It’s easy to spot the ranch manager type:
Smart, yet down to earth.
Ranchy, yet professional.
They may be dressed in nice khakis when you see them at the cattle raisers convention, but you know they’d honestly rather be out there in the working pens in their dirty boots and cowboy hat, putting in an honest days work.
They’re usually men and women of few words, because they care more about action than empty talk. And, they aren’t easily tricked or confused — they have the experience to recognize double talk when they hear it. Be honest with them, be fair, and you’ll have a friend for life.
Here in the south, a lot of ranch managers like using Brahman bulls and females in the operations they run. Why? Because the ranch manager is often just as business smart as they are cow-smart. They know that at the end of the day, the ranch they are working for has to be profitable. And, when they buy cattle for their operation, they are also putting their name on the line by recommending cattle to the ranch owner.
We are very thankful to have developed relationships with ranch managers across south Texas, north Texas, west Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Florida and Georgia to supply Brahman bulls and females to be used in their ranching operations. And from these ranch manager’s feedback, here are the reasons ranch managers like using Brahman bulls.
1. The hybrid vigor.
Using a Brahman bull in a crossbreeding program provides the ultimate heterosis or hybrid vigor. Quite simply, it means more pounds. More pounds translates to more money in the rancher’s pocket – since most beef producers get paid by the pound. If you’re a ranch manager who measures things like average weaning weight of your calf crop, integrating Brahman genetics can make that number take a big jump.
2. The heat tolerance, especially in the gulf coast.
There is NOTHING more annoying to a rancher than when they have cows in heat and their bull is laying under a shade tree with his tongue hanging out because it’s 90 degrees and they can’t take it. Or, their bull is lounging in a pond trying to get cool. A bull that won’t breed his cows is one of the biggest expenses a rancher can face. No bulls breeding means no calves which means no income. Brahman cattle are made to withstand the heat. They are able to adapt to a variety of environments whether it’s the Louisiana marsh, or the Florida ranching country, or south Texas, to get their job done. High fertility means more cows bred which means more calves and more money in the rancher’s pocket.
3. Alert, but docile dispositions.
That’s actually how our breed standard of excellence describes the ideal Brahman disposition: alert, but docile. I’ve also been around breeds that are dead heads, and trust me, a Brahman isn’t that. A Brahman disposition is gentle, and easy handling, but aware of their surroundings and environment. Why does the “alert” part mean something? Well, ya’ll have hog problems where you live? Coyote problems? Snake problems? Gator problems? We have literally shipped Brahman bulls to the Amazon before. Y’all heard of nature’s survival of the fittest? Try having an anaconda or a tiger in your pasture. A Brahman bull is a survivor. They can sense and outwit predators. Yet, you still want a bull that is going to be easy to pen, easy to gather up, and not run you up a fence.
We select for easy-handling dispositions, and know our bulls first hand. If a bull is going to snort at you, we know it. If you need a bull that is going to be a puppy dog, we know those too. We know it, because we live it. At BRC, we aren’t inside laying on the couch playing on our phones all day while the ranch hands are out there doing the work – we are right there with them. This means when you ask about a bull’s disposition, we are going to tell you the truth and help match the best bull for your environment.
4. Longer years of breeding
While Brahmans are later maturing, meaning you need to put a bull out with a light load while he’s less than 3 years old – they live longer, and hold up longer compared to other breeds. So you get longer years of service from the bull – meaning you don’t have to replace bulls as often. This longevity means more profit for the rancher.
5. They look good.
Hey, it’s the truth! Nobody wants a shabby looking bull! You put a Brahman in your pasture and that bull is going to be putting off the vibe like “I am a king.” And a Brahman bull is a king, especially when he comes from BRC. Our cattle carry some of the most prestigious bloodlines of the Brahman breed, dating back to original cattle imported from India and Brazil to start the breed. They’re studs and they know it.
6. But they can back it up with numbers and genomics.
BRC offers more data on their Brahman sale bulls than any other operation in the USA – including genomically enhanced EPDs and two custom developed indexes using actual data from our customers over a 10 year period. We try to stay up with trends of other breeds. When other breeds introduced single-step, we were kinda jealous. When other breeds introduced genomically enhanced EPDs which really improve the accuracy, we were jealous. Heck, we are even jealous of the Simmental’s BOLT program for a multi-bred EPD. We’re working on that too though and will have that coming soon! We love a good looking bull but that bull has got to have something to back him up. Yes, we get made fun of by “show people” because of our fascination with data and genomics. But when people buy from us, we want to give them every possible tool to make a wise investment. Our customers are worth it and we will never apologize for wanting to provide our customers more.
7. Brahman bulls require less inputs.
In addition to their adaptability, Brahman bulls are rugged, hardy, withstand insects, withstand droughts, and can make it on forage that other bulls just quite simply can’t. And at BRC, we don’t baby our bulls. They are developed primarily on grass, then with Purina Limiter, so the bulls harden up and won’t melt. We also don’t trim feet on our sale bulls to mask problems that will later creep up and cause problems. We want our bulls to be problem free, and working with BRC to be problem-free.
8. Good carcass quality – YES, you read that right.
As a whole, the Brahman breed has a bad wrap for carcass quality. But can you imagine the gulf coast beef industry if Brahman cattle could thrive in the coastal conditions but ALSO consistently grade Choice? Or one day: PRIME. It’s happening. We’re on our way. And it’s happening with BRC. We started measuring for carcass quality about ten years ago, and made great strides. So many strides in fact that we now have our own 100% Brahman branded beef program. If this is something that matters to you, we have years of carcass data to help find a bull for you that will accomplish your goals.
9. They are affordable, especially for the value they bring.
Brahman cattle are in high demand, but you don’t have to break the bank to find good ones. BRC believes in fair and transparent pricing of our cattle. We aren’t going to jack up the price 4x what the bull is actually worth just because we can. Our goal is repeat business. Relationships. Pricing that is satisfactory to us as the seller and you as the buyer. And ultimately, our goal is for YOU to flourish with our bulls. We want you to make a fast return on investment through your calves, and to be happy every time you see that bull in your pasture. And ultimately, come back to us when you need another bull.
If you’re a ranch manager who pays attention to detail and profit, let’s talk. We offer volume discounts for any customer who buys 3 or more bulls, and lots of other buyer incentives. Email us, or fill out our Buy a Brahman Bull quote to learn more. Or, read all about our commercial Brahman bulls for sale here.
If we can help you in anyway, we are here at your service.
