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, March 31, at noon.
Top-gaining performance-tested bulls will be sold at the 44th annual performance-tested bull sale. Bulls enrolled in the program will have completed a 112-day test evaluating average daily gain, weight per day of age, feed efficiency, loin muscle size and fat deposition.
Breeding exam
All bulls will be given a breeding soundness exam and must pass to be considered for the sale.
“Now is the time to buy a bull,” said Pa. Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. “Whether you’re looking to get started in the beef business, scaling up your operation, or simply seeking fresh genetics, this is a local opportunity to purchase some of the best bulls from across the Northeast.”
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 178 bulls on test representing nine beef breeds including Angus, British White Park, Hereford, Red Angus, Simmental, SimAngus, Limousin, LimFlex and Charolais. All bulls are consigned by producers from Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
The fastest gaining bull, at the 84-day mark, is an Angus consigned by John Yenny of Triple J Farm in Daisytown, Washington County, that is gaining 6.69 pounds per day on test. The leading Simmental bull on test is consigned by Hillcrest Farm of Auburn, Massachusetts, and is currently gaining 5.73 pounds per day on test.
On test
Bulls on test include: 106 Angus, two British White Parks, one Charolais, 19 Herefords, one LimFlex, one Limousin, 15 Red Angus, two Shorthorns, eight SimAngus and 23 Simmentals. Final weights and information will be compiled into a catalog for the March 31 sale, available online and mailed by request. In addition to the bull sale at the Livestock Evaluation Center on March 31, 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.
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.livestockevaluationcenter.com. For information about the Pennsylvania Cattleman’s beef events, visit http://pacattlemen.org.
