How We Buy Bulls (And Why We Switch Between Angus & Hereford)

Buying bulls is one of those things that can feel overwhelming — even if you’ve been in the cattle business your whole life.

There’s a million opinions, a million numbers, and everybody swears their way is the only right way.

So I’ll start with this: we don’t have all the answers. We’re not claiming to have the perfect system. But after years of trial and error, we’ve developed a method that works for our environment, our cows, and our goals.

And I figured it might be helpful to share how we approach it.

Our Goal: Build Great Mother Cows

The foundation of our program is simple:

We want easy-fleshing, maternal, moderate-framed, docile mother cows.

Steers are honestly just a happy byproduct for us.

If our cows can stay in good condition, breed back, calve unassisted, and raise a good calf year after year — then we’re winning.

Why We Switch Between Angus & Hereford

Every few years, we rotate between Hereford and Angus bulls.

The reason is pretty straightforward:

We want Black Baldies.

When you cross two breeds like Angus and Hereford, you tap into what’s called hybrid vigor — and that advantage is hard to ignore.

Hybrid vigor can bring:

• Better weaning weights

• Stronger calves at birth

• Improved overall vigor

• Less sickness and better immune response

• Better parasite resistance

• Increased fertility and longevity

There’s a lot of upside when you crossbreed correctly.

But where people sometimes get confused is this:

How do you pick bulls when you’re constantly switching back and forth?

Here’s what we look at.

1. We Start With the Numbers: BW, WW, and Yearling Weight

The first thing we evaluate is performance data:

• Birth Weight (BW)

• Weaning Weight (WW)

• Yearling Weight (YW)

We try to keep these numbers fairly consistent across our herd over time.

Now, we do factor in birthdate — because a January calf is obviously going to weigh more at weaning than a May calf. That’s just reality.

But roughly speaking, our ideal calf is:

• 80–85 lb birthweight

• 600–650 lb weaning weight (for a March–April born calf)

Why those numbers?

Because our long-term goal is this:

We want our cows to wean at least 50% of their body weight.

We’ve worked hard to dial our cow size back and keep them moderate. We don’t want giant, hard-keeping cows.

Our cows average around 1200 pounds, and we’d like them to stay in that range — ideally around a frame score 4 to 4.5.

Moderate cows that can raise heavy calves are what make a program efficient.

2. EPDs Matter… But They Aren’t the Whole Story

Yes, we look at EPDs.

We do consider them, and we do use them as part of our decision-making.

But for us, EPDs are not the end-all be-all.

They are a guideline — a suggestion — not a guarantee.

We still believe you have to use common sense and look at the whole picture.

A quick note on Hereford vs Angus EPDs

One thing people forget is that Hereford EPDs do not directly compare to Angus EPDs.

They’re calculated differently within each breed, so you can’t always line them up side by side without adjusting your expectations.

We always prioritize calving ease

Whether we’re shopping for a “cow bull” or a “heifer bull,” we still like to see good calving ease.

If something is way off on the numbers, we will avoid it.

But overall, we treat EPDs as a tool — not a final answer.

3. Then We Look at Phenotype (Because Looks Still Matter)

After the numbers, we look at the bull himself.

We want a bull that fits the “type” we’re building.

We ask:

Does this bull match the look and structure we want to stamp into our herd?

We like a bull that is:

• Masculine

• Long-bodied

• Deep-sided

• Good footed

• Able to travel

• Built for longevity

Because at the end of the day, a bull doesn’t make money sitting in the pen.

He has to hold up, cover ground, and work.

And we are picky about masculinity

This is one of our biggest deal breakers.

We want a masculine bull because:

A masculine bull makes feminine cows.

And feminine cows tend to be:

• More maternal

• Easier fleshing

• Better uddered

• Better doing cows overall

A pretty cow is nice.

But a functional, productive cow is priceless.

4. We Study the Cow Herd He Came From

This is a big one for us, and honestly it’s something I think gets overlooked.

We don’t just look at the bull.

We look at the program that produced him.

We want to know:

• What kind of environment was he raised in?

• What do their cows look like?

• What are they selecting for?

And if we can, we love to see the dam.

We love seeing the dam

If the bull’s mother is available to look at, we’re paying attention.

Because the dam tells you a lot about what that bull is going to make.

We ask ourselves:

Is she our kind of cow?

If we bought her tomorrow, would she fit right into our herd?

If the answer is yes, that bull moves up the list fast.

Because at the end of the day, we aren’t just buying a bull…

We’re buying the cow herd behind him.

5. One of the Best Pieces of Advice We’ve Ever Gotten: “Buy the Fleshiest One”

This is probably some of the best bull-buying advice I’ve ever been given:

“Look for the fleshiest bull in the pen.”

And it stuck with me.

Because sale bulls are often on heavy feedlot rations to really pump them up and get them growing.

Not only so they can be big enough to cover cows as yearlings — but also so they look their best on sale day.

So with that in mind…

We aren’t looking for the biggest bull.

We’re looking for the one that’s converting feed into flesh.

We look for the fattest boy in the pen.

Not the biggest.

The fattest.

The one that looks like he’s got extra, the one that jiggles when he walks because he’s so easy fleshing.

Because that bull is proving something important:

He is converting those high-powered rations into performance.

And for our program, easy fleshing is one of the most valuable traits we can select for.

Final Thoughts

There are plenty of ways to buy bulls and build a herd.

This is just how we do it.

We aren’t chasing extremes, and we aren’t chasing trends.

We’re chasing good cows:

• cows that stay sound

• cows that breed back

• cows that calve easy

• cows that raise a calf every year

• cows that thrive in our environment without being babied

And switching between Hereford and Angus has helped us build exactly that.

Because when you combine good genetics with hybrid vigor, the results can be hard to beat.