It is with pleasure we present our bulls in this 47th Annual Production Sale. We believe we are offering the kind of bulls that will work in your herd, and we hope you will continue to return for more of our production. Our business is based on long-term, satisfied return customers, and we guarantee satisfaction with every bull you purchase…the best guarantee in the business.
Our cowherd started over 50 years ago, in 1962, with bloodlines from the Michaelis Ranch, the first breeders of Charolais in the U.S. (1934). The most proven bloodlines in the Breed are represented in our pedigrees for many generations. Our sires are selected from bulls proven superior on the Canadian Conception-to-Consumer Test and Sire Evaluation Test in all traits from ease of calving to superior growth and carcass traits. We keep extensive performance records including birth weights for every calf born since 1962. Our cows are culled for ease of calving, fertility, milk and mothering ability, as well as production index of her calves. We firmly believe in using the scales to verify our quality, production, and genetic progress.
Our number-one consideration in producing bulls for our customers is ease of calving. A bull that can calve without problems in any cowherd, out on the range, fits this definition. We realize that a calf must be born alive to attain fantastic weaning and yearling weights. Only if they are born alive are we able to performance test and identify the superior-performing individuals. Our bulls are documented to out-perform other breeds in feedlot gain, feed efficiency, and carcass quality. Commercial cattlemen gain a bonus explosion of hybrid vigor and pounds through cross-breeding. Our cattle are fully guaranteed and we stand behind them.
Due to their maturity and semen capacity, you can expect our two-year-old bulls to breed more cows earlier in the breeding season, adding 50 to 100 pounds of weaning weight for each calf as a result of earlier birthdates. Feeding out these calves will produce faster and more efficient gains, plus a bigger and higher yielding carcass. The documented superior feed efficiency of our genetics is a major consideration for feeders due to today’s high corn prices. Success in the cattle business is all about: live calves at birth with no calving problems; high weaning weights at selling time; good, efficient, and faster gains in the feedlot; and a high-yielding carcass for the packer to produce wholesome tender lean cuts of meat for the consumer. Charolais does this best and our bulls lead the Breed!
Years of research and testing confirm that high-yielding, lean carcasses cannot be produced any better than by Charolais-sired calves. Demand for these calves remains high, at any size, age or market across the nation. Charolais was the first breed imported from Europe, specifically for their ability to produce a bigger, leaner and better carcass from the Hereford and Angus cattle in the U.S. Valley View Charolais Ranch bulls are the modern meat-type producers demanded by today's industry.
Carcass quality is not a new trait for our bulls. Valley View Charolais Ranch bulls have sired Montana Steer of Merit Carcass Champions for over 25 years. In 1986 the Montana Steer of Merit Carcass Champion was sired by a VVCR bull. This steer topped 836 entries from every carcass contest held across the state. He graded choice, with .15 inches of backfat, a 17-inch rib-eye and over 60{18648621dc58566f60964eb5074c58f5f97501fe95033d5d25ee4862e704a74a} cutability. He was over 1/2 inch larger rib-eye and more than 5{18648621dc58566f60964eb5074c58f5f97501fe95033d5d25ee4862e704a74a} higher cutability than the next best and reserve champion steer. Our recent carcass data continues to demonstrate and verify our long history of superior carcass-quality sires.
Through our genetic selection we have proven: (1) there is no reason to have calving problems; (2) our bulls remain sound through old age; (3) Charolais-cross cows make excellent mothers; and (4) nothing is sacrificed producing a polled bull. Our Females are the foundation lines of several top Charolais herds across the nation, from New York to California and Canada to Texas. We have also exported females to other countries with great reception. While our primary business is producing bulls for cross-breeding in commercial herds, we also sell bulls that lead top Charolais Herds nation-wide. Our bulls have been used at the U.S. Range Livestock Research Center at Miles City in various research projects, including a closed breed developed there. We are convinced you will benefit from our balanced breeding program and meet all of your goals.
It is very gratifying to observe the progress our herd has achieved through selection and culling. Our breeding program remains very practical and middle-of-theroad, and is based on superior genetics instead of big feed rations. The bulls offered today are “Only the Best” bulls of our 2013 calf crop. The top end has not been saved nor previously sold. This is the entire calf crop after two years of rigid culling. They have been screened for fertility, performance, conformation, pedigree and soundness. Each is semen tested and guaranteed to be a sound breeding bull.
Our bulls are raised under practical range conditions, nursing their mothers with no creep feeding. After weaning, they are on a high-roughage ration for growing during the winter; then on to range pasture May to December. This matures them under the practical range conditions they will face the rest of their lives—NOT having over-fed them in feedlot confinement. They are never pushed on feed, just conditioned to be in optimum breeding condition for you. Without question, we could have fattened the bulls to make them bigger today. But we know these athletically fit bulls will perform better than fat bulls. We are more focused on how a bull performs and produces for many years of service, instead of how big and fat we can get him. We believe in allowing our bulls to grow and mature like breeding bulls should, in a normal, feasible and economical manner. Our bull-lot is a row of bunks in a 40-acre pasture where the bulls are given plenty of room for exercise. Because of our practical manner of growing bulls, it is rare for one to go unsound in your breeding pasture.
We have great confidence in these two-year-old bulls, and are certain we have eliminated any bull with even very minor problems during our two years of selection and culling. We guarantee them to please you in every way so you will return for more bulls in future years. We welcome you to visit any time and hope to always have something new and progressive to show you as well as a warm welcome.
BUDDY WESTPHAL
