Just reading the latest newsletter from Pharo cattle.  I was amazed at this statement so thought I would ask the combined experience here if it is really the case. According to the newsletter, purchased bulls are such high maintenance and a poor fit for the environment that two thirds will fail in the first year and need replacing.

I can understand the odd bull falling apart but I cant believe breeders are getting it that wrong that 2/3 are not lasting. Maybe our industry is different here being more grass based year round but I find it really hard to believe the figures could be that bad. Seems like an extraordinary figure to quote. Would anyone like to comment on the situation?

 The number one complaint is that most of the bulls they purchase melt and fall apart when they are taken home and put to work.   Only one-third of the bulls will last long enough to have a second breeding season. 

I attached the article below if you wish to read it. (From Pharo Cattle Company Fall 2020 Newsletter) 

Tired of Buying Bulls that Fall Apart?

Over the years, we have visited with thousands of cow-calf producers. With very few exceptions, everyone’s primary concern has been with bulls that melt and fall apart when they are taken home. If you have been in the cow-calf business for a few years, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.

 Part of the problem is a genetic problem. Most bull producers are selecting for more and more pounds per animal (bragging rights) at the expense of more pounds per acre (profit). Consequently, they have high-maintenance cows that require a lot of extra feed and pampering to stay in production. The sons of those cows have the same high-maintenance genetics. They are not designed to get by in a real-world ranch environment. They require extra feed and care.

 The other part of the problem is the way the bulls have been developed. Fat bulls are easy to sell. With enough high-energy feed, nearly all bulls can get fat — even the high-maintenance bulls most bull producers raise. The trouble with overfed, overfat bulls is they have nowhere to go but backwards when turned out in the real world. What most bull producers are doing to get a bull ready to go to work is the same as getting a long-distance runner ready for a marathon by setting him in front of the television and feeding him nothing but donuts for four months.

When you think about it… it’s amazing the overfed, high-maintenance bulls most bull producers sell get any work done their first year. Truth be known, many bulls are unable to finish their first breeding season. I’ve heard that only one out of three bulls last long enough to have a second breeding season. With the high cost of bulls, that is totally unacceptable!

Pharo Cattle Company is different for all the right reasons! We have always focused on producing cattle with the genetics you need to increase your pounds and profit per acre. It doesn't matter how big your cattle are if they’re not profitable! For over 30 years, we have focused on low-maintenance cattle that can do the most for the least — in ALL environments! While most bull producers artificially change the environment to fit their cows, we produce cows that fit their environment. The right size and type of cows require very little in the way of outside inputs.

Pharo Cattle Company has been developing bulls on grass for the last 24 years — which is longer than most bull producers have been in business. Developing bulls on grass quickly separates the men from the boys. You can’t do that when you develop bulls on grain. Even the most mediocre bull can look good (for a while) if fed enough grain. Because of the way our bulls have been bred and developed, they can breed more cows for more years than bulls coming out of other programs. What’s a bull worth that can breed twice as many cows for twice as many years? He is worth a whole lot more than you will ever have to pay for him.