Around the Chute

Navigating Bull Sales: Tips, Tricks and Trends

• Vince Santini • Episode 5

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In this episode, the hosts discuss various aspects of bull sales, including private treaty, consignment, and production sales. They delve into the benefits and challenges of each method, emphasizing the importance of advertising, customer relationships, and proper pricing. Personal anecdotes and practical tips are shared to help breeders make informed decisions. The hosts also express gratitude towards listeners and supporters, especially during tough personal times.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Alright, we're rolling. Everybody ready

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

David?

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

now. Call David. Hey everybody. Welcome to the, around the shoot. What have you guys been up to? Corbin? You've had nothing going on, have you?

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

No, we had a bull sail.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Did you,

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

We had us a

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

did, did your dad call David or what?

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

My dad had already called David. So this is a funny story and it's, it, it's worth repeating'cause it's one that I think we'll remember as long as I'll be alive, um, sitting up on the block because our auctioneer, Mark Sims, who did a really good job and I'm really thankful for him being there. About 30 minutes before the sale, he was like, Hey man, do you mind sitting up on the block and saying a few things about some of these bulls? Which, what would y'all do in that situation?

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Dude, you couldn't drag me up there to say anything.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

I feel like Joe would get up there and talk.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Joe does get up there and talk.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

I have

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

did this year.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

the first time. That's how it happened. The first time I did it, it was like 15, 30 minutes before he is like, Hey, uh, we're gonna need some help because it's the first time we've had a sale on a video and I don't have a video screen and I've scored some of these bulls, but somebody's gonna have to talk'em, do you have good notes? And I'm like,

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

None.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

I don't.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

None.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

None. But you know what? Your people want to hear from you. They want to hear from

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Don't you think y'all listened to it, if not all, but part of it? It, it was pretty natural doing it that

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

It was

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

it, there was no BS to it. It's not like I was gonna

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

I,

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

up there and read off EPDs because I literally didn't even have time to go find which ones I would've highlighted anyways. So it

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

dude,

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

from the soul, I guess you'd say.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

I would be up there projectile vomiting, just

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

okay. So

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

the crowd. It'd be terrible.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Back to the story

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

You yelled at your dad. That's the first thing I heard.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

I had, David Cray had called me before the sale and said, Hey, I wanna be on the phone. I don't wanna be online. I don't want to be on the phone with someone else. I wanna be on the phone. I said, okay, well, I'll handle you. Well then 30 minutes before the sale, I had to pass that off to somebody. And, um, I think we would all have our reservations about handing off an order to our dad. I mean, it's, it's not anything against him. It's just like, it's my dad, you know?

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

Oh, I've, I've handed off orders to a David before too, uh, it for, for 20 years now. uh, we've started out, you know, like, it it, if you prepare them though. And, and so what I do now, my dad's David Fisher online there, now my cover's blown. You guys see'em with horse air pictures in his breakfast and the rain in Paloma,

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

How would they have ever guessed that his last name is Fisher? After you said David? I mean, I think they'd have gotten that. He's gonna get berated now. He's gonna get so many friend requests.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

they're gonna slide into the dms like the algorithm.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Absolutely.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

Yeah, that'll come later. So, uh, so I just prep him. I just prep him and actually Corman my dad, which your dad can do the same now. Dad just calls those people an hour before the sale and establishes the relationship. And there's people, dad's been buying for, for 10, 15 years that are orders of mine, that know my dad. And it's a good relationship and knows that they're gonna treat it like it's his own. And he, he'll handle quite a few at our sale.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Well, and now, now I don't have to wonder, I had to, another guy he had to be on the phone with and oh, by the way, the other guy my dad had to be on the phone with is the coolest person you've ever met in your whole life. So picture, you know how like it's 2025 and we don't really wear cowboy outfits like we did in the 18 hundreds, whether you're wearing full leather and. You've got holes in your pants and it's like a burn hole.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Joe does

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Joe's pretty ranchy, but he's like, clean ranchy. This guy, like was, he had a goatee that was like six inches long and he, I, I shook his hand and his pinky did not move. So like I shook four fingers and the other one stayed in his hand. It was crazy. But this guy was freaking awesome and he bought, he bought two bulls and I got to meet him and my dad handled him on the phone. so, yeah,

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

came like the night before Corbin or something.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

he looked at the videos. I had talked to him four or five times separately. He was, I'll tell you what, he was scared he was gonna get sick. He was an older gentleman and uh, he had some hunters come out and they had, they had had the flu and they had been in the hospital and so he was just uncomfortable being in the social, I.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

right.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

So he just handled it all over the phone and through video. But, um, it was, it was like a, like a character from gun smoke. Like seriously?

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

So this is a new customer too,

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Oh yeah. Well, I had sold bulls to his son, but never, which his son's name Max and he builds, uh, builds a But he might be listening. I don't think so, but I can tell you that Mike will never hear this conversation. And if he did, he would make me delete it. He'd be like, I don't want my information out on the interwebs. I don't want none of that

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

on those internets.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

out

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Does, does he wear an armadillo helmet?

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

No. He had a crushed cowboy hat with sweat rings.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

That's the best ones.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Yeah, you could tell it had, it had been thrown down and disgusted and cussed and many of sweats through it.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Uh.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

Did you think you did a better job on the block with your sales stuff this year than last year? Corbin?

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Well, one thing, one thing it definitely does is, is, is being up there k kept me engaged and so I could kind of engage with the customers. Whereas last year it was pretty much you're just standing around that you don't have really any tasks. Um, all it did was add to the anxiety, but sitting up there, when you've got something that you have to complete, you can't sit around, pace around and be nervous. You, literally have got a job to do. So that, that, think that helped. And I also think it'll, it'll end up helping build the rapport with my customers to where they can trust what I'm saying. And, and, I, I'm sitting up there with the opportunity to say, to say a million things, and if I sit up there and they buy a bull and what I say while I'm sitting up there is exactly what they're getting, then I think that just creates the opportunity for even deeper relationships that, and building that trust. It is just so important.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

liked it. liked it because I could, I didn't always get who was the second place buyer, but I could see where action was on a lot of bulls. And then it just made me do a better job of, sometimes I've, I, I'm ashamed to say this, I've had people show up at the sale, sign up for buyer numbers and never know they were there before because the crowd is so big and there's so much chaos. And so when I was on the block and I'm kind of up there, I mean, it was, it was full focus on the lot coming, if I have to say something, being prepared those things, but being able to see where the. The action was coming from and being able to make eye contact with those people and then thank'em and say, I would make notes like lot 18. So Kathleen was runner up, and I would go and I would thank her. I would say, Hey, you know what, thanks a lot for doing that. And, um, I don't know, I think the second place person's sometimes just as important as the first, I mean, to

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Well,

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

I mean, and it gives you a good measure on level of action too. When you see that lot one bull come in and 15 people raise their card, it's like, okay, you know, we, we've got some excitement on what we do as a program. Um, I just appreciated that whole different vantage point. And I, I liked being out in the crowd when I was out there too. What, what do you do, Vince?

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

I sit out in the crowd. I,

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

Do you.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

I just kind of sit over there to the, we've got a big roll up door and, um, sometimes I'm having to be outside on the phone with a guy, but I have to step outside'cause I don't have good service in the barn. And, um, I need to be able to where I can do that sometimes. And, um, but most of the time I just either stand there or sit at a table and just my, my notes and I can't see what's going on. Like you're saying though. Because I'm way behind everybody.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

Yeah.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

I don't like that. I really wish I could see, so I could thank people, you know, because, you know, like you said, you the second place guys is important because you can't get to 10,000 if nobody's bidding against the guy willing to go to 10,000.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

that's right.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

you gotta, you gotta have two people,

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

do you, do you have anybody that ever needs help, Vince?

