In many regions bull sales were up this spring — way up, according to Angus Media data and reports from those in the field.
“I think we did as good a job this year of getting them all traded as we probably ever have,” says Roger Jacobs, well-known livestock auctioneer and owner of Jacobs Livestock Sales. “I didn’t have as many extreme tops this year as I’ve had many years, but the sales were so consistent and throughout the entire spring, and most days we got every bull in the bank and found a new home for them. The market was probably at least 10% higher than a year ago, maybe 15%.”
Jacobs and sale manager Ron Frye, Ron Frye Marketing, joined The Angus Conversation to recap the bull sale season, to talk about what really moves cattle for higher prices and how the business has changed. Back when Jacobs started as fieldman for the American Angus Association in 1977, it wasn’t the No. 1 breed, he went to about 30 sales per year and genomics weren’t anywhere on the horizon.
The cattle have changed, but the best marketing strategies haven’t, he says.
The cattle have to work and help improve herds, Frye says, “But that relationship with those guys, I think it dominates. It's the underlying effect of how good a bull sale is. If they have that confidence and that relationship with the breeder, that breeder's going to have a good day.”
Year-round contact and a solid guarantee will go a long way, but helping customers build a market for their calves is a long-term strategy that pays off, Jacobs says.
“I think that’s one of the real keys. We’re seeing more and more people do that,” he says. “Getting involved with video sales, maybe being a rep and helping their customers get cattle consigned to the videos and then promoting them and helping them sell — it's a big deal.”
To hear more about advice for newer breeders, how they got their start in the business and the worst travel blunders, search for The Angus Conversation wherever you get your podcasts. Or, listen to “Running Down the Road: Jacobs, Frye Talk Seedstock Marketing Then and Now,” at this direct link: