this is a wonderful topic because it underscores the lack of consistency and variation we have in what we do. That's why I always preface things about bulls by saying, "in my experience." LOL
So......in my experience:
Red hates Hostage. I have a neighbor who uses Hostage every year and gets great calves, big bodied, big butted, winners. some are nuts. Red loves Hard Core. We are yet to get a calf with any bone or body at all from him. lol
Chambero doesn't like Paleface, sire of some of the best calves I've ever had. I'll have to send him some pics.
The Hereford AF1 sired the second worst calf I've had in 29 years. But A friend who breeds Herefords uses Grand Slam religiously and sells lots of champions.
Ali, used 19 straws got 19 pregnancies. One left to use Saturday. IMO one of the best all around beef bulls of any breed ever. He gives us look, performance, saleability and that doesn't happen with calving ease bulls. I will concede finer boned than I'd like, but that's what makes calving ease bulls calving ease bulls.
Kadabra used him on Angus cows with no butts what so ever and got steers that would not classify as Angus because they were too big boned and too thick.
Godfather sired the first "clubby" steer I raised. He was terrible. He was so hairy we called him the Yak. A guy offered me $900 for him two days before I was taking him to the sale barn. So i took it since money from people with no sense spends as well as any other. 5 overall championships and numerous breed championships later, I learned a lesson or two. He's the calf in my avatar. That cow always works with him.
I've bred purebred Simmis for 29 years. To me Dream Catcher was a can't miss bull. I liked how he looked in Denver, he had a great momma, nothing not to like. Not a single calf we had didn't make the trip to the sale barn. Took the last one today. They included the absolute worst calf I have ever seen, much less raised, in my life time.
As far as bull bashing goes, I'm not a believer in it at all. However, I also agree with the post that said if the only information you receive is that which is being advertised and paid for, then you have nothing to make a decision on. Everyone can't get out and see the number of calves a big time steer jock does. I will concede that it is difficult to discern fact from hearsay as well. But we have to hear the results of using a bull by others because we are all searching for that elusive consistency.
As to the breeder?owner helping giving you their opinions, I've never talked to one who wasn't friendly and approachable. But when they give you all the same thing, especially for the clubby bulls, it doesn't help much. The "this bull works best on moderate to small framed, correct, soggy, long, clean fronted cows" sounds like a broken ecord. My neighbors bull works best on those same cows.
As far as not posting opinions because someone spends a ton marketing the bulls, they make a ton, too if they are any good. I don't think they should be immune to the failure of their product in certain situations or overall.
As to the breeders getting mad because you told someone you had a negative experience with their product, I say so what?? If smith and wesson produced a gun that backfired once in a while, would you care if they got mad if you told someone about it? The truth hurts.
My point is that although it's difficult sometimes to discern fact from fiction, we should share our experiences with each other. And because we all get such different results, there is no need to argue about which bull this guy should use and which one he shouldn't. Just because super bull worked for me and didn't for you doesn't mean either of us is wrong. It just points to the variation that is to be expected in what we do.
