MT. VERNON, Mo. — The 91st sale of performance-evaluated bulls hosted by the Southwest Missouri Beef Cattle Improvement Association saw an average price of $3144 on 34 bulls. The sale, held March 26 at Springfield Livestock Marketing Center, had prices ranging from $2000 to $4300 with six bulls not getting a bid.
There have been a large number of bull sales in the southwest Missouri area since February with even more sales scheduled in April according to Eldon Cole, a livestock specialist with University of Missouri Extension.
“It appears we may have reached the saturation point for bulls this spring even though we have a heavy concentration of beef cows in the four-state region. Breeders need to be more selective in retaining bulls this year,” said Cole.
Seventy-five buyer numbers were obtained at sale, and 25 made a purchase. Twenty-five of the 34 bulls, or 74 percent, sold to repeat buyers from the previous 91 sales.
TOP SELLING BULLS
The top-selling bull sold for $4300. The consignor was Clearwater Farm of Springfield which has consigned to almost every sale since the first in April 1973.
The buyer was Merle Schnelle, Lockwood. He and his brothers bought their first bulls at this sale in 1981. Merle’s purchase was a son of VAR Index 3282. His impressive expected progeny difference (EPD) included: a 4 for calving ease; 70 for weaning weight; 128 for yearling weight; 30 for milk; $67.61 for $wean and $166.89 for $beef.
“These EPDs, except for calving ease, rank him in the top 10 percentile for Angus, non-parent bulls,” said Cole.
The second high-selling Angus was entered by Blue Mound Angus, Sheldon Swartzentruber, El Dorado Springs. He sold for $4100 to Matthew Dill, Niangua, also a repeat buyer. The bull’s sire was SydGen Fate 2800.
The lone SimAngus bull, consigned by Breezin B Farm, Gregg, and Sandy Bailey, Republic brought $4000 on a bid from Franklin Cheek, Mt. Vernon. The bull’s sire was W/C Lock Down 206Z a 5/8 Simmental, 3/8 Angus.
MORE INFORMATION
The SW MO BCIA bull sale is held each March and October. Assisting with the sale are University of Missouri Extension livestock specialists who use it to promote the use of objective performance data such as EPDs, genomic tests as well as visual appraisal when selecting a bull.
Consignors to the sale must reside in the southwest corner of the state ranging from Vernon county east to Laclede and south to Howell and Texas counties.
More details are available from MU Extension livestock specialists or sale manager Pam Naylor, Buffalo 417-345-8330. Get the sale catalog, results information and information on the Missouri Steer Feedout and Show-Me-Select Heifer program on at www.swmobcia.com.
— Eldon Cole, University of Missouri Extension
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