By Blake Jackson
"When buying a bull, it is important to look at performance and genomics when selecting the next herd sire," says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist.
One upcoming sale that integrates these considerations is the 104th Southwest Missouri All Breeds Performance Tested Bull Sale.
Organized by the Southwest Missouri Beef Cattle Improvement Association, the sale will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, October 28, at the Springfield Livestock Marketing Center.
This year’s sale features 33 Angus bulls, two Hereford bulls, and one Sim-Angus/Simmental bull.
"Since expected progeny difference (EPD) is a representation of how a bull’s progeny will perform, it is an important bull selection tool," says Davis.
Bulls in this sale must meet performance standards and specific EPD requirements, ensuring buyers can choose bulls with demonstrated strengths.
The sale mandates that bulls have EPDs above average in at least three out of six categories: calving ease direct, weaning weight, yearling weight, milk, marbling, and ribeye area.
“Genomic testing and incorporating that genomic information into bulls’ EPDs gives the cattle producer more confidence that the bull’s progeny will perform as intended by the EPDs,” says Davis.
Therefore, all bulls in this sale are required to undergo genomic testing, with the results integrated into their EPDs.
In addition to the sale, a session titled “Buying Bulls by the Numbers” will be offered at 5:30 p.m. in the sale arena, prior to the auction.
For further details on the sale and online bidding options, contact Chase Hultgren at 417-880-4479 or via email at chahul04@gmail.com. A sale catalog is available online for reference.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-steveoehlenschlager
Categories: Missouri, Livestock