Soderglen Ranches, northwest of Airdrie, Alberta, will be the centre of attention of the cattle community on February 8th at their 20th annual bull sale.
Seedstock Cattle Manager Jared Sherman tells Rural Roots Canada buyers will see a great selection on sale day.
“Over the years we’ve gained a vast cliental, a reputation in the business for a lot of bulls and a program that is very consistent, selection is based on the size of the cow herds we see today, the importance of traits like calving needs, liveability in these calves, maternal strengths for replacement females, as well as the carcass characteristics and feedlot characteristics, high growth, high yield in these cattle,” said Sherman.
They will also have a group of two – year olds that will be available after the sale to fill orders that were not filled during the sale.
Sherman says Soderglen prides themselves on their two-year-old program, something they specialize in.
He adds that they also sell about a hundred yearlings in the spring.
As for the sale, Sherman says they have buyers come from a ways away to take part.
“Our buyers come from all over western Canada. Heavy presence in Alberta and Saskatchewan, we go into B.C., the northern part of B.C., down into parts of the southern interior and as far east as Prince Edward Island.”
Soderglen also sources genetics.
“We’ve sourced genetics for the last 20 years as close as 10 miles away, as far away as 1,000 miles away. Importing semen from other countries, buying bulls from the U.S. which is not done as readily now as we used to. For the most part we raise our own genetics and source them within Canada.“
Buyers looking to get in on the sale and can’t make it down to the ranch can take part from the comfort of their home or office.
“A few years ago we went to live online internet bidding, so they can login view our sale online real-time as it is happening they get a shot of exactly what we see in the sale ring live and it’s as simple as a click to bid they partake from their home, like they are in the sale ring.”
The ranch raises both commercial and purebred breeding stock.
For more on the sale, how to sign-up and more information on the bulls click here.