Released March 31, 2008
STILLWATER, Okla. -– Cattle producers looking to improve their herd performance invested $352,200 in search of the perfect sire for their operational needs at the Oklahoma BEEF Inc. All-Breed Performance-Tested Bull Sale on March 27.
In all, 128 head were auctioned off at the popular sale, bringing an average price of $2,751.56 per head.
Two Angus bulls tied for top-selling honors in their breed, at $5,000 each. One was consigned by Davidson Angus Farm of Cement and was purchased by D&D Howard Sheep and Cattle of Mulhall. The other was consigned by 74-51 Cattle Co. of Fairmont and was purchased by Drummond Ranch on the Osage of Shidler.
The top-selling Hereford bull was consigned by McDonald’s Herefords of Taloga and was bought for $3,800 by Pickard Brothers Cattle Co. of Blanchard.
Willis Simmentals of Marietta consigned the top-selling Simmental bull, which was purchased for $2,500 by Joe Greenlee of Perry.
Sale totals by breed were: 120 Angus bulls totaling $332,000 for an average of $2,766.67 per head; four Hereford bulls totaling $11,440 for an average of $2,862.50 per head; and four Simmental bulls totaling $8,750 for an average of $2,187.50 per head.
“If a producer uses a performance-tested bull with proven genetic evaluation, the daughters of that bull will be genetically superior to their mothers and the result is improvement in the overall herd, which affects profit,” said Bob Kropp, OBI executive secretary and Oklahoma State University professor of animal science.
Each bull sold through OBI undergoes a breeding soundness examination and is tested for brucellosis and tuberculosis or is from a certified-free herd. All bulls must index in the top 70 percent of their test group.
“OBI has been having bull sales since 1973,” said Tim Stidham, OBI test station director. “With 30-plus years of feeding bulls, the dependability of our performance records is unmatched. OBI customers depend on the reliability of these bulls.”
Performance test results for bulls include: average daily gain; weight per day of age; adjusted 365-day weight; scrotal circumference; ultrasonic data for rib eye area, fat thickness and marbling; hip height; computation of performance ratios; and Expected Progeny Differences as provided by breed associations.
All OBI bulls are tested according to procedures recommended by the Beef Improvement Federation. Each bull developed at OBI is housed and fed in its respective breed barn. One ration is fed to all bulls throughout the 112-day test. Bulls of some breeds are fed using self feeders; other breeds are fed using fence-line bunks.
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Contact: Donald Stotts, (405) 744-4079, donald.stotts@okstate.edu
