Association Perspective
Ask for the registration papers.
As a regional manager, I have had a few experiences related to cattle that others might not have. In this month’s column, I am going to discuss the importance of getting bulls that you have purchased properly transferred to your name. If you are like most commercial cattlemen, you might think that getting a copy of the papers in the original owner’s name is OK. However, it’s very important to get the registration papers and to insist that the seller transfer the ownership to your name.
I’ve had to try to identify a bull that a commercial breeder or, in some cases a registered breeder, purchased a number of years back and the seller never properly transferred the animal to the buyer. Then, after owning the bull for a few years, the breeder decided that they needed the registration papers for various reasons. It could be because they wanted to sell the bull, and they wanted the registration papers to get additional value for the bull. It could be because they were a commercial producer and decided to enroll in a genetic-verified program such as AngusLinkSM, in which they must verify which registered Angus bulls were used to produce the calf crop that is enrolled.
When the commercial producer realizes they must figure out the bull’s registration number, they will contact me to help hunt down which bull they purchased. I’ve had people contact me and not even know for sure which year they purchased the bull. In cases where the bulls don’t have brands or tags, it can be very difficult to track down which bull was purchased. As you can imagine, this can be a wild goose chase. This usually results in the buyer getting frustrated with the person who sold the bull.
One of the other scenarios is when the seller just signs the back of the registration papers and does not send the papers in to the American Angus Association to be properly transferred. I have been on herd visits when the ranch owner showed me their registration papers that had never been transferred. Upon closer inspection, the papers had the seller’s signature on the back. This does not really benefit the buyer, who spent hard-earned money to buy these cattle.
When a seller does not properly transfer the animals someone has purchased, they are not living up to their obligations as a seedstock provider. Not transferring the papers is a bad business practice, and can discourage bull buyers from dealing with that seller for future purchases.
The most successful breeders in our industry fulfill their obligations to the people who are purchasing cattle. As a commercial producer, when you purchase a registered Angus bull, I strongly encourage you to insist the seller transfer the cattle to you. This will help to keep all of your paperwork tidy and in order. If you happen to lose the paper copy of your registration certificate, we can still identify your cattle through our computer database by searching for cattle that were transferred to you.
I look forward to working with you all as you work to take your commercial cow-calf program to the next level. Please call or email if there is ever anything that I can help with.
Editor’s note: Regional Manager Radale Tiner covers Region 9, including the states of Texas and New Mexico. Click here to find the regional manager for your state.
