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Top Bulls Gain 6+ Pounds a Day

Bull tests show that the old bull ain't what he used to be.

John Vogel, Editor, American Agriculturist

February 13, 2008

1 Min Read

Remember back when 3-pound average daily gains were sizzling good, and 5-pound gains were almost unheard of. Take a peek at the gains in the latest report from Pennsylvania's Bull Testing Program.

The 56-day weight results for a record 160 bulls on test turned in big numbers. The group includes 92 Angus, 36 Simmentals, 15 Herefords, nine Red Angus, four crossbreds, three Limousin and one Charolais.

  • An Adams County Angus was the leading gainer, putting on 6.96 pounds a day with a lifetime weight per day of age at 4.06 pounds. The 92 Angus on test averaged 5.30 pounds per day.

  • The fastest-gaining Simmental bull from Bedford County gained 6.63 pounds per day, while the 36 Simmentals on test averaged 4.87 pounds.

  • A Berks County Hereford led 15 Hereford bulls on test with a 5.32 pound average, while the group averaged 4.41 pounds.

  • A Clinton County Red Angus gained 6.12 pounds a day, while the nine Red Angus bulls averaged 4.98 pounds.

  • The lone Charolais gained 4.07 pounds a day.

  • Three Limousins averaged 3.82 pounds per day, while the crossbreds gained 3.82 to 4.62 pounds.

Bulls head for Expo

Top-performing bulls will head into the sale ring for 35th Annual Performance Tested Bull Sale on Friday, Mar. 28, in conjunction with the 19th annual Pennsylvania Beef Expo.

The Pennsylvania Beef Expo serves as the largest event in the state exclusively featuring beef cattle. Other events featured at the Beef Expo include a Simmental Breeding Cattle Sale on Friday, March 28, at 3 p.m. at the Livestock Evaluation Center, junior activities and shows, and a large trade show.

For more on the performance testing programs and sales, contact Glenn Eberly at 814-238-2527 or [email protected].

About the Author(s)

John Vogel

Editor, American Agriculturist

For more than 38 years, John Vogel has been a Farm Progress editor writing for farmers from the Dakota prairies to the Eastern shores. Since 1985, he's been the editor of American Agriculturist – successor of three other Northeast magazines.

Raised on a grain and beef farm, he double-majored in Animal Science and Ag Journalism at Iowa State. His passion for helping farmers and farm management skills led to his family farm's first 209-bushel corn yield average in 1989.

John's personal and professional missions are an integral part of American Agriculturist's mission: To anticipate and explore tomorrow's farming needs and encourage positive change to keep family, profit and pride in farming.

John co-founded Pennsylvania Farm Link, a non-profit dedicated to helping young farmers start farming. It was responsible for creating three innovative state-supported low-interest loan programs and two "Farms for the Future" conferences.

His publications have received countless awards, including the 2000 Folio "Gold Award" for editorial excellence, the 2001 and 2008 National Association of Ag Journalists' Mackiewicz Award, several American Agricultural Editors' "Oscars" plus many ag media awards from the New York State Agricultural Society.

Vogel is a three-time winner of the Northeast Farm Communicators' Farm Communicator of the Year award. He's a National 4-H Foundation Distinguished Alumni and an honorary member of Alpha Zeta, and board member of Christian Farmers Outreach.

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