Shorthorn bull prospect.. LOT 17 Iowa Royal Shorthorn Sale New Pics

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TMJ Show Cattle

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The sale[first one] Wisc. state bid off, didn't go over very well. There were fifty or so cattle and I believe 7 head sold...... He is entered and will be sold at the Iowa Royal Shorthorn sale,at the Iowa Beef Expo on tuesday February 16th 2010.
 

Chap

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Be cautious on your expectiations at the Horn sale at IBE.  Heifers tend to sell very well but bulls can get very pretty soft.  Do your homework and bring some money with you.  i have seen some really nice bulls sell in that sale for $1000
 

TMJ Show Cattle

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That's true anywhere. Hell, if he don't bring what I think he is worth,I'll bring him home and sell him later in the spring, or show him next summer and sell him as a two year old.
 

aj

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If itn and jit give me the go ahead I will probably bid 20,000$ on him. Frostbite,I, and 7 commercial cattleman from gods country are working on a sydicate but I am confused on how to convert the canandian 100$ bill to a usa dollar bill. Do you have videos with music and narration by Chalton Hesston or John Wayne or anything? The red dirt band Cross Candian Ragweed will help us promote the bull during their concerts. Sons a bitches over looked them for the super bowl gig. I hope we can can get him bought for 20,000. We may go 20,0003$ but absolutely no higher....unless my wife says go ahead.
 

aj

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We will throw in the original 18 foot shelby gooseneck trailer we currently use as a portable windbreak. Seriously doesn't look like a bad bull.
 

kfacres

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Hope you finally get the rascal sold this time...  I think I'm having my doubts on going to the sale.. might actually buy something.. don't go. don't spend any cash..  but on a serious note. I did have 2 things come up that day. and kinda need todo both...  What happens out there on the weekend?  My and some buddies might still try to hit the IBE Fri/ Sat
 

GM

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aj, i don't understand.  why do you do this to yourself?  I imagine you could grow a market for your stock if you used your powers for good and not evil.  I see you have a website and you're very proud of your cattle and program.

TMJ, I think this bull looks great.  The shorthorns get a bad rap for birth weights.  We see it all the time on SP.  Doc Hunsley wrote an article in Shorthorn Country back in 2005 where he disgussed birth weight as the biggest challenge for the breed to gain commercial acceptance.  He stated that the average birth weights for all Shorthorn offspring reported in SPR was 86 pounds.  His challenge to the breed was to reduce the average birth weight by 6 lbs in 10 years to gain commercial acceptance. To do this we need to gather accurate data and a lot of it to have a true evaluation of our progress.  I see that you produced a bull with a 74 lb birth weight.  He's sired by Versatile who is listed as having an 82 lb birth weight who is sired by Tonic who is listed as having an 83 pound birth weight.  What's more, it's safe to say that birth weight is not all those bulls will be known for.  On the dam side, he is backed by the Robin cow family that Merl Welch made a killing on for many years.  Your bull is evidence that Shorthorn genetics can maintain desirable traits (growth, maternal, disposition, etc), and take us closer to achieving greater commercial acceptance by 2015 through improving our greatest weakness- birth weight.  Marketing bulls is tough.  I applaud you and your daughter.  Good luck!!! 

 

knabe

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GM said:
I see that you produced a bull with a 74 lb birth weight.  He's sired by Versatile who is listed as having an 82 lb birth weight who is sired by Tonic who is listed as having an 83 pound birth weight. 

if one graphed that, it would look logarithmic.  at a linear rate, in 10 generations, the BW would be around -10.  that's progress. 
 

