Sale Information

Only the Best Will Sell

Sale Information

Only the best sell. These 83 ranch-raised, grass-developed bulls uniquely represent our philosophies and our breeding program. They are the very best of the 300+ bull calves born in 2019.

Cataloged. Each bull is identified with a lot number that corresponds to the number on his red ear tag. The sale order is expected to follow the lot numbers from low to high. We have provided extensive information on each bull to help you make the right selections. Since this information is totally unlike information other seedstock producers provide, we will explain it on the next two pages.

Health and Fertility. We maintain a very thorough health and vaccination program. These bulls have passed a breeding soundness examination and have been vaccinated with 7-in-1,Vibrovax and Pestiguard. Bulls are from a JBAS 6 property. They are guaranteed to be breeders!

Semen Interest. On a few designated bulls, we retain the right to collect, use and market semen at a future date. As purchaser of the bull you will receive a 25 percent revenue-sharing semen interest, along with full possession. If done at all, semen will be collected at your convenience and at our expense. Anyone with a semen interest will be allowed to collect and store semen for in-herd use with no obligation to others with a semen interest. In the event semen is marketed and revenue is produced, the resulting proceeds, minus incurred expenses, shall be divided among those who own a semen interest. Designated bulls will be marked “Retained Semen Interest” in the catalog.

Guaranteed Calving Ease. Many of the bulls offered in this sale could be successfully used on first-calf heifers. We rate each bull for calving ease with 1 to 5 — with 5 being the absolute best. Bulls with a 4 or better calving ease should work great on most first-calf heifers. We are so confident in the calving ease of our 5-star calving ease bulls that we are going to do something that is unheard of in this business. We are going to provide a calving ease guarantee on all of our 5-star bulls. This guarantee is valid for calves conceived up to one year after the bull was purchased For every calf you have to pull that was sired by one of our 5-star calving ease bulls we’ll pay you $100. If a caesarean or other veterinary assistance was required, we will pay your vet bill.

Quantity Discounts. If you purchase five or more bulls, we will give you a 5% Discount on all the bulls you purchase. If you purchase ten or more bulls, we will give you a 10% Discount on all the bulls you purchase at any one sale. Do the math — that’s one FREE bull for every nine that you purchase. You cannot go together with others to receive this discount.

Disclaimer. All reasonable care has been taken to ensure that the information provided in this catalog is correct. However, the vendor and the selling agent do not assume any responsibility for the correctness, use or interpretation of the information included in this catalog.

Announcements from the Auction Block on sale day and supplemental information provided prior to the sale will take precedence over the printed matter in this catalog.

Different for all the Right Reasons… While other seedstock producers continue to focus on increasing production per cow (bragging rights), Pharo Cattle Australia is focused on helping cow-calf producers increase production and profit per hectare. There is a BIG difference! Trying to increase production per animal will always have a negative effect on your profits.

Lot, Name, ID Number, Sire and DOB: In the top section of each catalog square, you will see the bull’s lot number, name and ID number. Just below that, you will see the bull’s sire and approximate date of birth. You will notice there are many 1/2 brothers in this sale. There are eight 3/4 brothers (lots 16-23). This gives you the opportunity to improve the uniformity and consistency of your cowherd and calf crop. Base Price: Each bull has a Base Price, which is determined by how we value the bull’s genotype and phenotype. The Base Price is where the auction on each bull will begin. We will not sell a bull for less than his base price. Frame Size: Frame score is hip height adjusted for age. Unfortunately, the formula used for young bulls is based on grain-fed bulls. It will not work on our grass-developed bulls. Therefore, we use XS, S, S/M, M, M/L and L (roughly equivalent to frames 2.5 to 5.5). Frame Score is very indicative of an animal’s maintenance requirements. The smaller the frame, the lower the maintenance requirements. Based on some recent research, most of the bulls being sold in Australia are in the 5 to 7-frame range — the same as it is in North America. These animals are too big to fit their environment. Ironically, on an all-grass diet, our 3 and 4-frame bulls will weigh more than the mainstream 5 to 7-frame bulls. The only difference between a frame 4 and a frame 5 is five centimeters between the ground and the belly — which doesn’t weigh anything and is impossible to eat! Our most efficient cows have a frame score of 3 to 4. Scrotal Circumference: Actual measurements have been posted in this catalog. Keep in mind there is absolutely no fat in the scrotum of these grass-developed bulls. There is nothing there but testicles! It doesn’t take much fat in the scrotum to increase the circumference by several centimeters — and that is the very worst place to store up fat in a bull. You cannot compare scrotal size between our grass-developed bulls and everyone else’s grain-fed bulls. Testicle size, in relation to frame size, is a very good indicator of early maturity. This trait can be passed on to a bull’s daughters.

