The Thorbardin Ranch Bull Test
BiddingOnline/Phone bidding has now started on the bulls in the test. To bid, please email thorbardin@starband.net or call toll-free 877.684.5633 giving your name, test bull number and the amount you are bidding. If you are placing a phone bid and we do not answer, please leave a message. Bidding will end on April 26th at 7:00 p.m. Mountain Time. |
Thorbardin begins its 5th Annual Performance Testing program for the Highland breeders and other cattlemen. With the change in the format, especially on the sale side and that Thorbardin Ranch is no longer limited to entering 4 bulls, there is a marked change in the entries of the testing program this year. After a couple week warm up period. Testing began on December 2nd , 2004 .
There are a total of 63 bulls entered into this year's testing program. There is a warm-up period, which allows the bulls to acclimate and to get over the shrinkage from the trip to Laramie. The bulls are fed free-choice Moormans mineral plus a high protein growing ration consisting of ground hay and whole oats. Brewer pellets used in previous years are no longer available.
Of the bulls entered, there are a total of 39 Highland bulls with the majority of them being registerable. There are 15 Highland composite bulls. There are 7 club calf bulls that are composites. There is one registered Hereford bull along with 1 commercial bulls with various breed compositions. These Highland composites are truly remarkable in showing the hybrid vigor that a commercial cattleman can achieve using a Highland animal while maintaining calving ease and other very important Highland traits.
Weights will be taken every 28-days throughout the test. All the bulls will be ultrasound measured for marbling, ribeye area, along with back fat. Most importantly the bulls will be fertility tested by the veterinarian to insure that all bulls sold are fertile and usable from the start.
The testing begins on December 2, 2004 and finishes with the final weight on April 3, 2005. There will be an on-line auction (semi-real time) starting in late March and finishing up on the third week of April. There will be minimum bids for both registered Highlands and commercial bulls. Bulls will be picked up the first weekend in May.
March 24 2005 was the fourth 28-day weigh period for the Thorbardin Ranch 5th Annual Bull Test which officially started on December 2, 2004 with the initial weighing of all the bulls entered into the test. All the bulls are healthy and are starting to fill out, looking quite good. Top gaining Highland bulls were TCL Romeo Red gaining 4.1 lbs per day followed by TBR Ranger at 3.8 lbs per day. The overall top gaining bulls was a Highland composites and the top two were embryo flush mates TBR 4764 gaining 4.3 per day. The weather has been erratic with wild swings in temperatures. We would also like to see more consistency in the gains across the board for the entire group. It seems like that bulls that do exceptional one period, slack off next period. Pictures will shortly be posted for viewing. |
February 24, 2005 was the third 28-day weigh period for the Thorbardin Ranch 5th Annual Bull Test which officially started on December 2, 2004 with the initial weighing of all the bulls entered into the test. All the bulls are healthy and are starting to fill out, looking quite good. Top gaining Highland bulls were TBR Rice gaining 3.5 lbs per day followed by TBR Remembrance at 2.9 lbs per day. The overall top gaining bulls were Highland composites and the top two were embryo flush mates TBR 4313 and TBR 4226 gaining 4.2 and 4.0 lbs per day respectively. As we enter spring, the warmer weather should allow these bulls to really start pushing and growing. To date, the weather has been fairly kind to the bulls with cold nights and the normal Laramie winds, but nothing too exceptionally harsh. Thorbardin pulled a few of its own bulls to halter break during
this last period. The following bulls had their performance negatively
impacted as a result, TBR 4388, TBR 4854, TBR 4264, TBR 4974, and
TBR 4821. |
January 27, 2005 was the second 28-day weigh period for the Thorbardin Ranch 5th Annual Bull Test which officially started on December 2, 2004 with the initial weighing of all the bulls entered into the test. Still following tradition, bulls that gain well in one period normally slow in the next and this was no different. Top gaining bulls in the period were TBR Rodeo gaining 2.8 pounds per day during the period, followed closely by Prairie Red Oak Sonny entered by Fountain Prairie Farms from Fall River, Wisconsin at 2.6 pounds per day. Top gaining Highland composite was TBR ET 4762 sired by one of
the most popular Angus bulls CA Future Direction gaining 4.0 pounds
per day. He was followed by TBR 4193 and Talbott 4058 both at 3.7
pounds per day. |
December 30, 2004 was the first 28-day weigh period for the Thorbardin Ranch 5th Annual Bull Test which officially started on December 2, 2004 with the initial weighing of all the bulls entered into the test. The majority of the bulls went through the warm-up period with no problems, a few bulls were doctored and are now doing fine. Top gaining bulls in the period were Rohan of Five Star Farms gaining 2.6 pounds per day during the period, followed closely by a black bull entered by LEA-White Farms at 2.3 pounds per day. The weather played a key part in a number of bulls barely holding their own. The winds have been blowing consistently on a daily basis and temperatures have already hit a minus 20°F once before Christmas. During the course of the test, the bulls will be weighed every 28-days from now through end of April 2005 when the test is finished. It is important to realize during these periods that bulls typically do not grow in a consistent fashion. A bull doing good or poor for a given period is not indicative of the overall quality of the animal. It is also very important to realize that these animals will drink between 4-8 gallons per day of water and that each gallon of water weighs 8.3 lbs. Some bulls are more fortunate than others in their timing when they drink and eat. However, during the course of the test, these items tend to balance out and where an animal may be a high gainer for one period; it may come back down quite a bit for the next. The Highland breed is starting to produce some outstanding bulls
that are slowly competing with the non-highland breeds and with
the composites. Composite bulls have the natural advantage of hybrid
vigor by combining two different breeds. There are a number of
high quality bulls based on conformation and disposition in this
test. It will be a very good test this year. |