Released Feb. 29. 2008

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Cattle producers looking to improve herd performance should be putting pencil to paper now to determine the type of animals they want at the Oklahoma BEEF Inc. All-Breed Performance-Tested Bull Sale in March.

Approximately 144 bulls will be available at the popular sale, scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 27, at the OBI test station, eight miles west of Stillwater on State Highway 51.

“If a producer uses a performance-tested bull with proven genetic evaluation, then 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.

Currently there are 135 Angus, five Simmental and four Hereford bulls consigned for the sale.

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.

Update sheets and ultrasound data for the bulls will be available the week prior to the sale at http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/exten/OBI/ on the Internet. The information also will be provided on-site the day of the sale.

Anyone seeking additional information should contact the OBI office at (405) 744-9287.

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http://www2.dasnr.okstate.edu/Members/donald.stotts-40okstate.edu/obi-bull-sale-set-for-march-27

Contact: Donald Stotts, (405) 744-4079, donald.stotts@okstate.edu