Keppen Charolais Ranch

Below is a copy of the sale letter which was sent in January of 2023 to our previous customers: If you would like to be added to our list for the 2023 bulls, just let us know!

Charolais Friends,                                                  

Our purebred Charolais bulls are ready for your inspection. We believe these bulls represent some of the best genetics available in the Charolais breed. We have included the performance data and EPDs for your analysis.

Please notice the TSI of the sale bulls and herd bulls.  The TSI is a formal way of combing the performance EPD’s CE, BW, WW, YW, and Carcass.  It does not include any maternal traits.  The TSI is a dollar index.  For example: If Bull A has a TSI of 250 and Bull B has a TSI of 200, then one could expect the progeny of Bull A to net $50.00 more return per head than Bull B (250-200=50).  The TSI of our bulls is listed along with the breed rank. The TSI Charolais breed average for non-parents is $247.90.   

This past fall one of our long-term bull customers for over 30 years sold nearly 1000 commercial calves.  A large majority of the calves were char cross calves.  The rest were blacks. The char cross calves averaged nearly $140.00 more per head than the blacks and notably the blacks were mostly 1 month older than the char cross.  Performance pays!!!
        
We are selling 5 top bulls by auction at 12:30 PM on Thursday, 2-9-23 in Watertown, S.D. at the South Dakota Charolais Breeders Association State Auction Sale (28ET, 2947, 2949, 2934, 2973). Liveauctions.tv will be available for on-line viewing and bidding.  Register early to be approved for bidding.  Watch our website for more information and pictures.  We sell the rest of our bulls at a reasonable price by private treaty.  Our policy is to receive ½ of the purchase price when you select a bull and the final ½ when he is delivered.   If you desire to leave your bulls here until later after they have been semen tested and ultra-sounded for carcass data, you may do so.  If you would like to leave your bull with us longer, satisfactory arrangements can be made to accommodate your needs.

As in past years we are asking that our customers, who sell their calves as feeders, please inform us where and when their calves will be sold.  Keppen Charolais will inform cattle feeders who are interested in buying quality Charolais genetics.  We hope this service will benefit all cattlemen involved so that all of us can recapture the benefits of using high quality Charolais genetics.

We would like to thank all repeat buyers for your confidence in our breeding program.  We would also like to thank potential new customers for considering our breeding program.  We believe the artificial breeding, embryo transfers, and natural breeding which we have done since 1987 have placed our genetics in the top of the Charolais breed and will provide greater profit for the cattleman.  Please call or stop in to see the bulls available for you selection!  Select now for later delivery.                                                                                  

Sincerely,
Keppen Charolais

E-Mail Address: keppenchar@valleyfibercom.net
Web Site: www.keppencharolais.com                            
605-627-5229 (Land line)                                           

Five Herdsires consigned to sell by auction at the South Dakota Charolais Breeders Association Sale on 2-9-23. The auction sale will be held in Watertown, S.D at 12:30 P.M. It will be broadcast by LiveAuctions.

The TSI is a combination of the EPD’s for BW, WW, YW, CW, REA, Fat, and Marbling. It is based on 3 year rolling data. These are performance traits as opposed to maternal traits. It is a dollar index. For example: If animal A has a TSI of 200 and animal B has a TSI of 250 then one could expect the off- spring of animal B to produce $50 more net return per head than animal A (250-200). Breed average for non-parents is $247.9.

28 is an ET bull who is stylish, thick and an outcross Herd Sire out of our ET donor 3873. 3873 is the dam of the 2016 and 2018 Champion and high selling bulls at the SD Charolais Breeders Association sale (SDCBA). She is pictured on the Females page of our website and has produced 21 progeny. 28 is one of the best!

2947 is a bull with with calving ease and high performance. The dam of 2947 is a full sister to one of our walking sires, KC Dakota Bob 8147P. The sire of 2947 ranks in the top 1% of the breed for performance traits (TSI). Extra length with thickness! Proven genetics from the heart of our herd!

2949 is another outcross bull, who is a thick and well balanced bull sired by KC Jack 0891. 0891 was the Supreme Champion and high selling bull at the SDCBA sale in 2021. The dam of 2949 has a 103 index on 11 calves and a 105 index on 7 bulls averaging 801 lbs at weaning. One of those bulls, 7949, is a walking for us. Look at his EPD’s. He ranks in the top 1% for total maternal and performance (TSI). Proven genetics!

2934 is a low BW bull whose WW is 817 lbs indexing 109% with 53 contemporaries. He ranks in the top 6% of the breed for performance (TSI) and top 2% of the breed for total maternal. His dam indexed 113% for WW and is sired by EC Cracker Jack 234 P. 2934 is moderately framed in a smooth package! Calving ease with performance.

2973 originates from our embryo transfer program. His dam is KC Ms Dakota Bob 973 P ET who has raised two calves with a WW average of 899.5 lbs. 2973 ranks in the top 20% of the breed for calving ease and top 1% for performance traits (TSI). Two full brothers of his dam were Champion Charolais Bulls at previous SDCBA shows. A maternal brother to 2973 is 1973 and is pictured on our website page “Previous Sale Bulls”. A long bull with calving ease and performance in proven genetics.

More information and pictures will be available as the sale day nears.

Call at your convenience: Greg at 605-690-0680, Steve at 605-690-3218

KC Jack 2947 (pictured on 12-28-22)	KC Benaiah 28ET (pictured on 12-28-22)
Jack 2949 (pictured on 1-25-23)	KC Jack 2973 (pictured on 1-25-23)

Bulls for Sale by Private Treaty (12-5-22 EPDs)

Percentile ranking in the Charolais breed of the EPD traits listed in the tables for non-parents on 11-10-22

Walking Sires Represented in private treaty sales with Breed Rank for sires (Top rank% EPD’s)

PC Missouri Bob 1227

×

EC Cracker Jack 234

×

ACE-ORR Makers Mark 689

×

EC Live Target 549

×

KC Dakota Bob 8147

×

KC Jack 0891 P

×

KC Loaded7949

×

WCF MR Rock Star 615

×

EC Double Down 253

×

KC Dakota Bob 7373

×

9296 P KC Ben Spurred

×

Bull	Name		M#	Calving Ease/%Rank	Total Maternal/%Rank	TSI/%Rank	Photos
1227	PC Missouri Bob 1227	Homo Polled	M801740	11.5/15%	63/15%	272.1/9%	View Images
234	EC Cracker Jack 234	Homo Polled	M896459	11.8/15%	65/8%	297/1%	View Images
689	ACE-ORR Makers Mark 689	Polled	M738574	5.1/60%	62/15%	269.8/15%	View Images
549	EC Live Target 549	Homo Polled	M944687	3.6/75%	58/25%	276.6/3%	No Images Available
8147	KC Dakota Bob 8147	Homo Polled	M910893	11.7/15%	67/6%	260.3/25%	View Images
0891	KC Jack 0891 P	Homo Polled	M942431	6/50%	82/1%	301.0/1%	View Images
7949	KC Loaded7949	Homo Polled	M895702	9.2/30%	56/35%	288/2%	View Images
615	WCF MR Rock Star 615	Polled	M885538	10.9/15%	61/15%	253.7/40%	No Images Available
253	EC Double Down 253	Homo Polled	M912490	-.8/95%	48/70%	250.1/45%	No Images Available
7373	KC Dakota Bob 7373	Homo Polled	M895487	10.9/15%	58/25%	265.7/20%	View Images
9296	9296 P KC Ben Spurred	Polled	M925290	10.8/20%	51/55%	251.5/45%	No Images Available

Out of herd AI Sires Represented

Main Herd-Sire Information

Herd Sire: EC Cracker Jack 234 PLD (M896459) is a homozygous polled son of Ace-Orr Lock’n’Load 243 X WCF Lois 234. His WW was 898 and YW was 1488. His first calves hit the ground in 2019and looked great! Currently, his calves are our most popular sire group. Outstanding EPD’s with a TSI in the top 1% of the breed and total maternal epd in the top 6% of the breed. He checks all of the “boxes”!

Herd Sire: PC Missouri Bob 1227 (M801740) is a homozygous polled son of former multiple trait leader Oakdale Duke 9003P X PC Miss Blue Grass 9210. “Bob “has been a several time multiple trait leader. He is easy calving and his calves are cleanly made with high performance. (Pictures of a few of his sons are on the “herd and sale bulls” page of our website). He ranks very high in the breed for both performance and maternal traits. A proven walking sire at age 11.

Herd Sire: ACE-ORR Makers Mark 689 (M738574) is a past National Bull Calf Champion and a several time Yearling Weight Trait Leader. At age 10 Makers Mark 689 settled a set of cows on pasture. He is a many time milk trait leader and hot carcass weight leader. He adds extra length with great performance and carcass data. His daughters have been outstanding. At one time in 2018, the number 1 and 2 bulls for Total Profit Index came from cows sired by Makers Mark 689.

Herd Sire: KC Dakota Bob 8147 is a homozygous polled son of PC Missouri Bob 1227. His dam is 11 years old and is a top ACE-ORR Makers Mark 689 daughter. We liked what we saw in his first calves and decided to use him more heavily. He has not disappointed in calving ease and high growth in a neat package.

Other Sires Represented in Our Genetics

Herd Sire: RW Western Spur 691 (M727438) is a past several time Weaning Weight Trait Leader. He is currently used as an AI sire. From birth to weaning to feedlot to carcass, his progeny are excellent.

Herd Sire: EC Revelation 5030 PLD (M834660) is a homozygous polled son of multiple trait leader M6 New Standard 842P ET X EC Miss Gretchen 5030. His progeny have calving ease and thickness.

Herd Sire: KC Dakota Bob 4167P (M850342) is a homozygous polled son of multiple trait leader PC Missouri Bob 1227. He sires calves with extra length, excellent growth and carcass data.

Herd Sire: KC Ledger 6421 (M888538) is a homozygous polled son of LT Ledger 0332.  His dam is a 689 daughter. 6421 had an 88 pound BW, 827 WW, and 1397 YW. We used him on a set of heifers.

Herd Sire: PF EL Duke 9021 (M499452) has proven calving ease with balanced EPD’s. He has exceptional marbling with big REA. He sired a set of 30 cows at age 9. 9021 is the sire of several champions. One of his daughters was the 6th place show dam of the year for 2014-15 and produced a National Champion Female, TR Miss Kaycee. A full sister to Miss Kaycee is TR Miss Kay 30A ET who was the 2014 Grand Champion at the NAILE and the Reserve Grand Champion at the 2015 NWSS. She was also the number one show female of the year for 2014-15.

Herd Sire: KC Impressed 152 (M620174) is a past Birth Weight Trait Leader. He is a 9021 son. One of his daughters produced KC Queen 7373 who was a division winner in the NWSS in 2008. She is pictured on the females page of our web-site.

Herd Sire: KC Impressed 61ET (EM729783) has calving ease with balanced EPD’s. He is a 9021 son and his progeny are easy fleshing with good carcass data. He is a full brother to KC Design 4246, who had been a milk trait leader for several years working at Wienk Charolais.

Herd Sire: WCR Sir Duke 9046 (M299938) is a several time Weaning Weight and Multiple Trait Leader. He was our main foundation herd sire. He was a walking bull at age 10 settling a set of 30 cows. Easy fleshing with balanced EPD’s.

Herd Sire: KC Design 4246 (M679384) is a several time Milk Trait Leader. Part interest sold to Wienk Charolais where he was an AI sire and walking sire. Semen sold in the Thomas Ranch Dispersal for $950.00 per straw. His genetics have worked well in commercial herds, pure bred herds, and in club calf operations.

AI Herd Sire: Ace-Orr Lock-n-Load 243 P (M836295) is a LT Ledger 0332 son out of an Ace-Orr Makers Mark 689 daughter. In 2018 Lock-n-Load was the number 1 proven sire in the charolais breed for TSI.

AI Herd Sire: LT Ledger 0332 (M791626) is proven with well over 7000 progeny registered in the charolais breed. Calving ease, performance, and carcass quality. His TSI is in the top 30% of the breed.

We sell by private treaty!!