The Breeding Herd 57 
age; these, too, may be bought cheaply and are often 
more useful than a young bull would be, but this refers 
only to bulls from the small farms and from registered 
herds. Discarded range bulls are usually worthless for 
breeding purposes. They are too often sold because they 
have lost their breeding powers through too much serv- 
ice or general hard conditions. Good bulls may be 
purchased from almost any of the breeders of good pure- 
bred cattle in the West. Some of the bulls are marketed 
direct from the farm and some through the public auction 
sales. The names of the leading breeders may be obtained 
from the advertising columns of the agricultural papers 
or by writing to the state agricultural college. Most of 
the agricultural colleges keep in close touch with the 
breeders and can give at any time the nearest and best 
place to buy bulls. 
Under farm conditions, a yearling bull should sire 
about twenty calves; a two-year-old bull, thirty; and 
a three-year-old, forty. Under range conditions not more 
than half of this number can be expected. A yearling 
is not very satisfactory on the open unfenced range, since 
hard conditions and too many cows not only cause him to 
get very few calves that year but may render him useless 
thereafter. The best cattle-men use only mature bulls 
and put one with twenty or thirty cows. 
The price commonly paid for beef bulls ranges from $100 
up to $250. It is practically impossible to buy a good bull 
of any kind for less than $100, and the better grades cost 
from $150 to $200. This is for good, well-bred, regis- 
tered animals of breeding age. Calves cost somewhat less. 
A fancy grade of bulls, such as are suitable to head good 
pure-bred herds, cannot be bought for these prices, but 
will cost $400, $500 and up to $5000 each. A few years 
