Winter Cattle Journal 2013
Producers
Bill established the ranch in 1978 but he dispersed a majority of the cowherd in the 80s. Chad started rebuilding the herd with 4-H and FFA heifer projects. In 1995, Chad graduated from North Dakota State University and returned home to the ranch and started expanding, mostly with his own replacement heifers. Today, they maintain 400 head of mostly registered Angus cows, as well as a commercial herd and Sim-Angus herd. “My dad was really active in the state’s Angus association, and I had the chance to serve on the National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) board of directors,” said Chad. “NJAA was a big stepping stone for me. I have always stayed true to the Angus female; the breed is the basis of our herd. Our cowherd works hard for us. There’s not a lot of pampering
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here. We run them out on grass all winter and supplement with hay when times are tough.” When market signals indicated that Spruce Hill Ranch customers
Spruce Hill Ranch was established in 1978 by Bill Rotenberger. Today Bill’s son Chad and family are an integral part of the operation. were interested in Simmental, the Rotenbergers added the breed to the mix. They sampled those genetics and started a Sim-Angus program, as well. Thus, the name
Tri-State Livestock News H winter Cattle Journal 2013
of their bull sale was created, Combined Advantage. With over 30 years of bull sales under their belt, the folks at Spruce Hill Ranch host an annual sale on the second Wednesday of February at the Bowman Auction Market in Bowman, ND. “The name, Combined Advantage, ‘combines’ two-year-old Angus bulls, along with SimAngus yearling bulls all at one sale location,” said Chad. “The ‘advantage’ of our sale is to offer you more choices and flexibility. If you choose to look through the two-year-old bulls, we hope you keep in mind that these bulls will have less tendency to injure themselves because of their age; they will cover more cows, maintain their body condition longer, and give you more bang for your buck. Now, if you are leaning toward the Sim-Angus bulls, we think