Welcome
 

horizontal rule

Justin, Bridget, Madison and Kari Kevin, Lynette, Kendra and Brekka Gabriel,  Shanon, Trenton and Teagan

   Hello from the TNT Simmental Ranch!  

     Welcome to our 25th annual bull sale. It doesn’t seem possible 25 years could fly by so fast. We have reached the point in our lives where our family is raised and realize right now, none of the kids want to continue in the seedstock business at the level we are currently at. Our son Justin and daughter Kendra both work on the ranch with us. Justin would like to pursue a career other than ranching. Kendra has a real strong love for cattle and what we do, but she is not ready to make a lifelong commitment to it. The cattle and our business have always come first in our lives. As a family we had decided 10 years ago,  that when we reached  the 25th sale, either some of the kids would be ready to start taking over, or Lynette and I would be ready to cut back. Originally, we were going to disperse the registered cows and go commercial; however I realized I am not ready to do that yet. I truly have a passion for this business, and love breeding cattle and the never ending pursuit to try to make them better.

This will be our last live auction sale, however I want everyone to know we are not getting out of the seedstock business. This past fall, we had a private treaty, major herd reduction sale. We sold 290 cows and now have 230 left to calf this spring. They are mainly 1st, 2nd and 3rd calvers, of which most are carrying bull calves. Next year we should be selling about 100 bulls and 150 bred heifers and young cows. We don’t have all the details worked out yet, but we still plan to have a catalog, DVD, feeding, fertility testing, delivery etc., like we’ve always done. They will just be sold in more of a silent auction format. I simply want to do what I enjoy most to make a living, but have more time for family and friends. One of our greatest blessings over the past 25 years is the wonderful people we have met, and the dear friends we have made in this business. We hope to continue to serve as many of you as possible, for several years to come.

We had a wonderful year in 2009, timely rains, lots of grass, and an excellent hay crop. We did creep the calves with 2/3 soy hull pellets and 1/3 gluten pellets.  We weaned the first part of September. They were on Headstart 70 for 4 days and then right onto a total mixed ration. They are currently receiving 2.5lbs of dry distillers, 2.5 lbs of peas, and 9lbs of corn screening, one pound of liquid supplement, 6lbs of chopped hay and 21 lbs of corn silage.  We feel feeding the bulls a high roughage growing ration like this, insures soundness, longevity, and fertility. The bulls are split into two pens, one red and one black, to try to cut down on riding and injuries.  Plus it has made it more convenient when people come to look. They are both very big pens, allowing them to get a lot of exercise, helping in their development. 

The past several years we have been selling around 100 cows and keeping that many replacements back into our herd.  This keeps our cowherd young, with some of the most up to date genetics.  Our entire cowherd is now several generations solid colored, smaller framed, and even easier fleshing.  Normally we graze our cows out until mid December. This has all been done without sacrificing performance.  This is something we are very proud of. We want cows that can calve easy, hold their condition, breed back early, and still raise a big calf. We have had many favorable comments from customers on the excellent daughters they are getting out of our bulls.

We have grown our Sim-Angus program, on both the sire and the dam side, long enough to get a feel for their value. We were concerned about how consistent and predictable they would be.  If you cut me I’d bleed Simmental blood and feel there will always be a demand for the purebreds.  We have spent a lot of time researching the Angus and Red Angus breeds and truly feel when you cross the best of both breeds; Simmental with Angus or Red Angus, very few purebreds of either breed can compete.  We are every bit impressed with our ¼ bloods and ¾ bloods.  They are proving to be extremely predictable.

With the uncertainly in our economy and the extreme movements in our markets it’s nice to know we are producing a product that’s in demand. Sim influenced, primarily Sim-Angus black or red, are some of the most sought after in sale barns and by order buyers, not only for placements in feedlots but also for replacements in cowherds. This is the strongest demand that we have seen since we have been in business. Simmental x Angus or Red Angus cattle can and do deliver a higher percentage of choice yield grade 1 and 2 carcasses than any other popular crossbred or straight bred. We are going to work hard with the help of the American Simmental Association to help our customer’s market cattle into feedlots wanting to take advantage of these premiums. I feel the residual effects will be amazing. The opportunity to simultaneously get premiums and reduce production cost by feeding high performance, efficient, Simmental x Angus will no doubt create its own demand.  You can also take advantage of SimList to list your Simmental influenced feeder cattle free of charge. Just go to www.simchoice.net

This is truly the thickest, deepest, best set of bulls we have ever offered from end to end.  You’ll see our high standard of quality from the first to the very last bull in the sale. We invite everyone to come to the ranch to view the cattle and see the way we manage our herd. We are very proud of our cattle, and feel you will be proud of “The Explosive Difference” they will make for you. Thanks so much for your interest. Hope to see you Friday the 12th!                                                                              Sincerely, Kevin, Lynette & family

horizontal rule

Home Up On The Ranch Sale Results Links