Will James owns and operates Double J Ranch, located in Mindenmines, Mo.
“We have been selling bulls for three generations,” explained Will, who is following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Merl, and father, Ronald.
Will’s grandfather raised and sold horned Hereford bulls and his father joined the business in the 1950s. He also raised and sold polled Hereford bulls.
When Will joined the family operation, he tried several breeds before he discovered Limousin cattle in 1988. He decided to cross them with Herefords and liked the results. Today, Double J Ranch is home to 250 Limousin cows.
“We calve out right at 50 heifers every year and we generally have 20 spring heifers and 20 to 25 fall heifers,” Will explained.
When Will selects the bulls to use in his herd the most important traits are scrotal circumference and attitude.
“We want them dog tame. They have a docility EPD for it now,” he said. “They get a bad rap for having terrible docility. It depends on the genetic line. A lot of guys come in and say, ‘I can’t believe how tame these are,’ well it’s more to do with the guys raising them than anything else.”
Will also sells bred and open heifers, and docility is one trait he looks for when choosing those heifers.
“I know their mothers. Good mothers and good fathers make good cattle. I keep good mothers,” explained Will. “If you are doing your job the next set is better,” he said.
Will is a firm believer in the importance of the scrotal number in the bulls he raises.
“It needs to be very high,” said Will. A score of 1 in the Limousin breed is considered high and a score of .06 is considered average. “It is important because big scrotal circumference means good cows; they will breed faster and generally have better udders.”
Will is also impressed by the amount of muscling and the ability the cattle have to convert feed.
“They gain like there’s no tomorrow,” remarked Will. “They are the greatest feed converters, and it’s a proven fact, they do it every year when they feed out steers in Denver.”
“We have had a lot of guys that are repeat buyers come back and say ‘I can’t believe how much weight my calves gained by having the Limousine bull, how much more muscle, and how much better they eat the feed and convert,’” Will’s wife Denise added.
Although he sells registered bulls, Will’s primary customers are commercial producers who have 1,000-pound cows.
“They want them to have live calves and not have any trouble,” explained Will. “Most guys have 20 to 40 cows, have a job and they do not have time to sit out there with them all day.”
Will said his customers know what they are looking for when it comes to bulls.
“They want low birth weight and as high weaning and yearling weight as you can get your hands on,” he said.
Denise shares the responsibility at Double J Ranch. They have four daughters, Elise, Clarise, Cora and Veronica, who are continuing the tradition of raising Limousin cattle through their involvement and showing in 4-H.