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

like,

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

On the phone.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

an older gentleman, bill Crook,

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

oh, like to keep up with where they're at in the now.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

And

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Nobody asks

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

for 15 years, I would go sit next to Bill. He would, we would come up with a game plan for him with first tier, second tier, second choices and budgets and all that. And I would help him through the process'cause he couldn't keep up with the auctioneer. And I'd be like, no, no, you're in, you're in. Just relax. We're good.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

right.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

You know, or you know what, just hold off. We've got more of these brothers coming or whatever I needed to do to help him. Well he's since passed away and, and I end up just kind of keeping track of prices. And there are some times though, because we break ours up 30 bulls, 30 Angus bulls, then 30 sim Angus bulls that are Tim's, then 30 Angus bulls that are mine. Um. Just'cause we've always broken up that way, or 60 of mine, I guess it is. So there's a break. Well, some of those people, their first choices are gone and they'll start scrambling over to me and they'll be like, Hey, what do we do? And I'm like, well go to this pen over here and go look at this one and this one if I, if I need to reassure'em. So directing traffic, I, I like being on the floor for

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Mm-hmm.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

but I think I preferred being on the block and being able to be the voice of what those cattle were. And um, did have one time, a, a bull get, uh, uh, a resource son that was a pretty doggone nice bull that was a two on birth. And in the catalog we didn't have him as a listed as a heifer bull. And he was represented as a heifer bull, not by me, but just off the microphone. And that always kind of sat in my stomach funny. So I had to run down that customer and I said, Hey, I heard this said over, you know, were you intending on using this bull for heifers?'cause I wouldn't recommend that. And they said, no, we were gonna use him on cows. And so it ended up being okay, but. If, if I'm up there with a microphone, I could stop that and I could say, no, no, no.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Right.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

That's my fault. You know, let's correct this and make sure people are getting what they think they're getting.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

One thing I always wondered about, and I don't know that it's, it is or it's not, but I always wondered if it may be some people got uncomfortable because you're kind of looking at'em if they're bidding. And I, I wouldn't ever want anybody to feel that way here. You know, bid if you want to bid, don't. And if you don't, I mean, that's, it's not gonna make me get upset with you. You know what I mean?

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

I don't think that people really took it that way with me being up there and, and helping with the sale. Now, if you were just sitting up there

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Staring at him.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

saying anything and just not part of the sale, that, that might have that effect. But I think as long as you're up there and you're contributing,

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Yeah.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

I think, I think it sure made me feel like people were more comfortable with what, what their

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Right,

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

um, and, and being able to, to accurately describe the cattle. As I see them and as I've raised them, because there's not, let's face it, there's not anybody that's been around them as many times as I have and knows as much about each one of them,

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

right.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

or their grandmas. Um, so I think it really gave me a chance to resonate with them. But who

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Well, good.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

it made any difference at all? Right.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

what about our listener that would not be comfortable like Vince at all? Not gonna, not my cup of tea. It's not what I want to do. That's a surface a service I'd like to hire out. you have someone sit on your block

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Yep.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

the cattle, how do those conversations go? I mean, the person you've been using, you've been using for years and they know your program. But, um, maybe talk through that for some people that don't want to talk on mic.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

So I know Jeremy will get here ahead of time, and either he goes by himself or I go with him. If I'm busy, he'll go by himself. Uh, I point him where the cattle are and he goes and he finds every cow and he makes notes on every cow, every bull. And if he can't find one, he'll come, Hey, I didn't find 24 a. Where's this thing at? Or whatever. And, um, he, he makes his notes well, so he can talk about the cattle. Um. Yeah, but he also knows, like you're saying, he knows my program, so he knows the mothers of some, you know, a lot of this stuff, especially my donors, uh, and the grandmothers and, and he's been doing it a long time, so he has a lot of history with the cow families and, and things like that. So I think that makes it easier for a guy like him, especially that does it all the time. Um, but I have had people in the past that didn't really know my program, and they look at the cattle and they go up there and they talk about what they see, but they can't really talk about the mother or the grandmother, um, or maybe some full brothers or something like that. Um, so I, I think that if you hired out. I think you've got to trust the person and I think you've got to have a good relationship with'em. And I think they have to come, you know, other than sail day go through your herd.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

They

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

think you Yeah, they gotta know the cattle, they gotta know what you're thinking, what you're wanting in your breeding program. You have to talk to'em more than sail day.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

other, otherwise what are you paying them for?

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Exactly.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

all you're getting

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

That's right.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

So what I'm also, I'm also hearing you say is like arm those people with the information you want them to convey to your customers too, right?

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Right.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Yep.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

You help

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

this cow, this cow's fixing to be pathfinder.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

right?

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

she does a good job. I can go show you her other stuff. Here's one of her sons that we're getting ready to sell, blah, blah, blah. Yeah. I mean, yeah. And, and that's, that's on me. I have to relay that kind of stuff.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

So what, where you may not be the one shooting the arrow, you're still the one that's gotta load that arrow and pull the, pull the bow back. Give that guy the tools to be able to do it.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Right. And I don't know that I do really good at that,

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Now

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

but we'll see.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

that you've

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

you're gonna have someone on the block, it's probably, I mean, I would, I would say that most of them would prefer to have more information than less.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Yes.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

use less. I mean,

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

absolutely.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

want to just take those people for granted and throw'em to the wolves and then be upset when they don't represent something correctly.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

And you have to listen to your customers too, because I had, um, some guys here before that were very professional and nothing against them. They did a good job, but my customers were not comfortable with them because they dressed very well.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

Mm-hmm.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Sport coat ties, things like that. And. Some of my customers weren't comfortable with them and they did nothing wrong. It was just my customers,

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

I

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

you know?

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

if they came to, to where we have our sale in Toco, Oklahoma with, with sport coats and ties on, it would definitely negatively impact our sale. I mean,

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Right. And that's fine. It doesn't bother me. But my point is they did nothing wrong, but, you know, but tried to look professional and bring a professional, um, aspect to it. And you know, some places are not that way.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

But isn't that what you just said? You, you led with know your customers. You know, don't, don't invite of your customers and feed'em chicken if you know that they're expecting beef.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

right.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

know, like know those people and know what they expect and know what they're comfortable with because if you want to make them feel comfortable at your place, you probably ought to do those things.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

That's right.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

be in order. you guys know, uh, if we're lacking a little bit of energy, Corbin, what's our special announcement? Radio feedback, stepping on each other. We're really just suck at it. Right?

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Well, I knew. So the, the first couple episodes, I really did feel like we, we had a problem with it, and it was like something we needed to work on, something we needed to change. The second episode was like, man, we did it again, the third episode. were very conscientious. We did not talk over each other one time, and then what did we hear whenever we were recording? It was still doing it. And so at the end of the day, we might have been self-conscious about speaking over each other and thinking we did a terrible job on maybe, maybe it wasn't our fault from the start.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

No, there was definitely, I. Some issues with the platform because I, I know for a fact there was a couple places I was very delayed in my answers to you guys. You ask a question, then I, you started talking again and then like three seconds later I answered it. Um, and there was some places there that I know for a fact we didn't talk over each other and we were, um, so hopefully the listeners will forgive us and, and keep, keep bearing with us. We may have to change platforms. Who knows?

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

Keep pressing play. We said it on the first episode, or I know I said it. Um, keep

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Stay tuned. It'll get better.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

it'll get better. I mean, we're, we're just like, literally, I came in from going up to Live Wire, which is a big, uh, electric fence store north of here. I came in, Paxton has his room set up. Uh, he knew I was coming in hot, had the recording studio all set up. Vince is taking a phone call while Corbin and I are coming up with this, this episode. Spa, fake commercial. I mean like

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Those commercials are fake. Those commercials are fake.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

no,

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

What? No, it's not a fake

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

don't you dare say that.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

is a good outfit. They're in your sale book, Corbin. I saw'em.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Yeah. Do you know who's, you know who the CEO of never get their trucking is? It's me. I'm delivering everything in our sale except for one guy.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

by the way? So let's, let's talk about sales some more. Corbin, you're frozen though.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

No, he is not.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

had your sale at a sale barn,

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Yes.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

so those bulls gotta leave.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Yeah.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

do you deal with deliveries? Do you send'em back home? What are you doing?