Disposition: Disposition is the last thing we evaluate in the evaluation alley — but that does not mean it is of least importance. Many believe it is the most important trait we evaluate. Disposition is very heritable. A bull with a bad disposition will not only cause problems himself, he will also sire replacement females with disposition problems. A disposition score of 5 is the very best. A score of 4 is almost as good. Bulls with a disposition score of 3 have a larger comfort zone. We cull all bulls with a score of 1 or 2. If you are only purchasing one bull, we suggest you purchase a bull with a score of 4 or 5. If you plan to purchase more than one bull, you should get along fine with bulls that have a score of 3. Calving Ease: Calving ease has always been very important to us, because it is very important to our customers. Dead calves have distressingly low weaning weights. When calculating our calving ease scores, we look at the DNA scores for birth weight (BW) and calving ease direct (CED). We also factor in the sire’s BW and CED EPDs. PCC Fortune, PCC Back 2 Basics and PCC Conquistador all have BW and CED EPDs in the top 4% of entire Angus breed in America. We are most comfortable recommending bulls that have a calving ease score of 4 or 5 for use on virgin heifers. We are so confident in our 5-star bulls that we are willing to Guarantee the Calving Ease (see page 4).

Grass Efficiency: For the most part, the formula we use to score grass efficiency is based on early maturity. Early maturity is of utmost importance to cow-calf producers. Based on university studies, we are able to use the adjusted weight and hip height of young bulls to predict their mature weight at a body condition score of 5. An animal that is at 55% of its predicted mature weight is much better than one that is only at 40% of its predicted mature weight. Johan Zietsman, a rancher/consultant from Zimbabwe, says, “Grass-efficient animals will look like five kilos of sugar in a three-kilo sack.” In other words, they can put a tremendous amount of weight in a relatively small package. Bulls with a 4+ or 5-star rating for grass efficiency will be the very best at producing early-maturing, highly-fertile, long-lasting replacement females. They will also be the very best at producing steers that will excel in a grass-finishing program.

Low Maintenance: Maintenance requirements must be met before any weight gain or reproduction can take place. Most of the bulls promoted by mainstream seedstock producers have too much milk, growth and size to fit in any real-world ranch environment. We use DNA to calculate a score for low maintenance. PCC Fortune, PCC Back 2 Basics and PCC Conquistador all have a $EN (maintenance energy) EPD in the top 4% of entire Angus breed in America. Carcass Traits: We look at the DNA scores for marbling, tenderness and ribeye size to calculate a score for carcass traits. We place the greatest emphasis on marbling. Animals with good scores for grass efficiency and low maintenance can finish (marble) just as easy on grass as they can on grain.

Overall Rating: This score rates the overall eye appeal of the bulls. Some bulls are just better looking than others. We prefer bulls with great masculinity, thickness and muscling. We prefer bulls that look like a miniature version of a massive mature bull. Fleshing Ability: Fleshing ability is the amount of condition (fat) a bull carries under his hide. While some animals are able to get fat on limited feed resources, others do good just to hold their own. You’ll notice the bulls in this sale are very similar in this trait. That is because the hard-keeping animals have been removed from the program. True fleshing ability is bred in — NOT fed in.

Hair Coat: Hair coat is an excellent indicator of animal health and well-being. A healthy animal will have a vibrant-looking hair coat — slick and shiny in the summer and cuddly-looking in the winter. In contrast, an unhealthy animal will have a dull, dead-looking hair coat. Hair coat is extremely important in hot, humid environments. The late Jan Bonsma from South Africa said, “In selecting livestock for functional efficiency there is no single factor which can give such positive results as early hair shedding. Animals can shed their hair early in the spring only if they are well adapted to their environment, are in good nutritional status, and have the correct hormonal balance.” Muscling: Since we are in the beef business, we need animals with substantial muscling. The best place to look for natural muscling is in the twist area (between the rear legs). Light-muscled animals are narrow and cut up high in the twist. In contrast, heavy-muscled animals are deep and wide in the twist.

Thickness: This is basically a measurement of depth, width, volume and spring of rib. It has little to do with muscling. What we are looking for is the most kilograms for every centimeter of height. High-volume animals with a large heart girth are the type required for low-input, grass-based programs. Masculinity: A bull should look like a bull — and the sooner he does, the better. For the most part, we are looking for the presence or absence of secondary sexual characteristics. The neck and the head are the best places to look. We like a bull with a thick, wide neck that has a very pronounced crest on top. Bulls also need to have a “bull” head — not a “cow” head.