Selling Semen Packages

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klintdog

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Dec 4, 2007
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NoDak
Hey Folks,
We've got a smoking calf we're planning on taking to National Western this year - he's a purebred Gelbvieh, so hopefully everyone sticks with me here :)
I know what it's going to cost me to find a herd bull of his same caliber, so I'm thinking of keeping back natural breeding rights on him and just marketing semen packages. Has anyone had any experience in this? I'm sure Justintime has been down this road. I'd like to hear some of your experiences though and recommendations for things to do and not to do.

My thought is to begin marketing him now through flyers, website, video, etc. Also market him once we get down to Denver. Looking at selling 500 straws total - 10 packs of 50, or 20 packs of 25, or some combo in between. There is also the possibility of doing the same thing in Canada next year and marketing another 500 straws of Canadian approved semen.
 

knabe

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Feb 7, 2007
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Hollister, CA
klintdog said:
he's a purebred Gelbvieh,

so he's black?  not being negative, but what gelbvieh and non-gelbvieh traits does he excel at?

i remember the old van horn gelbviehs out in Ca when he was a big buyer and how beautiful they were.
 

BadgerFan

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Jul 30, 2009
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If in fact the bull is a good bull genetically why would you want to limit who can use him? ???
 

LN

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Oct 15, 2008
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South Texas
Gonna touch on another point of the limiting aspect. For me, it's a turn-off when a breeder does that. I think it's just a marketing gimmick to make others think the bull is so special, that only a certain amount of semen can be sold. If a bull is, in fact so special, shouldn't semen be available to everyone to improve their herds and the breed?

Alright, getting off the soap box now. Just my 2 cents.
 

kfacres

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Dec 15, 2008
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Industry, IL Ph #: 618-322-2582
Personally, I would retain 1/2 interest- or similar in the bull-- but my interest would be in the semen form... .and sell the rest of the bull, with possession...  Never know how much semen he'd sell, and personally, although it's nice to have the bull running around home, they are much easier to raise, feed, and keep from tearing stuff up- in the nitrogen tank...  Keep the interest for in herd use, and keep the interest for semen sale opportunity...  Kinda win/win IMO!  Plus someone else gets to have the bull!

IMO there are two ways to promote a bull

A- sell semen packages, so that only the elite cows in the country get flushed to him-- then hopefully he'll make great ones, and you can continue selling small amounts of semen for rediculous prices... If he doesn't then your screwed, and no one will want his semen...
or
B- sell the semen in the open market to anyone, anywhere for 15-25 a pop...  You'll make plenty of money- and the bull will get used ALOT on every cow in the county!...  (Unless you love shorthorns, then you charge 50 a straw, and 50 a cert, and screw anyone over who buys it...  since you put in 6-7 per straw and bring in 100!)
 

carl s.

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Sep 12, 2009
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I have no idea who you are so this isn't meant to be an attack...

Unless you're a member of the Shorthorn cabal or a Collins/Exposure type group it just comes off as somebody trying to pretend they are something they're not.
 

Hilltop

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Mar 22, 2009
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Sask, Canada
If someone was selling semen for 15-25 my first thought would be that the semen was not worth the shipping cost. The real good one's should be worth $50. Last bull we had at stud sure never sat there for free!!! Are there a lot of shorthorn bulls in the US that are charging extra for a certificate?????
 

vcsf

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Jan 21, 2009
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Saskatchewan, Canada
kfacres, I am curious as to how many cows you get in calf turning the semen tank out with them.  I apologize for the sarcasm but if you read klintdog's original post I think it is fairly obvious that he wants (probably needs) a walking bull and the choices are to go buy one he may not know a lot about or use this calf that he has raised and knows a lot about.

In reading a number of posts on here it seems that several people think it is relatively easy to promote a people and sell a lot of semen (not aimed at you klintdog).  Trust me it is not easy.  The cost of collecting the seem is only a very small part of it and the promotion to sell large volumes of semen is where the  real cost lays and it is significant.  If it was easy you would see a lot more people doing it successfully.  Stop and think about how many people are actually selling lots of semen it really isn't that high of number.
 

vcsf

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Jan 21, 2009
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Saskatchewan, Canada
Klintdog with regards to selling semen packages one thing you need to decide is will you only ever sell the 500 straws of semen or after such a date will more be available.  If more semen will be sold later do the original package holders get first chance and or a reduced price.  Can more than one breeder purchase a package (one option is to allow 2 breeders to split a full package but only one to buy a half package)  and also can they resell the semen or give it away when people purchase a female (can be pretty difficult to control).  If you sell 50 straw packages and 25 straw half packages will the per straw price differ for the two options.  Those are a couple of things that come to mind immediately it has been several years since I have been involved in one of these deals as a seller but I can completely understand why you may want to go this route.
 

klintdog

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NoDak
Thanks for the comments. In regards to traits he excels at: he is a red bull who is an outcross to all red genetics that are currently being used. The Gelbvieh breed ran into a situation a few years back where a couple of bulls were used VERY heavily (think Sunny or Trump in the Shorties). He's probably the thickest made calf I've ever seen, nearly perfect EPD's, etc etc. Been told by more then one person that he's the best calf they've seen out in a while.

We don't do any AI at our place. Our pasture arrangement doesn't allow it, so natural breeding is preferable. I'd also like to mention that this isn't my first time down the road either. We've been in the breed since 1983 and have had plenty of bulls purchased over the $10k amount. I've also been burnt on a few deals where multiple owners are involved with semen interest, etc. Just looking for a few ideas on how others have played the game.
 

OH Breeder

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Feb 14, 2007
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Ada, Ohio
Hilltop said:
If someone was selling semen for 15-25 my first thought would be that the semen was not worth the shipping cost. The real good one's should be worth $50. Last bull we had at stud sure never sat there for free!!! Are there a lot of shorthorn bulls in the US that are charging extra for a certificate?????

I have seen more than one bull that was $50 and wasn't worth the plastic it was stored in. I think $25 is a reasonable price considering all the factors going into promoting. Goodluck.
 
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