Ranchers call Red Bluff Bull and Gelding sale a way of life
This year marks the 77th year of the Red Bluff Bull & Gelding Sale at the Tehama District Fairgrounds, the largest of its kind, west of the Rocky Mountains.
Manager Adam Owens said the event is off to a great start, with buyers and sellers traveling from many other states such as Oregon and Washington.
"It's a good outlook for people to showcase their cattle. It's an important part of bringing genetics in from different parts of the country to this area and a chance to put a market place in front of buyers where they have a lot of options all in one spot."
The week started with the sifting and grading range ready to halter broke bulls in order to pair them up for Saturday's big auction.
The categorization process qualifies the bulls that are fit to be productive on whatever ranch they go to.
Owens explained the foundation has the process down to a science, giving the Red Bluff sale a reputation for some of the best livestock. Cattle ranchers said they choose this sale each year for the same reason. Bill Cox, owner and founder of CX Ranch in Washington, said quality beef starts the first day a rancher buys or breeds cattle.
"We ultra-sound our cattle for the carcass traits, internal muscle and also internal fat. So we know when we come in what the benefit of the carcass side of our cattle is when we sell them to commercial cattle buyers and they know what they're getting," said Cox, "When we work our cattle we work them very quietly. The one's that are handled like that produce a better product."
The bulls that are being sold are pure-bred and strictly used for breeding. Their offspring, however, will then be the beef that consumers buy in the store.
The Red Bluff Bull & Gelding Sale goes until Saturday evening. According to Owens all bull sales will be on Saturday.
For a full schedule of events and tickets, click here.