TMJ Show Cattle

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Thanks for the compliments GM.I don't worry about the misinformed,the shortie bashers,or the one's that are trying to change their M.O. to comedy relief....We weighed this calf on three different scales from three different producers.We all came within a pound of each other.This was done for a specific reason,tihat being "red" was one of the first Versatile calves,and out of a first calf heifer. he suprised us being that "light" at birth.maybe it is just a fluke who knows.  I do know this much,being in the cattle bussiness for over fifty years,trends come and go alot. we have never promoted this calf to be a great one by any stretch of anyone's imagination.but after saying that, I do know this calf could improve alot of calf crops for a lot of people.we have had quite a bit of interest shown so far,but i know that does not translate to green backs.Although we are club calf producers and not shorthorn breeders persay,I hope who ever buys him,that they will consider collecting semen.I would like to have some to breed to first calf clubbie and Angus heifers or cows.I believe he will produce some really good females,whether purebred or commercial.
 

GM

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knabe said:
GM said:
I see that you produced a bull with a 74 lb birth weight.  He's sired by Versatile who is listed as having an 82 lb birth weight who is sired by Tonic who is listed as having an 83 pound birth weight. 

if one graphed that, it would look logarithmic.  at a linear rate, in 10 generations, the BW would be around -10.  that's progress. 

I think Beefpaca might be the only breed who has achieved -10 lb birth weights (or -92 bw epds)    :)

PS. extending your graph back 10 generations shows that his ancestors in the 80's had 170 lb birth weights...must have been Ayatollahs
 

justintime

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I am really looking forward to seeing this bull at the Iowa beef Expo. I am not bull shopping right now, but I think this is the type of Shorthorn bull that we all need to be trying to produce in mass numbers if we are ever going to make major steps in market share.I have been looking for a red polled light birth weight bull that still offered some good performance along with soundness and eye appeal and I think I got one from another SP member Joe Bales in Tennessee. This bull is at Hawkeye Breeders now, so I hope some of you can stop in to see him.

I do not want to make light of this birth weight issue in the Shorthorn breed, but I do believe it has been blown out of proportion somewhat.In my herd,which I think is a typical herd in size, management and breeding, we only touch a very few calves at birth. Most of the ones I have to help are malpresentations and the occasional heifer who does not try hard enough or is just taking too long. In the past 8 years we have sold 154 bulls with over 95% of these going to commercial producers. Over half our bulls sell to repeat buyers and I have buyers who have purchased 14 bulls from us in the past decade. We have not had one complaint about calving issues since I started to band every bull calf with a BW over 110 lb. I make sure every potential customer has the data when they walk in the bull pen, and I make sure I tell them which bulls I think are safe for use on heifers.  Yes, we do have to knock the top end of our birth weights off and be very vigilant about castrating big BW bulls. I think we need to be talking a little more about calving ease bulls rather than just low birth weight bulls. As I have mentioned on here before, we can certainly make these cattle lighter at birth if we select bulls that will sire calves that are 1-2 inches shorter in body length. I don't think that solves any calving issues or any issues in breed acceptance. People who say they can't find a low birth weight bull that offers calving ease along with some performance and style, simply are not looking hard enough. There aren't as many as there should be, but there certainly are some excellent ones out there. By your pictures, it appears you have a good one here, and I would suggest that every person who has whined about not being able to find a good Shorthorn bull that had a low birth weight, had better be in the seats at this sale, or on the phone, or on the internet and try to buy your bull. I sincerely hope aj and his partners are able to get this bull bought for $20003. If they do, I will be the first to applaud them and to congratulate them. I may even order some semen from him.... in fact I will be bold enough to tell aj right now that I would order 30 straws right now. There aj... I have supplied you with your first $1000 to get this bull bought. 



I hear all the time especially from smaller breeders, that they can't afford to buy a good herd bull. I would suggest that when a bull like this appears, that they can't afford not to be trying to buy him. A bull like this could be partnered quite easily between two families. I have owned several bulls in partnerships and they have worked very well. Study your lessons here folks... it is time to put your money where your mouth is! Even though I have not seen this bull in person yet, I am certain I will not be disappointed when I do ! I want to congratulate you for producing a good bull like this. I wish you the best of luck in the sale, and I really hope you get the premium you deserve for such a premium product.
 
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