A22-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 14, 1992 EPDs, Indexing Create Perfect Balance In Bull Selection Second in a series Editor’s note: Commercial beef cow/calf operations rely heavily on good bull records to ensure the value of their herd. Last week, in the first of the bull buyers series, Lancaster Farm ing spoke to several farmers about the important trails in selecting herd sires and general herd management This week, we take another look at expected progeny differences (EPDs) and records useful for those who will attend the 19tb Performance- Tested Bull Sale at the Penn State Ag Arena during the Beef Expo on March 27. ANDY ANDREWS Lancaster Farming Staff UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre Bull Testing Program Under Way UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre Co.) The Pennsylvania Depart ment of Agriculture’s official Bull Performance Testing program is well under way. Fifty-two of the state’s most progressive purebred breeders have consigned 73 of their best purebred bulls of various breeds to the testing program at the Meat Animal Evaluation Centra. This year there are 27 Angus, 19 Polled Herefords, 18 Simmentals, S Charolais, 2 Chiangus. 2 Limou sin and 1 Salers. Upon completion of the 112-day testing period, the bulls are sub jected to evaluation including a comprehensive breeding sound ness exam, measurement of fat thickness and loin-eye area, and a health exam which includes blood ind TB testing, enabling the bulls to be sold anywhere in the country. Ihe bulls must also meet minimum requirements for structural cor rectness and breed character. Indi vidual feed efficiencies will be cal culated for the bulls. After all of the indexes are cal culated and the evaluations Mialyzed, approximately the top 75 percent of the bulls are selected o be sold at Pennsylvania’s 19th Annual Performance Tested Bull sale scheduled for noon, March 27, 1992, at Penn State’s Ag Arena. The bull sale again is one of the major components of the third \nnual Pennsylvania Beef Expo, which is scheduled for March 16-29. The Pennsylvania Polled Hereford Association has their FOR YOUR SPRING SEED NEEDS CONTACT CARGILL MARIETTA Very Attractive Pricing For Hybrid Com And Alfalfa Seed CALL TOLL FREE 1-800-822-0769 Ask For Greg or Mitch Co.) For beef cow/calf opera tors, it’s time to take a long, hard look at your herd. By inspecting the herd carefully for deficiencies across the board including birthweights, wean ing weights, yearling weights, milk production, and a host of other items you may be able to come up with the traits that bulls from selected breeds can provide to improve your herd. And information obtained before attending a bull sale, such as the Performance-tested Bull Sale on March 27 at the Beef Expo, will help you make a decision on what kinds of bulls to buy. But what goes into determing the “best” bull? And what records are required to help you in the decision-making process? state female sale planned for immediately following the bull sale Friday afternoon. The Pennsylvania Angus, Sim mental, Salers and Charolais Asso ciations will be conducting their -espective state breed female sales in Saturday, March 28. The Expo schedule for Thurs day includes an educational prog ram which will cover the topic “Improving Health in the Cattle Herd” and the trade show opening. The trade show will provide door prizes and activities as well as an opportunity to preview what is available in the animal health, nutrition, and equipment areas as well as many other associated products. Other Expo events include ani mal exhibits featuring superior cows and bulls and a number of activities for the Junior Pennsylva nia Cattlemen’s Association including a junior heifer show on Saturday evening and a junior steer show on Sunday, March 29. For further information on the Performance Tested Bull Sale or the Pennsylvania Beef Expo or to request a bull sale or breed female catalogs, contact Glenn Eberly, director, Meat Animal Evaluation Center, 651 Fox Hollow Road, State College, PA 16803, (814) 238-2527 or (814) 865-5857. SAVES MONET - Haata your homo and domootic hot wotor (aava to 25% of alactrle bill). No naad for building or chimnay. ■ATE - Furnaoa olta outaida allmlnataa fira dangar and flua lira foravar. clean - No amoka, wood, aahaa, duat In tha homo. CONVENIENT - Load furnaca ovary 10*12 houra • burna logo up to IS” In diamatar, SO" in langth. Save » 0 0010 Si 00.00 ATTENTION on hosting and hot FARMERS We Install Tremendous impact “Environment or management can have a tremendous impact on the performance of an animal,” said Glenn Eberly, manager of the Meat Animal Evaluation Center at University Park. Purebred beef operations in Pennsylvania can nominate selected bulls to be performance tested and sold. They’re put on a 112-day feeding test, where they’re weighed every 28 days, and average daily gains are calcu lated on the bulls. Feed efficiency for each bull is also calculated. At the end of the test, the bulls are evaluated for structural correctness, including an ultrasound to determine loin eye and fat thickness. The bulls under go a comprehensive reproductive exam, and other physical exams including pelvic area, scrotal cir cumference, penis structure, and other factors. (See the accompanying charts for details on specific factors.) The bulls are compared within a breed group and an index is calcu lated. “The specific index we use is 50 percent on an average daily gain ratio. 30 percent on adjusted 365-day weight ratio, and 20 per cent on fat thickness. ’ ’ said Eberly. (The 20 percent is based on a 10 percent deviation from the mean of the breed group, or the number of bulls of the breed on test at one time.) The index eliminates most of the variations that can occur with dif ferent types of off-site manage- —''—'w . N, HARDY ) D| “OutoWt’ j n Wood Fumpc* 1 Perfect For • Nsw Homss • Existing Homss • Swimming Pools • Greenhouse • Bsm • Milkhouss • Offics • Business Placss For More Information Contact STANLEY WENSEL, JR. General Contractor Box 24, Barree, PA 16615 814-669-4558 Breed group Easily Connects To Forced Air/ Hot Water Systems HH " B HHIIHIHMIxS All StilnlM* StMl Th.rmo.tat Controll.d 24 Hr. Service ment. The bulls are sorted by the index the higher the index, the better price at auction time. Eberly said “the owner is | Lot 1* | Hertford potled Ear Tag 402 Tattoo 108 CHGlnfonKfobon 20X I H CHQ Mm Kay 5M OFF Dtbonar 307 K WEA Trantfoimar S2l H RQF Mot Jmta L 478 PaMc 1820 Scratai Clrc. 32 5 Faai EA; 0.00 Prowoanliy Welsh u DO* (IM-I Ml »■ Day Wl lIM.I 3 63 Farfarma«>ea Part. Malta E. Strouao. Whaal Estate Acres owwri R«<| | Lot 2 I Hartford potlad Ear Tag 401 Tattoo ElO3 Determination 15Q RB Stamana 719 U it: ~TZ — EPH Invatnt* 423 , 1 EPHIrwwrmOIQ *<•■« 1777 Scram Clrc. 38 5 **: 0.00 Preweanlm waiflhv OOA (»>*.) mi aos Day wt PaffacmaMa Part ftrta ileston. E( Owner: Mario M E( | Lot 3 I Hereford polled Ear Tag 214 Tattoo 115 Determination ISG FLFi 3U Determne i j: 1 r i RRH Miw Enforcer 3591 I * 168 7 Senul Clre. 310 fm* eK.s 415 Preweenin' Watfht/ OOA (I**.) Mi. aof Day WL (Ika.) 3 18 Parfamienca tart. IMa o—»! John 8 Jm«t Humi Fifty-five bulls will be for sale at the 19th Performance- Tested Bull Sale at the Beef Expo. This Is a sample from the sale catalog. A A Now THE COMPLETE SYSTEM Available Mv KRONE triple NIEMEVEK EQUIPMENT To Better Serve Our Customers, We’re Proud To introduce The Full Line Of Krone Niemeyer™ Equipment To Our Existing Products... “A Ni Choi Mot AMG HAY TEDDERS • 3 Pt. Hitch • Pull Type • Hyd. Fold New Dealer j Discounts Ara , . Mow Available^ involved in the process of promot ing his bulls and in promoting his operation, too. It gives him an (Turn to Pag* A 27) WEA Inbmidator 108 Birth Otto 1-31-91 Birth Walght 108 Toat 112 Dai Final Wat«M Qha.) FfMM Ml HaHWI Scar* 4 26 546 1460 401 Ptefton Df. SM» CoO EPH Ztus 103 Birth Data 1-2-91 Birth Walght 92 Ktondiha Ban nr 469 L 112 D«i Tot An. Dally Gain Final W*i«M (Ika.) Frama Ml. HaltlH Scara 385 548 142 S RD #l. Box 12. Elkland PA 16920 >«lon'« Po<«d KPF Delta Fore* Birth Oat* 4-8-91 Birth W*lqht 8D Tati 112 Da^ Final Waltht (i>a.i Fraina Mi. Halyht Sear* 3 83 51 6 1088 iihw Fnrmt 30 »2. Box 91 Patton. 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Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers