Author: Matthew Futrell
Planning Unit: Christian County CES
Major Program: Beef
Plan of Work: Enhancing Production through Sustainable Agriculture and Marketing Strategies
Outcome: Long-Term Outcome
The KY-TN Cowman’s Kind Bull sale was held March 16th, 2024. 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, 35 of the 38 bulls offered were cost share eligible through the Kentucky and or Tennessee cost share programs. The bull sale averaged $3931.43 up from just over $3100.00 last year with breed breakouts as follows: Angus sold 12 for $3770.83, Balancer sold 11 for $3809.09,Sim Angus sold 3 for $3666.67,Gelbvieh sold 1 for $4250,Ultra-Black sold 2 for $5825,Fusion sold 1 for $2750,Simmental sold 1 for $5900,Polled Hereford sold 1 for $4100,Hereford sold 2 for $3525,Black Hereford sold 1 for $3750. Consignor’s to the bull sale were very appreciative of the opportunity to showcase their breeding program to a much larger group of buyers than they would have at the farm for a private treaty sale. At the conclusion of the sale we were able to send producers a lot of bull.
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