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DEVELOPED FOR THE REAL WORLD
DEVELOPED for the Real World
There is more than one way to develop a bull, and the difference becomes especially important when sale day is over and that bull is turned out with a set of cows. A bull can be made to look impressive with a bulk feeder, where grain products are readily available and pounds can be put on efficiently, or he can be developed on a ration that is primarily forage based and challenged to maintain himself in an environment that more closely resembles the conditions he will face as a working herd sire. At CDP Brangus, we believe the latter tells you far more about the kind of bull you are buying.
can cover country, stay athletic, maintain his flesh and continue growing without relying on a constant supply of grain is telling you something valuable about his kind.
The pasture does not hide shortcomings.
The cattle that thrive in this environment have to travel for their feed, navigate rougher ground and utilize forage efficiently. They are expected to develop skeletal soundness, muscle, body capacity and athleticism while maintaining condition. Those that cannot keep up with the demands of the environment identify themselves. That natural pressure is a valuable part of the development process because it helps us find bulls with the functional ability we believe matters long after sale day. A bull’s value is ultimately measured by the calves he sires, the cows he gets bred and the number of years he can remain productive. Longevity is not created by a feed bunk alone. It comes from soundness, fertility, structural integrity, athleticism, forage utilization and the ability to maintain himself under real world conditions. A bull that can go from a development ration to a forage based breeding pasture and hold his flesh is a more practical investment for the cattleman who expects his herd sires to work the same way his cows do. That is why we believe the development program behind a bull matters. Feed him for a picture, and you may get a picture. Develop him for the pasture, and you have a better opportunity to get a working herd sire. At CDP Brangus, our goal is to offer cattlemen bulls that are prepared for the environment they will ultimately enter. They are developed with forage in mind, challenged by country that requires them to travel and evaluated for the kind of structural and functional ability that cannot be manufactured by a feeder. When these bulls are turned out with cows, we want them to go to work, find their cows, cover the country, maintain their condition and keep breeding.
Our philosophy is simple. We want our bulls developed to work for a living.
A bulk feeder ration can be an effective tool for adding weight and creating a powerful visual package in a relatively short period of time. There is nothing inherently wrong with using grain to develop cattle, but there is a fundamental question every commercial cattleman should ask: What happens when that bull leaves the free-choice feeder? A bull that has been accustomed to a steady supply of high energy feed must eventually transition to pasture, cover country, travel long distances and breed cows. The environment changes, the feed source changes and the job changes. That is when true usefulness begins to separate itself from appearance. At CDP Brangus, we put tremendous value on a bull’s ability to maintain condition on forage. The cowherd he is going to service is not going to live at a bulk feeder, and neither should the bull be developed as though that is where his working life will be spent. It is not practical, and it is certainly not profitable, for a commercial cowherd to depend on a bulk feeder to keep cows in working condition. Cows have to harvest forage, travel to water, travel to mineral, calve, raise a calf and breed back. The bull has to find those cows and get the job done. We believe he should be developed with that reality in mind. That is one of the reasons CDP Brangus feeds its bulls at Rose Bud Bull Development. The large pastures and rocky terrain provide more than a place to grow cattle. They provide an environment that naturally challenges them. There is plenty of room to travel, and the rocky ground demands sound feet and legs. A bull that
Because when the gate opens, the bulk feeder is gone. The pasture is where the bull earns his keep.
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