Why Choose Irish Black® Cattle**
Bulls
Calves
Bulls
These bulls love what they do!
This was our old herd bull and we used him until he was nine. In addition to breeding our cows, we used him on our first calf heifers as well. His Birthweight was 58 pounds and his mature weight was 1890 pounds.
- High Fertility 50 - 75 cows per bull
- Large Scrotum
- Longevity
- Our second year using Irish Blacks one of our bulls died and a single bull serviced 85 cows. The following spring we calved out within 45 days with all but one cow being bred.
Cows
Calves
Bulls
These cows don't lay around, but will cover a lot of ground looking for feed.
- Larger Pelvis Area
- Smaller teats and no pendulous udders
- Longevity, currently we have a few cows that are 16 years old and still producing quality calves
- Ease of calving & high maternal instincts
- Very efficient with feed
Calves
Calves
Adaptability
We love calving season. These little guys are strong when they are born. They get moving and nursing right away. We rarely have any calving problems.
- Light birth weights
- Vigorous calves at birth
- Shorter gestation period (277 days)
- Early maturity, calves finish @ 12-14 months, per a feedlot study
- Excellent average daily gain and feed conversion rates
Adaptability
Genetic Purity/Consistency
Adaptability
To date we have sold bulls in Eleven different states. They range from southern Arizona and Mississippi north to Iowa on up to Oregon. They thrive at sea level and range up to 10,000 feet in elevation. They thrive in the heat and in cold weather. All the bulls have adapted well to their new homes.
- PAP scores - The last PAP test that we did on our yearling bulls, the highest score was a 41 with the average being 36! Our advantage is that our bulls are raised at 7000' which is ideal for producers interested in avoiding brisket issues
Genetic Purity/Consistency
Genetic Purity/Consistency
Genetic Purity/Consistency
These are 1/2 blood calves. More than 40 years of closed book line-breeding in Irish Black cattle creates a small gene pool. Genetic consistency of Irish Blacks and Irish Reds enables more reliable transmission of desirable, predictable genetic traits.
- One person described them as "Cookie cutter" calves
- Moderate framed cattle
- You'll love the consistency
Carcass Quality
Genetic Purity/Consistency
Genetic Purity/Consistency
Steaks out of a 1/2 IB steer that one of our boys raised for 4-H. They show great marbeling without excessive back fat. One year our son won the ultrasound contest with a calf that was only 12 1/2 months old.
- High carcass weights
- 60% plus cutout ratios
- Top yield grade scores
- Premium carcass performance
- Tender succulent meat
About Us
The Van Soelens
Tom is from Santa Fe, NM and Cheri is from Lakewood, CO. We met at Ft. Lewis College here in Durango, CO. With B.S. & B.A. degrees in biology, history and A.A. degrees in ag. we started outfitting, raising boys and now include raising these incredible purebred cattle.
Irish Black® Cattle
"The Irish Black® and Irish Red® breed was founded by cattleman and genetic scholar, Maurice Boney during the 1960s and 70s."
"Today, the genetic power of an Irish Black or Irish Red produces a highly fertile, well balanced animal exhibiting excellent beef industry performance. Irish Blacks and Irish Reds are coveted by purebred producers for their rewarding economic returns, and sought after by progressive commercial producers for their consistent quality and value." - IBCA
Commercial Cattle
If you're looking to improve your commercial cow herd, then look no further! Rocky Mountain Irish Blacks have the bulls to improve your profit margin. Explore our site to see what the consistent genetics of the Irish Blacks did for our herd and why we became breeders of these phenomenal cattle.
Purchasing a Pure Bred Irish Black or Red
Notice to potential buyers -Only cattle registered with or certified by the IBCA carry the popular Irish Black or Irish Red Genetics. Verify cattle claimed to be Irish Black or Irish Red Purebred or Percentage Genetics BEFORE YOU BUY! Contact the IBCA OFFICE at (406) 625-2587 for confirmation.
