Author: John Fourqurean
Planning Unit: McLean County CES
Major Program: Beef
Plan of Work: Livestock Production
Outcome: Long-Term Outcome
The KY-TN Cowman’s Kind Bull sale was held March 4th, 2023. The McLean County Ag Agent, the Christian County Ag Agent KY-TN Livestock Market and a UK Beef Specialist spear headed an effort to provide smaller purebred beef producers with an opportunity to sell their animals in a larger sale than just selling private treaty off the farm. These bulls had to meet certain qualifications: vaccinated for IBR, PI3, BVD, BRSV, vibriosis and Leptospirosis: dewormed with 90 days of sale: tested negative for PI BVD: Non virgin bulls had to be Trich tested: and all bulls had to be Genomic tested. Genomically enhanced EPD’s allowed for a much more accurate account of a bull’s genetic offspring and how they will perform in the feedlot or as a maternal contributor to the buyer’s herd. This sale also allowed the bull buyers to come to a central location and purchase a bull without driving miles and miles looking for a bull. The sale committee made farm visits across West Kentucky and West Tennessee to select bulls that would make a significant genetic contribution to the buyer’s herds. In the sale, the bulls were on site but only offered via video during the Auction, 17 of the 24 bulls offered were cost share eligible through the Kentucky and Tennessee cost share programs. The bull sale averaged $3109.00 with breed breakouts as follows: Hereford $3366.67, Black Hereford $3000.00, Sim-Angus $3433.33, Angus $2366.67, Balancer $3400, and Gelbvieh $2820.00. Sellers in the bull sale commented about how much they appreciated someone finally getting a sale together for the smaller producer and as one sellers said" I would have never sold these bulls for that through private treaty sales".
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