PENNSYLVANIA FURNACE, Pa. — Mark your calendars to bid on the Mid-Atlantic’s best performance-tested ram lambs and meat goat bucks at the 39th annual Performance-Tested Ram Lamb and 15th annual Performance-Tested Meat Goat Buck sales scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Livestock Evaluation Center in Pennsylvania Furnace, Centre County.
Top-indexing rams and bucks from the performance test were selected for the 2017 sale. The rams and bucks are sold with growth data, loin measurements and fat thicknesses. The information enables buyers to purchase the ram or buck that will contribute the desired performance characteristics to their herds or flocks. Also, the sale provides the opportunity to purchase foundation females consigned by producers with animals in the sale.
Breeds consigned to sale include:
- Ram Lambs: Dorsets, Texels, Dorpers, Hampshires, Shropshire and Suffolks
- Meat Goat Bucks: Full-Blood Boers, Purebred/Percentage Boers, Kikos and Spanish
The rams and bucks completed 77-day and 70-day testing periods, respectively. Throughout the testing periods, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture staff gathered data to determine each animal’s genetic potential in growth, muscling and fat deposition. After conclusion of the test, rams and bucks underwent ultrasound scans for loin eye area and fat thickness. Sheep and meat goat producers can use this data to make important breeding and sales decisions that will bring more value to consumers and increase farm profits.
All rams and bucks selected for sale passed a breeding soundness exam. On sale day, rams and bucks will range in age from 6-11 months.
As part of the day’s activities, the Pennsylvania Sheep and Wool Growers Association will conduct a field day including youth and adult educational programs. Schedules for the field day, including events and speakers, are in the 2017 sale catalog.
For a sale catalog or for information on the test, contact Livestock Evaluation Center staff at 814-238-2527 or ghubbard@pa.gov. View the sale and bid online at Livestockbuyer.com. For more information on the Livestock Evaluation Center and other performance testing programs and sales, visit www.livestockevaluationcenter.com.
— Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture