Welcome This year marks the 11th annual Cattlemen’s Choice sale, and along with everyone else in the cattle business, we could not be any more excited. The market is setting records every day, it seems, and there is definitely a spread between great genetics and run-of-the-mill genetics. We are proud to offer you this year’s set of bulls and a greater number of registered females to choose from, along with a group of spring-bred commercial females that have made a reputation for themselves. Although we have an annual sale each year, rest assured, it takes multiple years of planning to make it all come together each year, from trying to predict where the industry is going to what our customers’ desires are for their next herd sire to the mating decisions that take to get those animals to fit that mold. Genetics is the foundation of our cow herd. By saying that, I’m not only talking about the DNA of an animal but the complete package of Big D’s cattle. We often get asked, “What makes us different from other seedstock suppliers?” So I’ll take a minute to try to explain our viewpoint. For four generations, we have bred cattle to excel in livestock markets, all the while knowing what we needed in our retained females to work in harmony with Mother Nature and the land in central Arkansas. My wife and I have taken on the demanding role as the fifth generation of my family’s operation and began our journey as Big D Ranch in the seedstock side of the industry 25 years ago. We did not want to lose sight of what has brought our family all this way, since settling this land in the 1800s. One key component that sets us apart from most seed stock suppliers is that my family’s sole source of income comes from our cattle herd. That does not make us any better or worse than other suppliers; it simply makes us look at genetics, dollar inputs, and ROI differently than most. Our cattle must be profitable at as many turns as possible, or we simply do not exist, and that is not an option, being a multi-generational operation. The cattle must be sound from the feet up, with an udder structure that does not require assistance in any way. They must produce an adequate amount of milk to raise a healthy, large calf, but not produce too much that they don’t breed back. The bulls must be structurally sound to cover ground and aggressive enough to seek out females that are in heat and complete their jobs. A bull that lies in the shade all FELLOW CATTLEMEN,
day does not earn a paycheck. Resulting caves from the mattings must be visually attractive while maintaining carcass, feeding, and be of superior quality replacements. Our cattle might not be rec - ognized on the show circuit or talked about for generating millions in revenue from single animal sales, but the overall completeness that we demand of the cattle is the reason for our unparalleled ge - netics in this business, and the reason they have kept us profitable enough to stand the test of time. They are the backbone of Big D Ranch. We look at them like factory workers producing a superior product; we’ll give them the resources to produce, but if they don’t, a hamburger is the alternative. We are overly excited about Ben and Isabella showing tremendous interest in welcoming the role of the 6th generation in the future and becoming more and more involved in the decision-making that takes place regarding land and genetics. As you can see, we are deeply rooted in family and heritage. We also take great pride in creating avenues for the seasoned and the next
generation of cattle producers to not only take advantage of our generations of breed - ing cattle, but also we’ve developed programs to help support our customers through AI programs and bull management after the sale. We believe in the importance of being involved, whether it’s in the legislative process, the mentoring process, or just leading by example as an avenue to protect our way of life for future beef-producing generations. We are looking forward to this year’s sale and hope you can join us Friday night for an authentic Italian spaghetti and sausage dinner with all the fixings in a family-style setting before an exciting Saturday sale filled with fun, genetics, and cattle that will keep your program at the forefront of profitability. - The DeSalvo Family
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