Since Beefmasters are known by the slogan “The Profit Breed” we put a very heavy emphasis on selecting bulls with not only the EPD’s to back up this slogan, but we also require all our bulls to have superior physical attributes as well. A bull can have the best genetics and EPD’s in the breed, but if he can’t travel well and walk the pastures to breed cows, he’s not going to be a profitable bull for anyone. Along with proven genetics and superior physical attributes, we also put a very heavy emphasis on disposition as well. You often hear how no one wants a rank bull either because of the safety problems they create, how difficult they are to work with or because their genetics create the same problems in their offspring. The conversations surrounding bulls with poor dispositions are almost always focused on the handling of the animals. While we do feel this is important for the obvious reasons, you rarely hear about what we feel is also a very detrimental result of a poor temperament…the bottom line of their offspring. And not just from a registered standpoint, but more importantly from a commercial standpoint. It is a well studied and documented fact that the disposition of feeder cattle plays a significant role in all aspects of beef production. Docile cattle have higher average daily gains, heavier carcass weights, more fat cover and larger ribeyes. In the end, breeding animals with docile dispositions results in significantly higher quality carcasses and higher average profits per head.

This leads us to believe that disposition is more than a convenience trait and should play an important role when choosing a herd sire.