When selecting a bull, you want a bull who will add value to your operation, but the bull and his progeny must also be able to survive and thrive in the environment within your fences. So how do you choose the right bull?

Now is the time when producers are sorting through bull catalogs, tabbing pages and attending bull sales to purchase their next herd sire(s) for the coming breeding season.

Genomics has become one of the most powerful tools in the cattle industry over the last decade, but the technology is often misunderstood. The goal here is to help dispel some myths and confusion around the use of genomics.

While statistically, most mature bulls, year in and year out, are going to be satisfactory breeders, if you're on the wrong side of those numbers and you bet wrong on that gamble, it can have a huge impact on your bottom line.

In the past, the process of acquiring a new herd bull likely included the scouring of a local newspaper, visiting a neighbor or attending a nearby auction sale. The bill of sale’s fine print may or may not have detailed the requirements and results of a semen test.

Maternal traits have been the core consideration for cow-calf producers when making breeding decisions and for good reason. The cow is the engine of productivity at the producer level.

Spring Cove Ranch, owned and operated by the Art and Stacy Butler family in Bliss for over a century, continues to etch its name in Idaho’s agricultural history.

As the winter frost melts and ranchers catch up on sleep after bringing new calves into the world, nature welcomes spring. Breeding season is not far away, and bull sales are an opportunity for ranchers and livestock producers to upgrade their genetics.

“The U.S. beef cow herd is the smallest since the 1950s,” says John Hall, a professor and extension beef specialist at the University of Idaho. In light of this, both those buying and selling bulls will feel the effects.