Leukosis PINE HILL FARM experience counts HENRY BERGFELD Managing partner Three Oaks Farm 33009 Yellow Creek Road • Summitville, OH 43962 330.223.1872 • Fax 330.223.2215 E-mail: donahankb@yahoo.com JOHN BERGFELD Partner 38100 Jackson Road • Moreland Hills, OH 44022 Daytime 216.445.4836 • Home 440.247.7916 E-mail: bergfej@ccf.org donnahankb@hotmail.com Sykes Angus Farm Est. 1960 Bruce Sykes 9565 Judas Rd. • Williamsport, OH 43164 Home (740) 993-2789 Home of Riverbend Peerless 0016 and RB Gravity 3431 Private Treaty Sales Available To advertise call: Alex Tolbert 706-338-8733 • atolbert@angus.org or Karri Mildenberger 816-383-5289 • kmildenberger@angus.media March 2017 n ANGUSJournal n 149 and it is one area that most purebred producers struggle with for many years as they get started in the business. Most bulls are marketed to commercial cow-calf producers, and it takes an extended period of time to establish the relationships and customer base to become a successful marketer of bulls. In my opinion, the keys to developing a strong customer base for bulls include: @ First and foremost, have a good product to sell; @ Represent the bulls with honesty and integrity; and @ Stand behind them fully. The old advice of not selling something that you would not want to buy is as true today as it ever has been. In addition, word of mouth is still the best advertising in the world when it comes to commercial bulls. All one has to do is not stand behind a bull that goes bad for whatever reason. Once that word gets spread around to commercial producers, you will be able to appreciate the value of word- of-mouth-advertising and the value of a good reputation. Many of those commercial producers are probably not on Facebook or other forms of social media, but I will guarantee you that "coffee shop talk" is faster than the Internet when it comes to not standing behind a bull. Many times on a short-term basis it can present a pretty significant financial loss. However, in my opinion, on a long-term basis it will pay dividends. Although feed costs have declined significantly compared to the high costs that we faced a few years ago, the higher feed costs that we have experienced for the last five years or so have had a dramatic influence on the cost of developing both bulls and heifers. Some producers can develop their calves out on pasture by providing supplemental nutrition to achieve the desired level of performance. This is a tremendous advantage, especially in periods of high feed prices. This practice is more commonly used for heifers as compared to bulls; however, it can be used successfully for both sexes. Most purebred beef producers don't have these kinds of pasture situations available and therefore must confine their calves to a drylot for developmental purposes. For many years, the costs of developing bulls ranged from $2 to $2.50 per head per day, depending on the location and type of feeding operation. However, since the ethanol fiasco drove corn prices through the roof, many producers have faced developmental costs of $3 to $4 per head per day or higher. In my opinion, it is extremely important that producers avoid two things when developing bulls. First, we have to avoid feeding below-average bulls. However, the demand for Angus bulls has been so strong during the last 10 years that many Angus producers in our state have never castrated a bull calf. It is still important that purebred producers look at their bull calves with a critical eye and a sharp knife. The second point is to minimize the length of the developmental period if that is an option. If we could convince commercial cow-calf producers to buy bull calves at weaning, I believe it would be a win-win situation for both purebred and commercial producers. Purebred producers would sacrifice yearling measurements. However, a $2,000-$2,500 weaned bull calf will probably net more dollars than a $4,000-$5,000 long yearling. In addition, bulls would be gone long before they cause many of the problems for which they are known, and commercial producers would be able to acclimate the bulls to their own z ANGUS ADVISOR CONTINUED ON PAGE 150