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Well, as soon as the sale's over, by the time I got out there this time, everybody that was gonna load out had already loaded out. we let the sale barn handle part of the help they hired, they brought in 10 people to run the back and, and that was a great investment because I, I, at the end of the day, they're around cows all the time and I could have sent people back there, but whenever you get right down to it, I don't know that I know 10 people that I could send back there that don't need to be inside with me anyways. it's just, it's just easier to hire those guys. They did a good, oh, go ahead, Vince. What?

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Well, I was gonna say, and they're familiar with the facilities. That's, that's even more important that they're familiar with the facilities.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Yeah. But anyway, so they had, uh, they had them, uh, all the ones that, that picked them up, sail day. They had loaded'em out and they were gone by the time I got around there to help. Uh, last year I helped load a bunch of'em, but this year, by the time, I think it was 13 head or something like that, out of a, which out of a 36 sale, 36 head sales quite a bit, they were gone and loaded out and driven off before I even got the chance to talk to'em. Or lot of people were ready to get their bull and get outta there, which I, I appreciate a hundred percent, but they were able to load those out. And then once they got done loading those out, I loaded up the rest of the bulls and took them back home and put'em where they, where they were to be, to be delivered at a later date.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

We used to do that, um, in Columbia, Columbia's hour from here. Um, we used to haul'em up there, had a, had a sale barn, a very nice sale barn. It was fairly new at the time. And like you say, I mean, I would rent the barn. They would supply the help. I didn't have to worry about any of that stuff. Those guys knew the facilities and, um. But like you say, having to haul'em up there and then having to haul the ones that don't leave that day back home and maybe you deliver a lot of'em to some of your neighbors by your house, you know? Um, it was an added on one hand, it was nice. You just show up, everything's clean, everything is set up for you, and then you walk away. You don't have to clean everything up, you don't have to worry about your help and all that good stuff. So there is some of that. That's very nice. Um, but tr the trucking and the stress on the bulls is a little bit too, to be honest. Did you like that?

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

I'm

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Running

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

That's okay. No, no, no. Did you like having it at the sale barn? I know you don't have another choice, but if, if you had a choice at your house, would you run'em there?

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Yeah. And I do a video self. I had the choice. I, if I had a, if I had to build a facility, I wouldn't build something to run'em through.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Right.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

And that has a lot to do with help too. I mean, for that you have to hire a, I mean, but since the sale barn's there and the, and

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Oh yeah. Yeah.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

there, it's a no brainer because if, if we were gonna have a video sale, we'd have to bring in a TV and do all of that, because none of that, the, the sale barn's not set up for any of that. So yeah, we're gonna, gonna run'em through at the sale barn,

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

How far away is it?

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

luckily it's 15 minutes from my

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Oh my. I wouldn't build a facility, would you?

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

uh, if

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

I.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

uh, if you turn down the, the road to go to our sale barn see those houses that are right there, and it's kind of in a really, really crummy part of town, I don't know that you really lose, I don't know that I really lose anything by people making that left turn into there. But I think, think if this, if our outfit ever got big, and I never, I don't think it's going to, it's just, I, I, I don't think I have that really in me to be that. if it was going to, and you had of these, some, like if the crowd changed and you made that left turn, that would definitely turn some people off. I think it's just part of our way of life here. Um, so it doesn't bother anyone, but that's definitely a limiting factor, I would say.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

What were you gonna say, Joe?

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

I was gonna say there, the video sales have revolutionized everything

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Absolutely.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

thing we noticed when we, uh, there's nothing quite like having a production sale at your farmer ranch. I mean, that is so nice. It's so easy on the cattle. It's easy for me to be able to, uh, man, I say this as a guy who has it as a, at a partner's ranch, but to be able to just walk outta your front door and walk down to where the cattle are and the facility are the comforts of home, that means a lot. And I think that the crowd and your customers really, really do enjoy that, that energy a lot. Um, but video sales have changed that to where it makes it so flexible for all of us to do that. The biggest thing I noticed when we had our sale at Tim's place. Was how many pens it requires to have a sale.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Yeah.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

you go to a sale barn, they have a bazillion pens that you can cut a bazillion different ways and back pin cattle and get cattle around. And my partner Tim, has an impressive, impressive facility, a permanent facility there that was there before we started having the bull sail.'cause he actually has more, a lot more commercial cows than he has pure rig cows. And uh, still it was barely adequate. We have to bring in piles and piles of portable panels and we actually view the bulls up on grass and hot wire lots. Um, which we intentionally have our cattle in hot wire at a young age to make sure that they're broke to hot wire so that when we bring'em as a year limb bull that's come outta where he's been fed into those viewing lots that, you know, they don't just require a whole bunch of visual infrastructure. They could actually see those wires and know what they are. um, the video sales have made it smoother because now we don't have to think about selling and return alleys at the same time. Those bulls just stay in their viewing lots, and then they gather down into basically two pens of cattle. There's the Bruin bulls and there's the circle bulls. There's circle Big Bulls and Circle Little Bulls. But then those guys who are loading out our customers, at the end of the day, got three, four pens of cattle. When we used to have, I think, nine pens of cattle because of the running through the sail and then running back and man, what a, what a mess. And a sail barn can really make that a lot cleaner. Also, the sail barn Corbin, did you enjoy a portion of the community that frequents the sale barn? Like you got those people kind of come because they're used to coming to the sale barn or was there none of that?

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Uh, I, I, I would have to say some of the people are, are comfortable going there. Um, in general I think people are just hungry for bulls. They're hungry for bulls and so they were gonna come no matter what. As long as they had heard about the sale, they were gonna come from all over. Uh, whether, whether they are are frequent. Our sale barn, whether they're from 30 minutes away, they showed up. say the crowd was a lot bigger this year and I don't know if that's, I don't know if that's enthusiasm or if that's, if we just did a better job of reaching people, but, it was definitely noticeable.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

So what's our big topic today, guys?

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Well, the, in the spirit of bull sail and bull sail season and the fact that I just had a bull sail, we're gonna talk about bulls.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

So we kind of talked about production sale for a while. But we've had a, we've had a lot of people. We've had a lot of people reach out to us about private treaty sales and consignment sales, which I think on the natural progression of someone's program, those are the things that I'm gonna say, generally are at the beginning. You start out with private treaty sales, then maybe you grow too much for that and go to a consignment sale. And corbin's at a spot now where he's starting his production sale. Vince and my production sales are a little bit more mature. And so, um, I don't know. I, I think maybe we ought to just start with, we've got a blank slate today. I literally have two things written private treaty slash consignment sale and value of a bull from Randall Upchurch. Um, Vince has three things written down because he didn't put a slash in front of things one and two like I did. So he has private treaty, consignment sale, and then value of a bull. But basically we have the same three things, right, Vince?

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

not quite fair or correct. It's very inaccurate. I took,

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

not fair.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

we had, we had, we had an agreement. This was what we were doing. I took a phone call. When I came back, it went all to shambles. It, it's whatever. Just whatever.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

put a, a backspace and a slash mark and I changed us from two topics to three.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Well, you know what, Joe, it's, I'm here. I, we can talk about whatever

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

I'm just here to

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

we can. We, we can just talk about whatever buddy we got all night. We got the place, ran it all night.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

All right, Corbin, you call David

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

called. I got

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Cray Cray cray.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

treaties. Do you guys still, do you guys still sell private treaty bulls, Vince?

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Um, I have people call and it kills me to turn'em away, but I feel like if I had 50 or 60 bulls, I would be glad to sell some private treaty. I always try to direct'em to our sale in April, um, because we don't, I don't have 50 or 60 bulls. Um, I've got 35 to 40 bulls, and I used to private treaty some and then say, okay, well now the, now the lotting of the catalog has been put together, so no more you have to wait. Um. But, you know, I'm getting more and more people calling about it, and I'm gonna really have to think, do I really, my, my biggest concern is, okay, say I sell 15 private tree bulls. Well that leaves me 20 bulls. Well, that's not a lot for people to get fired up about to come to our sale. You know what I mean? Um, so that is a huge concern I try to do. Plus, if they're, I don't think they're ready yet. I haven't got to do a final culling on them. Um, so, you know, there still could be some feed issues. They haven't been semen checked yet, things like that. Um, so that's why I say I just kind of direct everything to the bull. The, the bull sale's just so much cleaner, easier. They're done. They haven't been picked over. This is what I have. I hope you guys like it, you know?

