Kansas Bull Development was established in 2006. Located on the North edge of the flint hills we have access to some of the best prairie hay as well as productive farm ground to raise feed. We are committed to our customers and strive to do anything and everything to produce a premium product for them as well as any bull buyers. Our goal is ultimately to improve the overall beef industry by attaining as much data as possible for the seed stock producers. Our dedication to the care, safety and development of the animals along with their dedication to genetic selection, culling and marketing the best animals will result in a very positive end result. Positive end results trail down the line and impact everyone involved.
Development: What is bull development? Well we think a lot of this is answered under nutrition. Mainly because that is a big part of it. However, it takes a lot more than that. Nutrition is the biggest area that we can focus on at KBD. These elite seed stock producers have a big job also! Bull development actually starts before conception! It is required that good cow management along with herd health and culling practices can all aid in a true bull development that takes place gradually over a long period of time. Not just 80 days of feeding them all we can, that is not our belief at KBD.
Nutrition: KBD does not take nutrition lightly! We are constantly studying, listening and staying open to all thoughts and opinions throughout the beef industry. We firmly believe in developing the bulls on a high level of nutrition. Their requirements from 9 to 20 months are very high. With that said, we don't believe in putting them on a high level of energy or feeding them too much. The diets here always have balance and efficiency in mind. Our goal with the test is ultimately to produce a healthy, functional animal that will have longevity and again, impact the end result. The rations are designed for a 3.5 pound gain with an emphasis on forage quality and ruminant nutrition. This is the target level for 2 reasons: 1)We feel this is low enough to keep the back fat under .3 and high enough to attain a bull in working condition at 12 to 15 months of age. The area to focus on is still going to be nutrition from 12-15 to 20 months of age. This may be a misconception with some management practices. While it is true that a 2 year old bull can run on more cows and keep their condition better. It is also true that a yearling bull needs to run on less cows and still have supplement to their intake until they are 2. Regardless of the condition they started in, weather that would be .1 back fat(too thin), .2 to .3 backfat(just right) or .5 or greater(too fat). 2) There is a huge benefit to "comparing" these animals. That is basically what we do when we put 50 bulls in a pen and treat them all the same. The idea is not to see how much they will gain but to see the differences with in each pen. From here, we can see how the animals separate themselves. Ultimately, the end result is pounds. Weather the calf crop is sold of the cow or as a finished steers or heifers. We believe the goal for producers are to find the most efficient way to input the least amount of $ and sell the most pounds. With this program you can compare them on the Average Daily Gain, Structure, Soundness, SC, BSE, carcass results, temperament and more.
KANSAS BULL DEVELOPMENT
Brian & Megan Hagedorn
Ph 785.456.2722 Fax 785.456.2721
9760 Onaga Rd. - Wamego, KS 66547