PENNSYLVANIA FURNACE, Pa. — Beef producers earned a record $354,900 for bulls at the 44th Pennsylvania Performance Tested Bull Sale, March 31, at the Pennsylvania Livestock Evaluation Center in Pennsylvania Furnace, Centre County.
The sale tops last year’s record-breaking sale total of $315,300. The 2016 sale still holds the per-bull average record of $3,709. Bulls at this 2017 sale averaged $3,585 per head.
Producers from across Pennsylvania and neighboring states sold 99 Angus, Hereford, Red Angus, Simmental, Shorthorn, British White, Charolais, LimFlex and SimAngus bulls.
Sale tops
Topping the sale at $8,200 was an Angus from Weaverland Valley Farms of New Holland, Lancaster County, sold to Swartfager Farms of Knox, Clarion County. The second-highest selling bull was an Angus consigned by Rutledgedale Farms, of Tyler Hill, Wayne County, and purchased by Robert Marquardt Jr. of Hughesville, Lycoming County.
Fifty-six Angus bulls averaged $3,829, 12 Herefords averaged $2,850, eight Red Angus averaged $3,850, 15 Simmentals averaged $3,340, four SimAngus averaged $4,125, one Charolais brought $2,200, one Shorthorn brought $2,700, one LimFlex brought $2,000, and one British White brought $2,000.
The Pennsylvania Spring Simmental Female and Pennsylvania Angus Finest Female consignment sales followed the bull sale. The bulls completed a 112-day test at the center that evaluated average daily gain, carcass traits and feed efficiency.
Ultrasound scanning
After the testing period, the bulls were ultrasonically scanned to determine ribeye area, marbling and fat thickness and examined for breeding soundness. Since 1973, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Performance Bull Testing Program has provided the state’s beef industry with a way to measure inherited traits through sire evaluation.
The center has adapted with advancing technology, offering expanded information on bulls and enhancing their marketability to potential buyers. Careful guidance and foresight have developed the center into a regional hub for improving the beef industry.
For more information, contact Greg Hubbard at 814-238-2527 or ghubbard@pa.gov, or visit www.livestockevaluationcenter.com.