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Isn't it so awesome to have them all sold in one day and they're

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

100% and then you can collect your money

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

That's

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

instead of it.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

that's one thing about the private treaty sales, that that kind of always, I don't know, it was something you kind of got tired of was, was you'd have people wanting to be the first one there. They wanna be the first one there. Whenever your bulls become for sale.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Yeah,

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

then, you know, they can't all be first is the unfortunate reality. And then the bulls get picked and then, and then if they're not first they think the bulls have been picked over. And so it's easier just to have set up for a sale and then you have a sale. But the unfortunate reality is that we have a lot of listeners, and I mean, I feel like 90% of our listeners probably have private tree sales, wouldn't you guys say? So?

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

I would think And that's fine. There's nothing wrong with that.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

No, it's,

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

90.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

I mean, that's just, that's, that's just great. It's, it's what we have. It's what we have available, and it's, it's a way we make a living. It's, it's how we get'em sold. Um, one of the things I would not skimp on if I was having a pri if I was trying to sell'em private treaty, and you're, and I was struggling. I think a little bit of advertising goes a long way,

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Yeah,

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

like you were advertising for a bull sale. If you, if you put it in a paper or a, sometimes social media is not adequate enough. To,

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

right.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

promote yourself and word of mouth. Sometimes you gotta jumpstart it and so, so, so advertising be a really important piece of that.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

So let's do a round table real quick. What are Vince, let's start with you. Biggest challenges of a private treaty sale?

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Just getting,

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

on some of them already.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

getting people to know where you're at and then, you know, we, we struggled with it for years where we're at in Tennessee. Um, I struggled with pricing.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Haggling. The haggling.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Uh, the haggling. I tell you, I used to get so upset when before we started having bull sales, it was all private treaty. And I finally got, I mean, you would go, I wanna come look at your bulls. You'd spend two hours with this guy. And he is like, okay, what do you want? What do you want to, what do you want for'em? And you know, this was years ago, okay, 2,500, oh, I'll give you 1200. So I just spent two hours with you and you wanna pay me half. So what I started doing, people would call, do you have any bulls? Yes, I have bulls. This is what they are, this is how much they are. And if you're interested, come look. I'll be glad to spend the time to show you, but I'd get it out front. Not rude, but maybe a little firm. This is how much they are. Come look at'em.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

one time I went to a guy's place that was selling Bulls private treaty, and he had a, he had an Excel spreadsheet with the Bulls pedigree, his mother's name, his registration number. And then on the far right hand corner, uh, column was the price of that bull. Do

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Yep.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

that's something that you could implement if you were having a private tree sale to, to sort of mitigate that problem?'cause when someone shows up. And they have no idea. If you hand them that sheet, that's the first thing they're going to look at. And you can nip that in the bud and you don't have to bring it up.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

So the last year I did it, you can get on the Angus website and, and build a pen

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Yep.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

and it will print you off the EPDs, the two generation pedigree or three generation pedigree and it looks like a little sale catalog

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

Yes.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

I actually put lot, you can put lot numbers on the paper through that and you can actually put a price there too.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Yep.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

And I put lot numbers in their ear and said, here, here's your paper, there's, here's the bulls, because I don't want to be pressuring you. I'm gonna, I'll be up here at the shop working. Take your time. When you get done, if you have questions, gimme a shout because on one hand I did feel like I might've gave them the impression I didn't care, which is not what it was. I tried to let'em know, but I also didn't want to stand there and hover over them. So, you know, if some people wanted me to stay there and I asked them, would you like me to stay? I'll be glad to stay here, but I don't wanna

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

be able to

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

pressure you.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

good, pretty

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Yeah,

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

instance. You, you'll know if they want you there or not. Um, read body language. If they get tired of you

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

yeah.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

talking about every single bull that's in there, maybe reel it in a little bit. Um, different people. And, and that's one of the tough things about private treaty sale too, is, is. It's one-on-one, and so you, it's good and that that person gets you for that time. So

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

right.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

to your advantage. But also some of the challenges can be you're just at, you don't know what to say to that person.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Well, one thing that came in real handy doing it that way was there was a guy that was just bounding and determined to come on Thanksgiving and we had to go to Amy's family Thanksgiving, two hours, way up near Nashville. And I was like, look, the gate's open, here's where the bulls are. I left you a paper on my desk, you know, if you, if you have to come today here. And he did. And he was good with it. He spent probably two, three hours here that he called me and said, Hey, I'd like, uh, bull number two and six. I said, okay, I'll put your name on him.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

like bull number two and six. I already put seven on the trailer. It didn't tell you.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

No, he didn't do that.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

it a big a McDouble,

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

He could, he couldn't have done that. But yeah, I mean, it, there's things, there are things out there that are helpful. What about you, Joe? What do you think?

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

I love private treaty sales. I absolutely love them because I feel like it's my opportunity to really match the right cattle with the right people

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Right.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

a lot of time and make sure, you know. I tried to say this in the last episode, and it's funny you guys talked about the talking over there was actually one piece piece where the platform like took one of my sentences and slapped it on top of the other. But I don't ever want to get in this place where people think I have everything figured out. Like is 20 years too, of spending the time building a reputation, building a customer base. I know that a lot of this stuff that you can't just poof, buy a set of cows, have a set of calves, and then all of a sudden start selling private treaty bulls like we do. So I want to just be mindful of what it was like in 2005 when we were trying to sell these things and you don't even know who to call or who to send stuff to. You

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Y you didn't love him then.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

point, that?

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

love private treaty sales then?

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

Didn't love him

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

No, that's what I was talking about. That's what I was talking about. It was,

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

the tools either. Vince, remember

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

yeah.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

you can do a flyer,

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Yep.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

still do the same mailing of a flyer through the Angus Association that a lot of people do with catalogs. You can build your customer base with strategies through social media or whatever. The best part of private treaty sales for me is to get people on the farm, get'em to fully make sure that that is the purchase that they want. You have complete control in that moment. The biggest struggle for me is price discovery,

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Yes.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

you guys saw what my sale averaged and I don't need to belabor that. I'm, I'm very thankful for that. Um, I wouldn't ask, I would have a hard time asking 60% of that value for a bull privately in a pen,

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Yeah.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

and I still sell a lot of bulls privately. The cool part is, is I've found ways to now use private treaty sales to fuel. My big bull sale sales. So first pick in the private treaty pin is based on participation in our annual sale. And usually the private treaty pin is something that got banged up. It's something that was younger or it's something that had a little different, I don't like to put micro, micro pet, um, uh, sire groups in in our catalog. So if they're a sire group of one and it doesn't really fit or a cow that was, know, from some other deal, I mean, I don't even know how to characterize it, but they don't fit with the herd. I like to have big, clean bunches of cattle that are a good representation. It doesn't mean that they're not good bulls. It doesn't mean that they won't do a good job for somebody. There's just a reason they didn't get included in the sale. Well, if you participated all day in the sale and you didn't get your order filled, yes, you're first on that list and for the past four or five years, I've not had to try to pedal those private treaty bulls. thing I would tell you guys though, a lesson that I learned when I caught, um, myself in a pickle with a lot of private treaty bulls to sell before we had a production sale. I mean, a lot of these suckers I learned real quick the value in pricing'em all the same. Um, I don't get, I didn't get in the haggles and I know that some people are more comfortable saying this pin of bulls is 10,000 or 8,000 or seven or what the number was. still, to this day, I price them. One bull is x, bulls are x minus 500 bucks. Three or more is X minus a thousand. And it works for me on the whole, because don't want Joe, Joe Bell down the street and, and bob up on the hill to get to talking and say, oh yeah, well, Joe gave me this bull for seven. Well, I had to pay nine for mine. And what's different about mine? And, and it started to create. Too many kind of contentious bad situations. Well, everyone knows I plastered out. This is the price of the private treaty bulls. This is what it's at and we're done. You guess what? You will get the best one in the pen because it's your pick.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Right.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

one in the pen is priced at this, and I really like doing it that way. Um, but my, I might suggest if you're a private treaty person, I know that you're worried about seats on the dance card, but if you let some of these established sales go before you, does establish a retail value of bulls in your region. So then you can back off that high retail price and you can say, Hey, these bulls been selling for a month in California for 12 grand. I've got this bull in the pen right here that I'd sell for 5,500. And actually pick of the pen is 6,000 straight through. I think that that provides some opportunity. Now you get worried and you say, I want to go before all these big sales sell because everybody will be full. Well, what's your basis for price discovery? knows. And

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

All right.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

I don't know. What do you think about that, Vince?

