Podcast Summary: "What Has To Hit Your Checklist This Bull Buying Season"

Podcast: Ranch It Up Radio Show & Podcast
Hosts: Jeff “Tigger” Erhardt & Rebecca “BEC” Wanner
Date: February 1, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the must-have checklist for bull buying season, focusing on critical considerations from bull development and adaptability to customer service and feeder calf marketing. The hosts, Tigger and BEC, interview producers and industry experts—including Travis Wolfe of Clear Springs Cattle Company and Chad Ellingson of Ellingson Angus—and deliver timely advice for ranchers facing harsh winter conditions and a busy cattle sale season.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Adapting Bulls for All Environments

Guest: Travis Wolfe, Clear Springs Cattle Company
Timestamps: 02:33–08:25

• Nationwide Customer Base:

  • The Clear Springs program sends bulls from harsh northern climates to the southern lowlands.
  • Travis notes, “We’re spread all across the country. We don’t live in the heart of cattle country like a lot of bull producers do...been very happy with how the bulls have gone to every different environment you can imagine.” (02:39)

• Bull Selection by Region:

  • Certain bull traits (coat type, performance) are better suited to specific climates.
  • “There’s a handful of bulls… that need to stay in the north. Then there’s bulls that’ll slick off real well for the south...I enjoy helping people pick out bulls to fit their environment.” (02:57)

• Development Philosophy:

  • Bulls are not “pushed hard”—target is 3.5 pounds gain/day, focusing on proper conditioning, not excess fat.
  • “They’re not fat, but yet they still look the part. They’re masculine. That’s a huge part of being able to go out and breed cows in every environment.” (03:38)
  • Minimal changes to diet in winter; focus on high roughage for internal warmth rather than adding energy-dense feed. (04:29)

• Facilities & Winter Care:

  • Investment in a monoslope building for protection during extreme weather, but bulls are pastured as long as possible for hardiness.
  • “We leave them bulls out on pasture...after Thanksgiving is typically when we bring them in. They really only spend a couple of months...in that barn.” (05:52)
  • Facilities and diligent bedding mean frostbite on bulls’ testicles has not been an issue. (04:53)

• Transitioning Bulls to New Homes:

  • Bulls are acclimated before sale, with southern deliveries prioritized earlier in the season.
  • “A lot of those guys really appreciate that, that they can wait till end of March 1st April to get them bulls home...they still get out there and know how to handle the elements.” (06:29)

• Online Q&A Opportunity:

  • Clear Springs will host a live Q&A, “Bread for Balance bull chat,” for buyers to ask about genetics and development. (07:53)
  • “I’ll just be there to answer some questions, kind of talk about the development of the bulls and you know, a few things that are going on in the industry.” (07:56)

2. Elevating Seedstock Provider Expectations

Host Commentary:
Timestamps: 08:25–11:50

• Beyond Bull Quality:

  • The best providers do more than sell bulls—they help market and place the resulting feeder calves.
  • “Those that can help in placing and marketing feeder cattle out of their bulls and out of their genetics—those are the outfits that hold more weight for me.” (09:40)

• Sale Announcements:

  • Clear Springs “Bread for Balance” sale: Feb 13, Starbuck, MN (08:25)
  • Ellingson Angus “Real World Genetics” sale: Feb 7, St. Anthony, ND (11:25)

3. Helping Commercial Customers Succeed – Ellingson Angus Approach

Guest: Chad Ellingson, Ellingson Angus
Timestamps: 11:50–19:01

• Year-Round Customer Support:

  • Ellingson Angus connects buyers’ feeder calves to feedlots, often bidding for or placing calves themselves.
  • “We feel like our customers' sale days should be just as important as our bull sale day. They have a sale once a year and we try to put as much attention to that as we’d want them to put to our sale.” (13:14)
  • Commitment to assisting with replacement heifer/bred heifer marketing as well.

• Scale & Scope of Sale:

  • Over 600 yearling replacement heifers, 250 bred females, and 50 three-year-olds sell alongside bulls.
  • These females are sought after and shipped across the nation, not just locally. (14:37)
  • “We’ve sent those females all across America...they’re sought after across the nation.” (15:09)

• Emphasis on Genetics & Consistency:

  • Two-thirds of sale bulls are out of top 25 cows via embryo transfer; offers buyers large, uniform sire groups for consistent calf crops.
  • “We’re mass multiplying those very best cows and that’s how we get to the number we’re at—providing a consistent group of bulls from the first bull to the 350th.” (16:54)
  • “We want to offer them so they can come and purchase their bull battery and be consistent bulls when they get that calf crop out.” (18:36)

4. Market Recap with Kirk Donsbach

Market Update: Kirk Donsbach, Stonex Financial
Timestamps: 22:05–24:39

• Feeder and Live Cattle Markets:

  • March feeder futures: 360, up $3.85; Feb live cattle: $234.92, up $2.85
  • Slightly bullish report with placement numbers exceeding expectations, but overall a neutral outlook.

• Beef Imports and Trade Challenges:

  • Noted uptick in beef imports; cautioned listeners about trade deals that may “not be going in our favor.” (23:45)
  • “Definitely pay attention to beef imports as we go forward.” (24:22)

• Corn:

  • March closed at 4.30¾, clawing back losses after USDA report.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Travis Wolfe on Bull Adaptability:
  • “These cattle are really well adapted to many different environments. The way we manage the cattle I think helps that as well.” (02:33)
• Travis Wolfe on Buyer Support:
  • “If you just give me a call, we can talk about that. I enjoy helping people pick out the bulls that are going to fit their environment.” (02:59)
• Chad Ellingson on Customer Care:
  • “We try to work with them 365 days a year.” (13:49)
• Tigger on Seedstock Providers:
  • “Those that can help in placing and marketing feeder cattle out of their bulls and out of their genetics—those are the outfits that hold more weight for me.” (09:40)
• Chad Ellingson on Consistency:
  • “We want to offer them so they can come and purchase their bull battery and be consistent bulls when they get that calf crop out of them.” (18:36)
• Kirk Donsbach on Trade and Imports:
  • “A lot of these trade deals are not going in our favor...definitely pay attention to beef imports as we go forward.” (24:22)

Important Timestamps for Key Segments

• Bull Development & Winter Care—Travis Wolfe: 02:33–08:25
• Bull Selection, Service Beyond Sale: 08:25–11:50
• Calf & Female Placement, Ellingson Angus—Chad Ellingson: 11:50–19:01
• Market Update—Kirk Donsbach: 22:05–24:39

Takeaways for Ranchers

• Environment matters: Tailor bull selection to your environment and management style, and work with suppliers who’ll help you make the right match.
• Look past the genetics: Top providers offer customer service beyond the bull sale—especially with placement and marketing of your calves.
• Live Q&As and sale previews are valuable: Take advantage of pre-sale events to ask tough questions about development, adaptability, and support.
• Pay attention to markets and trade: Stay informed about feeder and live cattle trends, and keep an eye on beef imports and trade policy impacts.

For more information, sale catalogs, and Q&A registrations, visit:

• ranchchannel.com
• Bread4Balance.com
• ellingsonangus.com

Contact the hosts at: ranchituphowmail.com
Or follow on Facebook: @ranchitupshow

Stay ranchy and Ranch it Up!