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West Central Iowa | I am fairly new to the seedstock business and currently have my 3rd crop of sale bulls in the lot for the 2011 sales. I live in Iowa where a majority of the cattle herds are secondary income to the farmers cropping operation. They have cattle around to clean up stalks, utilize that unfarmable slough or steep sidehill, or because "we've always had them". Many of the farmers that have cattle are progressive in their cropping operation but have not followed suit with the livestock.
As I look to market my product, what information/data should I use to gather interest and increase sales (what would get your attention?). I cull hard on phenotype but also find value in numbers and data. The past two years I realize that I have tried to provide more than my potential customers want or can understand. Where is that happy balance in enough info to make a good decision vs. information overload.
I have also considered some type of calf buyback program. Use my bull(s) and I would be willing to buy your calves off the farm (piked up in the morning without feed overnight & 2% pencil shrink) and use some type of sliding scale and the value of local markets that week to set price. Has a system like this been of benefit to seedstock producers or is it not worth the hassle? | |
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Information for bull buyers
