PENNSYLVANIA FURNACE, Pa. — Beef producers have an opportunity to buy some of the best genetics in the Northeast during a cattle sale at Pennsylvania’s Livestock Evaluation Center in Pennsylvania Furnace, Centre County on Friday, March 27, at noon.
Top-gaining performance-tested bulls will be sold at the 47th annual Performance-Tested Bull Sale. Bulls selected for the sale have completed a 112-day test evaluating average daily gain, weight per day of age, feed efficiency, loin muscle size and fat deposition. All bulls will be given a breeding soundness exam and must pass it to be considered for the sale.
“The tested bull sale doesn’t disappoint. This local opportunity is the best way to add some of the finest genetics from across the Northeast to your herd,” said Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. “Every spring, we see the exceptional calves sired by bulls sold at this auction. With this sale, we better meet the needs of producers.”
Not all bulls will be selected for the sale – the sale committee will evaluate the bulls that complete the test and select the best bulls for auction based on their performance in all components of the test.
There are currently 164 bulls on test representing eight beef breeds including Angus, Hereford, Red Angus, Simmental, SimAngus Shorthorn and Wagyu. All bulls are consigned by producers from Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Connecticut.
The fastest gaining bull at the 84-day mark is an Angus consigned by Mark Welytok of Richfield Springs, NY, that is gaining 5.95 lbs. per day on test. The leading SimAngus bull on test is consigned by Palmer Cattle Co. of Linesville, Crawford County, and is currently gaining 5.52 lbs. per day on test.
Bulls on test include: 106 Angus, 18 Simmentals, 16 Herefords, 12 Red Angus, four Black Herefords, one Shorthorn, one Angus/ Wagyu Crossbred, and six SimAngus. Final weights and information will be compiled into a catalog for the March 27 sale, available online and mailed by request.
In addition to the bull sale at the Livestock Evaluation Center on March 27, there will be a trade show sponsored by the Pennsylvania Cattlemen’s Association and two additional beef cattle female sales: the Pennsylvania Simmental Association Spring into Excellence Female Sale and the Pennsylvania Angus Association Finest Female Sale.
Since 1973, the Pennsylvania Performance Bull Testing Program has helped the state’s beef industry measure inherited traits through sire evaluation. The center uses advancing technology to offer more information on bulls and enhance their marketability to potential buyers with each year. Careful guidance and foresight have developed the center into a regional hub for improving the beef industry.
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Livestock Evaluation Center measures genetic traits for beef, swine, sheep, and meat goats for two purposes: to benefit producers through evaluating economically important traits and to benefit consumers by providing wholesome, high-quality products at an affordable price.
For more information about Pennsylvania’s performance testing programs and sales or facilities for hosting livestock events, contact Greg Hubbard at 814-238-2527 or ghubbard@pa.gov, or visit www.agriculture.pa.gov/
–Shannon Powers, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture