Beef bonanza
<p>Abel JimenezÊscares off a group of cattle as he tries to separate cows and heifers for auction Friday at the Rocking R Ranch in Hayden. The ranch hosted a production sale with five other ranches that attracted 60 buyers from across the country.</p>
<p>Logan Ipsen announces a bid to the auctioneer as buyers try to outbid each other for seed stock for breeding.</p>
HAYDEN - Here's a cow that will fill the auction ring. Look at the hips on that one - really square and level.
These are the kind of females that will give birth to what will become a $5,000 bull.
So, put it in the trailer.
The Rocking R Cattle Co., of Hayden, hosted the inaugural Rendezvous at Rocking R female cattle sale on Friday.
The sale had more than 60 buyers participating. Six ranches, including Rocking R, sold seed stock for breeding.
Mike Hajny, owner of Hajny Land and Livestock, of Ellensburg, Wash., said he was pleased with the wide buyer base, and impressed with Rocking R's event.
"We had a good, competitive sale today," Hajny said.
He said the ranches were selling their top genetic stock.
Nationwide, beef cattle herds are at an all-time low, so sellers, like Hajny, are getting great prices, he said.
Buyers were looking for females to add new genetics to their stock.
Andy Wright, a resident of Post Falls who operates a ranch in Plummer, said he bought three heifers and a cow - and all four were pregnant. A heifer hasn't had a calf, while a cow already has done so.
"The cattle market is really good," said Wright, who raises cattle for beef.
Buyer Veryl Kellmer, of Clayton, Wash., northwest of Deer Park, took home two pregnant cows, paying $2,300 for one and $1,500 for the other.
"I think I got a pretty good buy on the $1,500 cow," he said.
Both cows were bred by Rocking R. Kellmer previously purchased three cows from Rocking R and wanted more, he said.
Rocking R is owned and operated by Ron and Shelley Rosenberger, who also own Rosenberger Construction, a residential general contractor.
"They're all good stock," Kellmer said. "They're top of the line. (Ron Rosenberger) has been at it a long time."
Ron Rosenberger said, "Cattle prices are as high as they've ever been. It's a good time to own cattle."
Many buyers that attended were from Idaho, Washington, Montana, Oregon, California and Canada. Buyers also participated nationwide via the Internet and by phone.
The average sale on more than 80 head was $2,100, and the offerings included bred heifers and cows, weanling calves, and embryos.
The higher selling animals of the day brought in more than $5,000 each.
One of the Rosenbergers' daughters, Chelsea, said the family decided to host the sale to generate some exposure for the ranch and to get some quality cattle in front of people.
The family-owned Rocking R, located along Lancaster Road, just east of Rimrock Road, raises registered Angus beef.
"We just have a passion for cattle," Chelsea Rosenberger said.
Rocking R's partners in the sale were TW Ela Cattle Co., of Hayden; Hajny Land and Livestock, of Ellensburg; Gardiner Prime Angus Ranch, of Bonners Ferry; SHB Angus, of Reardon, Wash.; and Pioneer Angus, of Hay, Wash.
Following the sale, buyers and sellers received a free tri-tip steak dinner and drinks, with live music by The Kelly Hughes Band.