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

I think that's a good way to look at it. And I mean, how do you, I always struggled with pricing, so I kind of came up, and I'm not saying this is right, okay. I kind of came up with a small quick math to help customers justify and understand where I was at. So yes, granted, I, if we have a sale, just like you said, you maybe average 12,000 and, and you're only gonna sell'em for eight or whatever off the farm. But what I try to say, okay, two calves are worth, let's just do easy math. Two, a calves worth two grand. Two calves are worth four grand. Okay? One cow is worth four grand because it's two calves, two cows is worth eight grand. So the put eight grand into a bull. I mean, it was four calves to pay for it. It was just something simple. And I'm not saying that's right or wrong, it's just something I came up with. So don't bombard me with, oh, that was the dumbest thing you ever heard. But it got, it got my customers thinking, you know what? I can do that. I, I see, I see where your math is. I can do that. And it, and it may be over here east of the Mississippi, the calves are probably more like 1500, which is a$6,000 bull. Okay. Um, but it gives them something to think about. Now, whether that, like I said that that may not be for everybody in years past, if I had any bulls, um, that, that didn't go through the sale or whatever, like you were saying, maybe they were younger, maybe whatever, they were hurt, banged up. Okay. The sale, five grand, this is what these are for sale for. I mean, I, I figured that was pretty, um, fair.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

The

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

what do you think? You,

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

would, that's exactly what I said. And I always say, if you want to gut the integrity of your production sale, start offering all

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

I,

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

private treaty bulls because there's no stress on the customer. They'd rather buy a cheaper product. And so there's always that balance there. But what I'll tell'em is, listen, I'm gonna go off the sale average, but a sale average is a sale average. That means that there's animals below and there's

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

yep.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

above. So if you want the free market at play, you need to be at our production sale, because there will be bulls that sell below What I'll offer private treaty bulls at, and the first cut, gentlemen, always for us at ruin, the first cut goes in the production sale 110%. And I know that people will like to say, they like to protect, protect the, uh, excuse me, protect their private treaties, and they'll be like, oh, I got some good bulls in there. You know what, you gotta draw the line somewhere. It's okay to let your customers know. The best cattle will be in the production sale, and we encourage you to compete there. And if you compete there. We'd love to offer our private treaty bulls to you. And, and we've had a lot of people,

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

It's okay. It's okay.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

some people that, uh, you know, they've, used that as an opportunity to figure out that they could get to big numbers of bulls. Like, especially the guys that buy three and four. They'll come to the sale by three four and then go buy five or six in the private treaty pen. Well, but they also know you gotta come to the sale and compete or someone else is gonna be ahead of you in line.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Right, right.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

So what about you, Corbin? Before you, uh, last two years you've been selling at, uh, the sale barn. This your second sale. What were you doing before that?

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

I was selling private treaty then and, and there's some things that I would change if I was starting a private treaty sale this year. Here's two things that I would do that I believe would change your luck. The first thing was that I would've a sale book. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. If you want to just put. The lot and the bull's pedigree right there, then that'll work. But if you wanna put pictures or you wanna do as much or as little as you want to, I think having that sail book that way, the bull, the, the customer can look at the bull they can look at their paper just like they would if they were coming to your sale. I think that would solve a lot of problems. Whereas they're like, Hey, what's this pedigree? And then you're having to look on your phone'cause you don't really remember what his pedigree is. You do know, but then whenever somebody asks you spur of the moment, you can't remember, you end up having to look on your phone and then you don't have service and it

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Well, and then they wanna know

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

like,

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

EPDs,

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

yeah. And then they wanna know. Yeah. So having

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

see a heifer bull.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

of you Yes. Having that sale book in front of you, it would make everything easier. The other thing I would do is, is just like Joe said, it's a, it's a set price. I'm not haggling. I'm not haggling. You're, you're not getting, I'm not going down 500. If you buy two, I'll go down. 500. Things like that have to be discussed beforehand because when someone gets there and they offer and they low ball you and, and it's at the end of the season and you're just, you've had hard luck selling bulls and you think you've had'em too long and you end up letting that bull go for way for, I mean, there's a lot of these private treaty sales where guys are selling bulls for less than a steer or less than it's worth if they cut its head off. Don't do that. do that. Have your set price. Advertise somewhere. Advertise in a local newspaper. We have a radio station here where I, I believe it'd be a great place to advertise. Call your local radio stations. Get your name out there, because even though it's a private treaty, sales doesn't mean you have to keep to yourself and not get your product out to your customer.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

That's great. Great advice.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

Outstanding. I have a little tidbit, maybe a little anecdote that I just, that just dawned on me a lot of my premium. I, I, I hate to say that because I, I believe all of my customers are super, super valuable. The ones that spend the most money weren't always that way. These guys buy$15,000 bulls used to buy more budget conscious bulls so you can grow them into a bigger spending. Someone who values the products you put. But I never grew anyone as a customer who was trying to starve me out. Ever. The ones who were trying to starve me out were there one year, then not the next, the people who were always just looking for something fair and trying to improve their program and almost act like they were kind of partnering with us, I found ways to make it work. And they saw the value in our cattle. They did what they said, and then over time. The cattle did what we said. They made'em more money. They, they spent more money on it. Just like if, if somebody wanted to use a new mineral supplement and all of a sudden their calves weighed more, well guess what? They're probably gonna use that mineral supplement again. Or if their cows bred up better. And so I think just trying to figure out, does this person look like they're gonna be a part of our program in the future? Or is he just trying to starve me out or is she trying to starve me out? I mean, those are things that a, a person would really want to consider. I wanna shift gears though, guys. Um, oh, actually I had a note here when Corbin was talking. you guys ever make it up to re-hit South Dakota Corbin? Do you make it up there?

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

No, what's up there?

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

So it's kind of that central Eastern South Dakota Club calf central.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Mm-hmm.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

this phenomenon happens in the fall. They've got ice, chest, beer, and four wheelers, like as far as you can see. And sometimes they'll have a little trailer house that's got a refrigerator in it or maybe some snacks or whatever. There's nobody even there. There's nobody even there. And they'll just have a little sheet of paper and a bid off and people drive up and down that corridor of South Dakota, even parts of Nebraska and Iowa or this, the way it used to be on these little pasture bid off things. But they have information on the cattle, they have the cattle available for viewing, and they make it comfortable for the people. I think there's some unique ways to do private treaty, and then there's ways that you can build off of if you wanted to get into some competition with a silent auction or a timed auction. I mean, that's all stuff for you to decide as your program grows. But then most natural step. Vince, you had something

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

No, before we change subjects, go finish what you were saying.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

I was gonna change into consignment

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Oh, okay.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

something that fit with that, say it.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Well, so two things. One, one thing, if you're not certain on your pricing and you feel that you need to have different pricing, that's okay.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

