by Jeffrey Dastin, CNN • Updated 21st December 2017
It’s the question that every bitbreed obsessive dreams about: Does your chosen breed come with a built-in stud fee?
Whatever their feelings on “my bull,” you probably know that a breeder’s rump fee (the amount they charge to another breeder to gain them) sets a benchmark that often drives a trade’s price up and also sets the expectations for the breeder.
Breeders are required to disclose this information, but in many cases, none of it is ever disclosed.
That’s in part because breeder fees are basically a private item, and breeders have told us that they’re being too tight-lipped — more concerned with a show’s financial health than one day owning a litter of puppies.
The breeders also add that they need to maintain confidentiality, and since the information is shared only between them and their buyers, they think it’s necessary to keep it private from the outside world.
Here’s what we know:
Breeders’ fees vary widely
“Brawn” (the size and strength of a bull) and genetics tend to drive the price of a bull. They also go a long way toward determining a breeder’s fee, and the differences between breeders are considerable.
Breeders can charge between $1,500 and $2,000, or as much as $40,000, to buy just one-third of a bull, depending on where they live, their demand and how many bulls they have available.
“Anyone can buy bull,”
Most breeder fees are paid to local or regional auctions (keylesscorder.com ), which “key” the prospective breeder to the sex of the bull and get the name of the proven sire.