Feed Lot Study
Feedlot Performance
Irish Black and Irish Red genetics produce cattle with optimum feed efficiency that are ideally suited for feedlot development. In a feedlot test conducted by Diamond H Livestock with steers harvesting in June 2012, 105 head of half-blood Irish Black sired steer calves out of Angus-base cows went into the feedlot in January 2012 averaging 542 pounds. All 105 head of half-blood Irish Black steers harvested in June 2012 within a 3-week period at ages 12-14 months old. The gross out weight of these steers at harvest was 1,326 pounds per animal. This feedlot test proved half-blood Irish Black steer calves performed over 21% more efficiently than the average US beef feedlot steer. These Irish Black sired steers saved $196 per head in feed cost compared to the cost of feeding the average US beef steer of the same weights!
Feedlot Performance Study Data (June 2012)
50% Percent (Half-blood) Irish Black/Irish Red steers
Average daily gain= 3.95#
Conversion= 4.79 # of feed for 1.0 # of gain
Feed cost per # of gain= $.83
Average carcass yield = 64.51%,
Graded = 60% choice, 40% select,
Yield Grades = 16 head #1, 55 head #2, 33 head #3, & 1 head #4
US Average Feedlot steer
Feedlot ADG= 3.30#
Feedlot conversion=6.09 # of feed for 1.0 # of gain Feedlot cost/lbs. of gain=$1.08
*©Diamond H Livestock
To know
**Notice to potential buyers -Only cattle registered with or certified by the IBCA carry the popular Irish Black or Irish Red Genetics. Verify cattle claimed to be Irish Black or Irish Red Purebred or Percentage Genetics BEFORE YOU BUY! Contact the IBCA OFFICE at (406) 625-2587 for confirmation.
Something to think about
What is the real cost for your bull?
The following letter is from a producer in Montana to fellow IB producers. It provides some real insights to what the REAL costs are for an angus bull vs. an Irish Black bull.
Hi Everybody,
I am helping a customer of mine with some projections and analysis for their herd. I found a recent article to be extremely helpful for me to find a price for our purebred bulls that does not underprice their value. Also, this is a perfect financial tool to prove to your buyer how your Irish Black Bull will make them money. It also makes the argument for culling their existing beef bulls and replacing with Irish Blacks. I did some analysis for my customer using data on the average price of an Angus Bull from recent Angus Bull Sales in their state. Here is the link to the Angus Sale Results so you can make your own calculations for your area or for your customer's area:
http://www.angus.org/AngusProductions/SaleReports.aspx
The article I discovered is published by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln that sets out the formula for calculating the breeding expense of a bull. Here is the link to that article:
http://newsroom.unl.edu/announce/beef/7288/41669
Using data from Montana Angus Bull Sales in February 2018, I got an average price for an Angus Bull in Montana at $4853 which, surprisingly to me, is up from $4599 for the same Angus Sales in 2017.
Here is my analysis for Montana Angus vs. Montana Irish Black using 25 head per Angus bull and 60 head per Irish Black bull:
Learn More by giving us a call!
Another advantage to an Irish Black®/Irish Red® bull is their longevity. Our first IB bull serviced cows until he was 9 years old! Our current herd sire is 7. You will notice that the table below and the information provided by the University of Nebraska only takes an Angus bull out to four years of service.
WWWWWOOOOOOOWWWW!!!!! Looking at these calculations our Irish Black Bulls should be priced at $14,445 each ($65.66 cost of Angus bull X 220 Cows bred) to equal what Montana Angus Bull Producers are receiving for their purebred bull product. And, if you calculated the Irish Black Bull at 6 years of work, his price should be up over $21,000 when he replaces an Angus Bull!
This does NOT include an Irish Blacks contribution of the financial benefit of:
1. Longevity of bull performance. Here, cost per cow drops even more with IB Bull working - 5 years = $24.36, 6 years = $20.89
2. Value of uniformity in calves at sale time.
3. Weaning weight averages increasing for herd.
3. Fast maturity and fast finish.
4. Value of replacements.
5. Fertility of percentage females when held or sold as replacements.
6. Mothering ability of percentage females when held or sold as replacements.
PLEASE CONSIDER THE COMMERCIAL VALUE OF OUR BULLS. IT IS CRITICAL THAT WE EDUCATE OUR BUYERS! Real cattlemen will pay for QUALITY and they will not even look at OR CONSIDER using cheap genetics.
Proud Member of the IBCA