Yep.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

if you have enough pens, say, okay, this pen is$3,500. This pen is$4,500, this pen is$6,000. You could do that. And then this way, if the people don't want to, if they can't spend that much money or don't want to spend that, okay, here you go. Here's some bulls for you. The other thing is, one year we tried doing what you were just saying, so we had a catalog and. We had a, all these runs that were full of cattle and this run was a$2,500. Anything in this pen, or you could bid it up if you liked bull number two. You could write on the sheet of paper, Hey, my name's Joe Fisher and I like bull number two and I'll give$3,000. The base price was$2,500 and then the next pen was maybe 27 50. The next pen was 3000 and so on, and then it, it was odd because the people weren't getting that. So then we kind of did, okay, if you are interested in bull number two, step forward, who will gimme$2,500? This guy raised his hand. It wasn't really an auctioneer, but it was supposed to be a similar to a silent auction deal, but it just didn't, it didn't really. Work. Right. Um, and we ended up bidding them off, but it wasn't real fast-paced auctioneer. It was like, okay, he will give you, you know, 2,600, he will gimme this and that. Um, but it was kind of similar to what you were just talking about. And, and we ended up, I think if we would've done it more than one year, maybe it would've been a little better. But we ended up kind of scrapping that deal just'cause it didn't, it, it didn't feel right and it didn't work right here the way we did it.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

So most silent auctions are at community dinners or

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Yep.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

a certain pie you want or a certain cake you want or whatever. But if you're showing up needing bulls and you happen to bid on the first one and the second one, you gotta roll into a different choice. So all these end up really evolving into some sort of auction

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Right.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

that. And my partner Tim, started the same thing. He's actually got a, a sale that's almost as big as our production sale after the sale for younger calves and stuff. he has a whole different group of clientele and they come and it's basically slow talking auctioneer as what they

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Yeah.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

and, and they have sandwiches and stuff like that. But there's different, there's different ways. Um. I think the most natural second progression though for a lot of people is consignment sales.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Yeah, there's nothing wrong with that.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

nothing wrong with it at all. Do you participate in any of those anymore or have you, or what do you think their events?

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

I don't, um, I guess the, I can't even think of one that's around here off the top of my head. Um, the, probably the bull test would be the, uh, another good avenue. Um. If there are some consignment sales, yeah, they're great. That's a great deal. Um, I don't know that there's any around here that are actually consignment bull sales. I know that there are some consignment sales that finally, in the beginning they wouldn't even take bulls, but finally they started taking some bulls. But if you wanted to put a bull in it, you had to put at least one female, if not two. Um, so I think that was just because it was so hard to sell bulls around this area. Um,

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

about you, Corbin? Do you do the consignment sale thing much?

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

I have in the past, and the main thing about a consignment sale is it's a lot like a private treaty or having your own auction. You still have to advertise and people still have to know you're there. It's,

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

yep.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

you hope

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

I.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

show up, and if they do, it's a bonus. But if you're selling bulls. a sale, a consignment sale that's not known for bulls. You might have to bring your, your buyers with you. So it's one of those things where you need to start off private treaty and you need to at least build a customer base through your, through your advertising and at, before you even go to a consignment sale. Um, it sounds great to say, yeah, I've raised, you know, I've never raised a bull before and I'm just gonna take'em to consignment sale. That way I can make meet customers there. But from my experience, that was really tough. It was really tough to just show up somewhere and there be a customer waiting for you.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

I had the same experience and we chased them around for several years. Two bulls at a time, up and down this state. I would say the benefits were, uh, pooled marketing costs because, um, you had a whole bunch of other people and you could pull the cost of an auctioneer, you could pull the cost of sale management, all of those things that maybe you didn't have enough size and scope to be able to spend that much, but you did with a bunch of other consignors. but, uh, and there was enough draw for these bigger producers because a lot of these bigger guys in California might wanna buy eight to 10 bulls or six or eight bulls, and you've got seven bulls that you own. Um, so if you could go with 15 other. Breeders who then could make 120 bull sale that was worth it for some of these folks to go to. And those sales were long, um, established. They had people that frequent them. They still exist in California and they do quite well. The biggest challenge I've always found with that is, um, you're in community with some people that maybe you don't have shared values with. You don't have shared breeding programs with, um, you don't have shared goals

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

You don't have shared, you're not developing those cattle the same either and sometimes.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

Exactly. And so at consignment sales, the difference in management is seen in the dollar and in the pens. You'd have yearling bulls that are up with their backbone touching the six rail fence and yearling bulls that are like two rails high. And the buyer at that time is not considering that this gentleman's been pale feeding that thing since it was three days old. And this one runs'em like I do, and he's smaller. They don't discern that. They just see this one's big and this one's terrible. And so that basis for comparison, the beauty of having your own production sale is they're all under your management. They're all under your roof. That's all done consistently. And they have similar pedigree and type, the consignment sale. Circuit for us though, in California did it did at least give us some people to start calling when we wanted to start doing stuff privately.'cause in those days, again, you'd have bulls and, and boy, you wouldn't even know who to call or where to go. You go to the sale barn, they're gonna say, yeah, here's a list of people that you should call that might need bulls. I mean, it's difficult, it's a difficult nut to crack. But, um,

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

What about.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

do?

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

Go ahead.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Introducing Bull Finder, the Revolutionary app that does absolutely everything for you except, you know, make decisions. Simply record a bull and bull finder will instantly tell you exactly why you should buy it. Is it the strongest bull on the block? Bull Finder says it's got potential for making your HUD look impressive. If nothing else need a bull with top genetics, bull Finder will tell you it's proven because everyone loves the word proven. Forget asking about performance or you know, actual results or algorithms a bull that looks kind of healthy. Bull Finder assures you this bull's a game changer. Maybe it won't explain how or why, but that's part of the mystery. Bull Finder, you'll get all the answers you never actually needed. Download it today and make sure your next bull purchase is based on vague promises, not real information because who needs facts when you've got an app?

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

It sounds like

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

You know what I miss? I miss it. I miss the disclaimer that you read at the

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

that was so awesome.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Those are

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Yes.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

words. Like may cause nausea, indigestion, road rage. Um, that would be hilarious, but Oh, those

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

What about, what about if, let's just say for a minute, I didn't live in Loretta, Tennessee, and I lived 20 minutes from Corbin's House and Corbin, and I see things a lot alike and we got together one morning, went and got breakfast. I said, you know what, maybe we should get together and have a bull sale. I don't think that's a bad idea. If you have somebody that you're good friends with or you don't necessarily have good friend to be good friends, but you respect'em enough as a breeder and they respect you enough as a breeder to maybe want to go together and, and start your own bull cell

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

I

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

because you don't have enough.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

I'm

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

know what I mean?

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

with that. There's one contingency. At some point, those bulls need to be developed together.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

I don't disagree. Oh,

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

have those bulls being developed at each person's house and then bringing them together because. one person's gonna be managing their bulls differently, and that's gonna end up making the other one the value of the other ones different.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

and you could still do it at your house and my house. If we're that close and maybe just visit together and say, yeah, you know what, here, this is what we're feeding. You know, I came to see your bulls. I think they're just a tick behind mine or, Hey, I came to see yours, you're way ahead of me. I need to step it up, or whatever it might be. But that's where everybody has to be on the same page. You can't take a guy that's not willing, that wants to starve'em to death and then turn around and sell him because he thinks he can get two grand out or four grand for what I see on Facebook for a starved animal, and then try to put'em together because it's not gonna match. It's not. It's,

