The Wisconsin Beef Improvement Association Performance Selected Bull Sale is Saturday, April 1 starting at 11 a.m. at UW-Platteville and online. There are plenty of ways to scope out the animals online or in-person ahead of the sale.
The association has been evaluating and developing beef bulls in Wisconsin since 1957. It’s the longest running continuous bull test in the nation.
Association President Allan Arndt says you can expect more than 60 premier bulls to be at auction on Saturday. He says the testing is rigorous.
Bulls are screened at home several times for things like birth weight and calving ease. Every bull in the test has to be verified for parentage. Once at Platteville, they have to perform to what the test requires. The association requires that a bull gains 3.2 pounds per day or more. The bulls also have to pass a breeding soundness (feet, legs, mobility and fertility) exam before the auction. The bulls are also screened for carcass traits.
“Our goal is to present data for the producer to define the best bull for him,” Arndt says. He notes that 90 bulls came to Platteville, and about 64 or 65 will be for sale.
The bulls are mostly from Wisconsin. Some come from Iowa, Indiana and as far away as New York. Bulls are sold to folks in Nebraska, Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Texas.
“There’s quality here, there’s no doubt about it,” Arndt says.
When it comes to price, last year’s average was around $4,000 per bull. With cattle prices rising, he says it’s anybody’s guess what the average will be this year.
“The old thumb rule is that a bull is worth the price of three fat cattle,” he says.
See the bulls in-person at UW-Platteville any day this week or come early on Saturday. Find a sale catalogue with video of the bulls at wisconsinbeef.com. Bid in-person or online at DVAuctions.com.
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