Extra costs for pedigree bulls

how much extra to produce and sell a pedigree bull V commercial steer at 18 months ?

  • under £100

  • £100 to £250

  • £251 to £500

  • £501 to £1000

  • £1001 to £2000

  • over £2000


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All our cattle are pedigree but run on a commercial basis. The only extra costs that are essential are registration and dna testing. We go further with ours with regular weighing, taking part in a health scheme ect. But many commercial herds would also be doing this. I guess when first setting up a herd the cost of buying in stock is higher. We are a closed herd so only buy in a few bulls, the price of which would be higher than a commercial bull.
I think costs are more to do with the way the herd is run as opposed to whether they are commercial or pedigree.
Why would your bull be more expensive than a commercial bull?
 

cows r us

Member
BASE UK Member
Location
Buckinghamshire
Why would your bull be more expensive than a commercial bull?
We have a strong focus on genetics to improve our herd. Pedegree bulls of the standard that we require tend to be more money than most commercial bulls. We try to breed most our self's but occasionally need new breeding lines to increase certain traits.
 
We have a strong focus on genetics to improve our herd. Pedegree bulls of the standard that we require tend to be more money than most commercial bulls. We try to breed most our self's but occasionally need new breeding lines to increase certain traits.
We have a strong focus on genetics to improve our herd. Pedegree bulls of the standard that we require tend to be more money than most commercial bulls. We try to breed most our self's but occasionally need new breeding lines to increase certain traits.
I don't find that price and quality are very well linked, in that many of the more expensive bulls are regularly dressed up rubbish.
One of the best bulls I've had cost £1500 and we claimed the bull premium on him when he came home, another good bull was on from a cow that was bought with a calf at foot and in calf (with the bull) which cost £420
We run pure and commercial cows and they are treated the same, same groups, same bulls, same feed etc.
The only difference is that I will AI the odd pedigree cow to keep something different coming through.

We buy the odd bull, but I don't believe dearer is better and I'll give the commercial cows as good a bull as will the pures.
 

cows r us

Member
BASE UK Member
Location
Buckinghamshire
I don't find that price and quality are very well linked, in that many of the more expensive bulls are regularly dressed up rubbish.
One of the best bulls I've had cost £1500 and we claimed the bull premium on him when he came home, another good bull was on from a cow that was bought with a calf at foot and in calf (with the bull) which cost £420
We run pure and commercial cows and they are treated the same, same groups, same bulls, same feed etc.
The only difference is that I will AI the odd pedigree cow to keep something different coming through.

We buy the odd bull, but I don't believe dearer is better and I'll give the commercial cows as good a bull as will the pures.
Price depends on what 2 individuals are willing to bid at the end of the day. Its sounds like you got a bargain for a good bull at £1500. We regularly get customers asking for a £1500 bull. We politely tell them that we get that price for the ones we have put in the fattening yard.
 
Location
Ireland
Don't know how it would pay to take 1500 for pedigree bull,, between registration and royalties health scheme, Ai and cost of semen, never mind man hours at them,, doesn't be long adding up,, I do always say ,, no bull leaving my yard any less that 2500,, doesn't matter if your coming with sad story that u have only 10 cow's ,, sorry not my problem,,
 

Henarar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
Funny story but absolutely true I had someone come and have a look at the bulls and they asked the price of one of them and I told them, they said he is worth far more than that to me so we done a deal for more.

Anyway the thread isn't about the price of bulls but the costs involved in comparison to a commercial animal and if the costs are necessary or not.
 
Price depends on what 2 individuals are willing to bid at the end of the day. Its sounds like you got a bargain for a good bull at £1500. We regularly get customers asking for a £1500 bull. We politely tell them that we get that price for the ones we have put in the fattening yard.
To be fair the bull at 1500 was 15 years ago and a fairly young bull bought in the breeders yard.
But thats what he asked for so I didn't argue.
He was used on the daughters from the bull that was out of the 420 quid cow.
Personally I wouldn't sell a bull below 2500, even for a yearling, any less isn't worth the bother.
 
Don't know how it would pay to take 1500 for pedigree bull,, between registration and royalties health scheme, Ai and cost of semen, never mind man hours at them,, doesn't be long adding up,, I do always say ,, no bull leaving my yard any less that 2500,, doesn't matter if your coming with sad story that u have only 10 cow's ,, sorry not my problem,,
The sob story about only having a few cows is a very common thing on your side of the water.
 

Matt

Member
I dont think people are willing enough to pay for bulls.
Whilst what we offer for sale isn't pumped up on bagged feed, as we want to see what genetics and forage can do. We do spend a fair bit on health screening and this year we have fertility tested the bulls. All passed fine, but most of the time the buyer doesn't seem worried about the extra costs.

We fertility tested this year more for our peace of mind knowing that any bulls we offer for sale either have good swimmers in them or will have served and settled females in calf, especially when some out there expect a 2 year old bull to do the work of a experienced fit bull.

So is my fertility testing a extra not needed expense or valid?
 
Last edited:

Matt

Member
Don't know how it would pay to take 1500 for pedigree bull,, between registration and royalties health scheme, Ai and cost of semen, never mind man hours at them,, doesn't be long adding up,, I do always say ,, no bull leaving my yard any less that 2500,, doesn't matter if your coming with sad story that u have only 10 cow's ,, sorry not my problem,,
Especially when killing bulls are around 1650 to 1750 at the min.
 

Henarar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
I dont think people are willing enough to pay for bulls.
Whilst what we offer for sale isn't pumped up on bagged feed, as we want to see what genetics and forage can do. We do spend a fair bit on health screening and this year we have fertility tested the bulls. All passed fine, but most of the time the buyer doesn't seem worried about the extra costs.

We fertility tested this year more for our peace of mind knowing that any bulls we offer for sale either have good swimmers in them or will have served and settled females in calf, especially when some out there expect a 2 year old bull to do the work of a experienced fit bull.

So is my fertility testing a extra not needed expense or valid?
Isn't a fertility test only as good as the day it was done ?
Someone I know had one tested and they said he wasn't any good, he left him with some cows and he got them in calf.

Less than convinced by it all
 

Matt

Member
Isn't a fertility test only as good as the day it was done ?
Someone I know had one tested and they said he wasn't any good, he left him with some cows and he got them in calf.

Less than convinced by it all
Yes mostly correct.
As bull could go to new home and something happen then bull not work.
Vet was saying a measure and feel of the balls is the biggest part of bulls fertility. But that only comes with experience.
 

Optimus

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
North of Perth
Isn't a fertility test only as good as the day it was done ?
Someone I know had one tested and they said he wasn't any good, he left him with some cows and he got them in calf.

Less than convinced by it all
Agree with you on that.we bought a bull last year that the breeder had sold to a guy.who then sent him back as he'd had him tested an said he was infertile.I took a chance ,every cow in calf [emoji4] .

Plenty people will sell bulls cheap.just bought one for 2k would of been more but he's ripped his nose ring out.also chance at a good limmy bull for 2k but I've no room for it.

Are the breeders making money at that? I very much doubt it.
 

Matt

Member
Agree with you on that.we bought a bull last year that the breeder had sold to a guy.who then sent him back as he'd had him tested an said he was infertile.I took a chance ,every cow in calf [emoji4] .

Plenty people will sell bulls cheap.just bought one for 2k would of been more but he's ripped his nose ring out.also chance at a good limmy bull for 2k but I've no room for it.

Are the breeders making money at that? I very much doubt it.
Nope. At 2k for bull ready for work u best off hanging it up under 16months for 500 less.
Even at 2500 in opinion you ain't getting much out of it with extra costs.
There are some which will sell a bull for 2 k out of the fattening pen. Who's right who wrong, who knows if they making money and people coming back then best of luck to them.

We are quite fussy what we keep back for selling and they never have alot of hard feed. Only trouble is we do our selves out of sales, as they last too long. 🤣
 
Location
Ireland
I dont think people are willing enough to pay for bulls.

So is my fertility testing a extra not needed expense or valid?
Totally agree , people aren't paying enough for bulls, especially over ere,, problem ere,, is average man ere is part time farmers,, so only got 10/25 cows,, they want cheap bull, but want there wealings selling for 1k each,, as for fertility testing do it hear as well,, and wouldn't sell bull without it,, yes maybe doesn't make sense to sum, but way I look at it,, its like mot a car,, you bring to test centre, gets check true, you get your cert for passing , cert only covers the day you take to test centre, but its valid for 12 months,, so you sell car, so its up to next man to look after the car,, service it, maintenance etc, same with a young bull,, have ur cert for fertility test,, u sell bull,, up to next man to do maintenance then,, when i sell bull I always give the new owner 2/3 bags of meal, and tell him to mix with his own meal,, personally I don't like over fed bulls,, I like working bulls,, not big show type,,
 
I dont think people are willing enough to pay for bulls.
Whilst what we offer for sale isn't pumped up on bagged feed, as we want to see what genetics and forage can do. We do spend a fair bit on health screening and this year we have fertility tested the bulls. All passed fine, but most of the time the buyer doesn't seem worried about the extra costs.

We fertility tested this year more for our peace of mind knowing that any bulls we offer for sale either have good swimmers in them or will have served and settled females in calf, especially when some out there expect a 2 year old bull to do the work of a experienced fit bull.

So is my fertility testing a extra not needed expense or valid?
Personally I wouldn't bother as the test only shows a bull to be fertile on the day if the test.
 
Yes mostly correct.
As bull could go to new home and something happen then bull not work.
Vet was saying a measure and feel of the balls is the biggest part of bulls fertility. But that only comes with experience.
A vet I know spends a lot of his time fertility testing bulls and he says that there is a close correlation between muscularity and sample quality.
The same with testicular size and shape.
 

Henarar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
Yes mostly correct.
As bull could go to new home and something happen then bull not work.
Vet was saying a measure and feel of the balls is the biggest part of bulls fertility. But that only comes with experience.
If you mostly agree does that mean you think its mostly a waste of time and money.
Could it be slightly counterproductive in the the extra handeling/stress for the bull could make him more likely to go infertile?
 

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