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

that's another thing about con. That's another thing about consignment sales is that you're gonna have such a hodgepodge of genetics.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

yeah.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

You know, you're gonna have

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

S

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

cattle. Uh, it's a bunch of different minds that are brought together, and, and so your vision doesn't match.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

right.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

So I wanted to expand on that because I think that's a really, really cool topic, Vince, because it's what built Bruin Ranch. Um, you know, these partnerships that have shared mutual interests and can share resources can be so, so beautiful. If any of you are thinking about doing that, the best thing you could do is find someone who's been doing it for more than 15 years and call them and say, what did you do that made you guys last this long? And what did you, what are some challenges you've had and how did you get through those? Um, and I think if I could sum it up shortly, which you guys know, I'm bad at. I believe that my biggest cheerleader that exists is Tim and Jill Kern, and I hope that they know that the biggest cheerleader for them is Joe and Abby Fisher. as long as that's the worldview that we live in, that's how we've had a successful sale for almost 20 years now, is like anytime a decision comes up, the first thing that pops into their mind is, I wanna make sure Joe and Abby are okay. it the same vice versa. If something comes up. I'm always worried about the Kern family. I put them first. Um, you've gotta be on the same page with discounts. You gotta be on the same page with guarantees, and you've gotta be honest with your partner. You can't be the one who's like, well, you know, I know that, I know that old, uh, Vince, he won't guarantee those bulls, but I will wink, wink. And then next time you've kind of stolen a buyer underhandedly from your partner, the partnership has to be good. Another thing that Tim and I did, I. Is, uh, we never signed it. We never signed it, but we wrote down on a sheet of paper, just a gentleman's agreement of our relationship. And it's 20 years old and it's just like, Hey, if, and you couldn't even sue on it'cause it's not notarized or anything, but it just gives us a thing to go back to. But why we decided to do it as a team. We call ourselves Thumbs up, brother, up

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

back.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

three bars of service.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

you know what probably happened? I probably just talked over you,

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

no, no,

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

fakely.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

What happened is I've been quiet this whole episode and this is the first time I've talked. That's why, that's what happened, is the, this is a

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

It's just, it's just glad to hear from you.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

the, on the beef solutions thing, it even says things like, um, if we split up our partnership, neither one of us will use the name for the next four years or something like that. Like we, we wrote out those things so that if there's ever a conflict or we just go back to it, um, we write it down. We have shared values, shared interests, share gu shared guarantees. But that's, it's almost like a marriage. I mean, you better be rooting for that person. And the cool thing is, I like being, I like establishing relationships. I think you guys know that. I like being on the phone. I like visiting customers. Um, I like thinking about marketing. My partner, Tim, thinks about it all differently, which has created a real wonderful relationship between the two of us because he is a wizard at facility design. I mean, the stuff he'll put together and how he fabricates is so handy. He has talents. I don't have that. I just don't even worry about, his wife is one of these hospitality people, you know, like I'll throw a cow hide or a gunny sack somewhere and it looks like a thrown cow hide or a gunny sack and she does it and it looks like it was done and like,

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Built in.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

or something.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Yeah.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

it just works, right.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Right.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

I think finding people that have a little different talents and can kind of be flexible and let people take leads in different spots, I think has a lot of value. Tim is extremely analytical and I'm analytical in a different way. And so we compliment each other. Well, Vince, you were gonna say something.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

No, I wasn't.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

Oh.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

You can't make me say anything.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

No, it wasn't.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

No, I wasn't.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

are we at? We in the thank you portion,

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

No, we're still talking.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

more

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

uh, I thought we were gonna talk about Randall.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

Vince did.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

No. What? What did I say? Oh, I slid it. I slid it in there. Cor.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Oh. Slid it in them. Dms

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

No.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

slid red.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

No. Randall mentioned value of a bull and Vince already kind of talked about that about

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

I don't even know if that was a good assessment, but that's just how I kind of see it. What did you guys think of it? Way off base. Pretty close.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Well, what if David asked, David Little asked a question, and I think we might as well get into it, is you pro promote maternal bulls that aren't the big hulking bulls to compete with continental or terminal Angus type bulls? Is that a scary question?

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

along with value of a bull. Good job, Corbin.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

we've now talked about it three times we've,

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

Oh my

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Here, here's something that goes along with that,

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

Yeah. Here's something

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Here's for how

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

salad. What?

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

For a transition?

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

what were you eating before? Mashed potatoes and fish.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Yeah. It

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

that those go together, like what you just said.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

Oh, no, I gotta say value of a bull. Vince, I, it's funny you said that with Randall, because you went to dollars and cents and I was thinking like, the value of a good bull, what's he worth to a breeding program? And so I had a completely different view,

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

I think. I think that's like we were talking, when were we talking about that this morning

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

probably we talk about it a lot. I feel like you and I do.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

So. What you, you need to go with that? Go with it. Roll on what we were talking about this morning.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

get back to the mashed potatoes and

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Oh my God.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

so, and we'll get back to David Little's question in a second, but on that train of thought, I mean, it's almost impossible to quantify. The right bull used in a program. And it's also impossible to quantify the wrong bull used in a program. I mean, the most expensive bulls I've ever used at Bruin have sometimes not been the most expensive in dollars that we spent. I mean, sometimes it was a cheaper bull that was a problem, or sometimes it was$200 worth of semen on a flush that pla plagued us, or know, so just say the value of a good bull can never be underscored enough. I mean that 52, 54 bull and, and I'll throw out torque too. And even some of these younger bulls like fellow, the impact they've had on our program, don't know. I can, I can see how people can spend 30, 40,000 on bulls. I don't know how they write that check'cause it's gotta be painful. But I can, I can see that positive of an impact for the right bulls if they do those things for you. So, um,

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

So, Corbin, this morning Joe and I were talking about, um, you know, we've, we've talked a lot on here about using your own bulls.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Mm-hmm.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

And while that is liberating and that is awesome because you can promote your own program, you can believe in your own program, you can believe in your own animals, and then to see other people come believe in them with you, right when they come buy'em. Um. The, the problem can be what I'm always asking myself, is this the right son of this cow, or is that one that just hit the ground gonna come up and be better? Or is am I overlooking this bull because I'm so focused on this cow, his mother does a good job as well. Is that the one that I keep and use, uh, and, and try to promote because I think he's gonna change my program. And, you know, it's while we tell people to believe in their own product, I don't remember how Joe said it this morning, but it's, it's, it's almost like you need to do that, but you also have to do it with some, um, I guess maybe relativity or a view that, you know. Maybe this is not the one. Maybe I need to wait.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

You have to have the humility

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

You do

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

you have to have the humility to know, this isn't the sun that I need to move on with.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

right.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

That does not, I'm not sliding this bull. It doesn't mean he is not, doesn't even mean he is not the best bull I've ever raced. He's not the right bull for me at this time. Maybe. Maybe I've got more calves coming out of that cow that I think will suit my cow herd better as to what it needs. Generally. going to, follow a type and kind ourselves. And so do I need more of the type and kind that I prefer, or do I need to bring in something that's a little bit of a contrast to what I've already got here? Do I need more of the same or do I need to fix a little bit of something this by bringing in this out across sire, um, I think you have to take all of that into account because it's all gonna play a important role. Um, and then another thing is too, if I AI all my cows to renowned and then I keep a renowned son, am I gonna myself later

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Yep.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

to breed those renowned daughters to the bull that I've kept? So, I mean,

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

We had,

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

all of those decisions you're making.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

we had that same conversation this morning about overlapping,

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

I had a

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

I.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

really good torque son this year that I absolutely loved. I really, really, really love that bull and I really, really like his mother a lot, a lot, a lot. And ultimately I decided to let him go and just sell him. And, and he went to a great, great, great customer of ours and I can go get that bullet any time. Ultimately, I'm gonna get the EPD chaser, uh, hate mail had the. Exact same EPD profile as torque, maybe a little higher in some spots, maybe a little lower in some spots. And when I say higher and lower, that's the favorable direction we are looking at for traits type wise. He was right in there with torque. I guess he didn't, I didn't know for a fact that his mother was better than what Torque has proved to done with his daughters already. that make sense?

