Bull sales honor family heritages
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Bull sale season is just beginning, with several upcoming sales announced in January and February. Southwestern Iowa is preparing to showcase the best of their bulls beginning this weekend.
Nichols Farms Sale
The private treaty bull season opens on Saturday, January 25 at the Nichols Farms Bull Barn in Bridgewater, IA. Over 450 bulls from six genetic lines including Angus, Simmental, Sim Angus (SX), South Devon, Nichols Composites (DA), Nichols Hybrids (DX) will be sold along with two additional groups of bulls. Lunch will be served at noon, and bidding will starting at 1 p.m.
Nichols Farms offers several ways to purchase the bull of your choice, with sales happening in person, live on the internet with real time bidding, or by proxy bid. They sell on a first come first serve basis, and use a pre-set, good-better-best pricing model. All bidders will need to sign up for a buyer number, and the sale begins with the lowest bidder number selecting the bull of their choice, and proceeds in sequential order.
If more than one buyer is interested in a bull, then it is sold to the highest bidder by an auctioneer.
“Out of 480 bulls, we usually sell 40-50% of them Saturday,” said Ross Havens, Marketing Coordinator for Nichols Farms. “It’s a low key sale held in our heated machine shed and shop.”
“Roughly 80% of our bulls go to farms within a 250 mile radius,” said Havens.
Although the bulls are not led through for viewing, a picture of each bull is presented on screen for prospective buyers.
Nichols Farms keeps the bulls to continue testing and registration after the sale, and cares for them until they are ready to leave between May -June. Sale day typically ends between 3:30 – 4 p.m., although bull sales continue through the spring. Their fair pricing model has been used since the operation began from humble beginnings over 70 years ago.
In 1939, Merrill and Gladys Nichols bought 240 acres of Adair County, Iowa farmland and raised their four children, David, Edythe, Lee and Evelyn there.
Dave joined his parents in starting a purebred Angus herd in 1953. He bought his first pure bred Angus heifer for 4-H and showed her at the Adair County Fair when he was thirteen years old. He claimed the Champion title at the fair and went on to enjoy a 72-year trail blazing career in the beef business.
As Dave and Lee grew older, Merrill, Gladys and their sons created a larger operation called Merrill Nichols & Sons. Merrill suffered a debilitating stroke in 1976 and Merrill Nichols & Sons became Nichols Farms LTD in 1980. The broader operation included Dave’s wife, Phyllis, and Lee’s wife, Lillian, as managing partners.
Lee’s untimely death in 1982 and Merrill’s passing in 1987 resulted in Phyllis and Lillian assuming major responsibilities in the daily operations. Nichols Farms has since grown from a 240 acre family farm into a national full service genetic provider across five states by setting and living up to tough standards, utilizing science based technology, and helping others learn the business.
Dave continued to grow the Nichols Farm operation with the help of a dedicated team that included Phyllis, Lillian, Alex Antisdel, Mike Firch, Justin Stiens, Walker Mundorf, Nichols, Bart Mostaert (42 years of service), Roger Richter, and Ross Havens (30 years of service) until passing away on Saturday, November 5, at age 84. Lillian is the last living general partner, and is still very active in daily operation of the farm.
Front row (l to r) Lillian Nichols, Bart Mostaert, Roger Richter, Ross Havens, Dave Nichols, Phyllis Nichols, back row (l to r) Alex Antisdel, Mike Firch, Justin Stiens, and Walker Mundorf.
As the largest seedstock operation in the Midwest, Nichols Farms has sold industry changing genetics well beyond the borders of the United States. In addition to selling into nearly every state in the USA, they have exported live cattle, embryos, and semen to at least 30 countries. Nichols farms breeds for growth, carcass traits, mothering ability, sound feet and good disposition. See their ad in this week’s Record News for more information.
Raasch Performance Bull Sale
Twenty 18-month-old bulls will be sold on Wednesday, January 29 beginning at 11 a.m. at the Creston Livestock Market.
Iron Creek Cattle Co. Sale
Iron Creek and Drake Simmental bull and female sale will be held on Friday, January 31, beginning at 1 p.m. at the Drake Sale Facility in Centerville, IA.
Iron Creek Cattle Co produces Elite Balance Bulls. These bulls calve easily, grow rapidly and efficiently in a moderate frame, and produce outstanding carcass traits and profitable, efficient cows.
Hoover Angus Sale
The 97th Anniversary Hoover Angus Sale is also approaching on Tuesday, February 4 starting at 12 p.m. (noon) at the Hoover Angus Sale Facility north of Tingley, IA.
This sale will include 25 fall bulls, 70 yearling bulls, 40 spring bred heifers, 20 fall bred heifers, 10 open heifers and embryos.
Iowa Beef Expo
The annual Iowa Beef Expo Angus Show and Sale is returning to the Iowa State Fairgrounds in February. The show opens February 8, with the sale occurring the following day, Sunday, February 9.
