URBANA, Ill. – Commercial cow-calf producers and seedstock breeders interested in purchasing a total performance tested bull will want to attend the 2020 Illinois Performance Tested Bull Sale, the leadoff event of the Illinois Beef Expo. There are 56 bulls cataloged with 24 being longer-aged 2018 mature bulls and 32 yearlings. A breakdown of the breeds includes 29 Angus, 19 Simmental and SimAngus, and 8 Polled Hereford. The sale is scheduled for Thursday, February 20, at 11:00 a.m. and will be held in the Livestock Center on the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield.
The 2020 edition will be the 52nd annual sale with 4,788 bulls valued at over $8.8 million sold across all previous sales, according to Travis Meteer, IPT Bull Sale Manager. The sale order will be based on a Power Score system that utilizes the economic indexes provided by the breed associations. The Power Score will be calculated on the “Percentile Rank” for these values. The economic indexes are $W and $B for Angus, API and TI for Simmental, and BMI and CHB for Hereford.
Along with strict requirements for superior EPDs (Expected Progeny Differences), bulls must meet some of the most rigorous requirements in the industry. “These bulls don’t just have to pass the test, they have to pass every test,” says Meteer.
All of the bulls must meet a stringent minimum scrotal circumference for their age. Mothers of the bull are required to test negative for Johne’s Disease or come from a Level 1 or higher herd of the Voluntary Johne’s Certification Program. Bulls also must be tested free for Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD) using the Persistently Infected (PI) ear notch screening system. All Senior and January yearlings must be fertility tested. All bulls must meet weight, frame, and functional soundness evaluations prior to the sale.
The 2020 IPT Bull Sale offers some of the most elite bulls found anywhere in the United States as verified by their Power Scores. Highlighting the 2020 sale will be several genetic powerhouse bulls that have light birth weight, high growth, and carcass desirability. Proven breed-leaders, AI sires, and legendary breed icons fill the pedigrees of the bulls. There are truly unique combinations of performance, pedigree, and phenotype offered through the sale.
The IPT Bull Sale catalog and supporting information can be found online. The website contains all the pedigree information, adjusted weights, Power Scores, and EPDs on seven different traits and two dollar value indexes. In addition, there is a list of registration numbers for all the bulls that allow prospective buyers to print a “Performance Pedigree” from the breed associations. The web site also provides more complete information on how the “Power Score” is calculated, summary of the past 51 IPT Bull Sales. Online bidding will be offered through LiveAuctions.TV. All information is available on the website. The website can be found at www.IPTBullSale.com.
All bulls will sell with genomic-enhanced EPDs, which increases the accuracy and reliability of the EPD values. Most all of this year’s consignors have consigned bulls to previous sales and represent some of the elite seedstock suppliers in the state of Illinois and the Midwest. These bulls to sell on February 20 are a direct result of generations of planned matings.
The sale is supported by University of Illinois Extension, University of Illinois Animal Science Department, Illinois Angus Association, Illinois Simmental Association, Vita-Ferm, Boehringer-Ingleheim, Zoetis 50K, and ABS. For more information on the sale or bulls consigned contact Travis Meteer at 217-430-7030 or email at wmeteer@gmail.com.
Source/Writer: Travis Meteer, Extension Educator, Commercial Agriculture – Beef, wmeteer@gmail.com, 217-430-7030