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

And if you're not improving on the torque daughters you have, or if, it's a lateral movement, th.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

I think it would've just been a lateral movement, and I already decided I wasn't gonna turn the bull loose. I was gonna collect him and I was gonna use semen on him. And it was gonna like, why? I know what torque is and I have semen on him and there's brand name recognition in him. There's marketing value in that too, and the cattle work. Why do I need to just use this sun to say that I'm using a sun? He, he sure could be better than torque. But torque's got what thousands of progeny used all over the world that have shown what he's done. Maybe I don't have enough money to prove out that this bull is as good or isn't as good. Maybe I just need to just stick with that tool that's doing a really, really good job for us in consistency. And so I, I definitely want to empower people. Definitely believe in your own program, love your program. Believe that that cow, that is the mother of that bull is the reflection of the female line you're bringing into your herd all the time. But one of my favorite quotes, you guys know I'm a big quote guy, is What's right is not always different. And what's different is not always right. so sometimes we just keep trying to be different for the sake of being different. When there's something that's actually got as much goodness in it that's right in front of your nose and proven. Corbin, I was, I was thumbs upping you with my thumbs up. I know you guys won't get a digital thumbs up from Buzzsprout, but I was giving you one, um, when you said humility, that's exactly what I would say. The, the humility is a breeder to say, is this really an improvement on his sire? Or if I'm gonna put semen in a cow, should I just use the sire again?

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Right. Are you just getting so excited because you want to take one of your bulls to get collected and use him? And try to promote him again. Is he the right one? Maybe he is the best bull you've ever raised, but how do you know that you won't raise one better next year or the next year? You know, it, it's just a struggle for me, so I don't know. Whatever you guys think.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

it? It's fun if you can figure out, the struggle I'm having with bulls guys is, gosh, they're worth a lot to not sell'em

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Well, that's it. That's right. I,

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

don't want to have to go buy the high seller at Shady Brook. I mean, that's gonna be a tough check to write

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

oh man. That'd be about 8,008.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

like the bull sitting, the bull's sitting at your place, Vince, tough to not take that payday on that bull and pay off some bills, honestly.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

is, but.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

I know that I can't go buy what he is somewhere else for 40,000, 50,000. And so it's like. Where's that balancing act? When do you hold'em and when do you fold'em? Vince?

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

I think just what you said though, I think you gotta weigh out. If he's only gonna bring 10,000 in my sale, but I would have to go spend 30 to a bull that's comparable to him, would I not be better to go ahead and just keep him and for forfeit to 10,000 instead of going and buying a$30,000 bull?

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

Mm-hmm.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Um, that's, that is tough. But then the flip side of that is I'm thinking he's the greatest thing since sliced cheese. And I would probably be better off to sell him, maybe find something different or buy some semen or whatever it might be. Um, instead of trying to keep that bull and promoting myself. It, it's, it's such a hard balance.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

you know what? One of the problems that I worry about all the time is I've got some donor cows that I'm crazy about that I know have raised sons that I need to use, that I need to use back in my herd. Now,

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Yep,

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

sometimes I wonder how do I select the correct bull because I'm reading that donor cow seven different ways,

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

yep,

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

and so this year I've got renowned. Next year I've got barricades. The next year I've got torques. The next year I've got fellows, whatever. How do you know which year which bull? Because sometimes if you wait till that fourth year when you've got the newest, the one that you think is gonna be the best, sometimes that one you sold four years ago would ended up being the best one, and you let'em go.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

yep.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

That's just

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

how many years, how many years does it take before you even realize what that bull will do for you?

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Absolutely. There is some beauty.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

you just touched on a topic that I wanna circle and to write down right now is multi trait selection. Vince and I were talking about that this morning a lot about how sometimes we're trying to improve on so many different traits and we're trying to do so many different things. I. Um, if we could just try to do a few things really, really well, it's a lot easier to do and that I'll tie it back in at a different time, but that just triggered in my mind multi trait versus versus single trait selection and where's the balance there. But I don't know, you guys feel like we've done a decent enough job with this topic.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

I think,

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

I think

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

I think producer, I.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

on a lot of different things. Generally, there's still more, more stuff we could discuss about it. I would say, wouldn't you? I mean, everybody's situation's different. Sometimes. Some of y'all are ready for private treaty sales. if you have any questions or anything, you, you don't know what to do, and you're having your, you're selling your first set of bulls. Don't, don't hesitate to reach out to people.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Absolutely.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

there's people out there that will help you. Don't, don't sell yourself short on your bulls. Your bulls have value, especially in today's market.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

I would agree you guys, uh, I've got a small list of thank yous here of people that have reached out to us. I mean. I don't know. I don't wanna belabor it every episode, but I just feel so much love from the community. It's incredible when we look at our little app on the phone and see how many people are downloading and listening. And I know Vince wants to talk to some people just a little bit. Um, I'll let you compile your thoughts. I'm gonna take Justin Jernigan. He sent, uh, I think at least one of us. Um, I know he sent me a nu really nice text from Portland, Tennessee. Um, just so gracious and kind. Evan Ferguson as well. Jackson Pgh Jackson. Again, I, I teased that he was working on some sweatshirts, but we got distracted a little bit over the past two weeks between our obligations and personal life. And I just hadn't had the bandwidth to deal with it. But we got swag opportunities coming guys, um, on Spotify. Did you guys know that Spotify has like these bars where you click on'em and you could see this whole dialogue coming, um, of people that comment on there? I. I just started checking that Dane on Spotify on the last episode. Gave a nice review. And Mandy, our dear friend Mandy, she dislikes the long intro, long heavy introduction speeches as much as I do. Thanks Mandy for reaching out a few episodes ago. Sergio MCO eight. Thank you, Sergio. M eight. Um, just thank you guys. I know I'm missing somebody. Lindsey Wood. I went to school. I actually, I don't know, Lindsay, is that what your name is on Facebook? I can't remember, but I think it was Lindsey Wood when we were in college. We were friends in college. Um, to Wyoming. She put out a nice question. I'm not, we're not ignoring you Lindsay. It's on the list. The amount of topics you guys have submitted have been fabulous. Us trying to tie'em all together and make'em timely with the production, um, cycles that we all go through. Um, that's, that's where we're having a little bit of a challenge. But thank you for all the topic ideas. Corbin, you want to go?

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Yeah, sure. I'll just think a couple people. One of them is Kyle Lear. He's always. Always commenting. He's always got our back. He's always telling us good luck. I even think he shares our, our Facebook posts. He's always got our back. He listens to every episode. Really appreciate him. And then, um, this one I was gonna tell you guys about later, Brian Clark was interested in a heifer and his wife does some embroidery stuff. And, and, and we had, he had talked about being able to help us with merch too. It's amazing how many people have reached out that wanna help us with the merch thing. I I think people are excited about it generally. Um, we're still, we're still compiling our thoughts. You know, it's, we'd say it's a little tough, you know, I went into my sale now Vince is going right into his. And so we really haven't, and it's winter and we're having to do things we don't normally do as far as feed. But when we get into some grass season for, for me and Vince and, and, and out of sale season for me and Vince, we'll sit down together and we'll talk about merch and what we need to do. But I, I really appreciate Brian, Brian. himself out there and, and giving us the opportunity,

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Uh, I'd like to, to, uh, say yeah, that Justin Jernigan, uh, reached out to me as well and, and I appreciate all the kind words he had to say. And, uh, I got a call today from, uh, uh, Michael Trahan and Joe, he gave me a thumbs up because he knows you're robbing'em all somehow. So he gave one to you two Corbin. He didn't want us to be left out.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

he doesn't want to be lonely.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

No, he didn't want us to be lonely.

joe_2_02-28-2025_170517:

you check the, the group text. I'll give you a real good thumbs up here in a sec.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

But, um,

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

That's scary.

vince_2_02-28-2025_190524:

Um, on a serious note, as we're ending here. Uh, a lot of, a lot of the listeners know that, uh, my dad passed away last week, and I just want to say thank you to all the people that reached out because it was, it was overwhelming and it was very nice to old, old friends, new friends, just, you know, I could really feel the love. And, uh, I greatly appreciate everybody and, and I greatly appreciate my close friends as well. Like you guys always checking on me and, and whatnot. So I just want to say thank you very much to, to all the listeners and, and my friends. Um, other than that, I guess, uh, take it away, tumor. Catch y'all next week.

korbin_2_02-28-2025_190517:

Yep.

We'll see you next time, Around the Chute.