Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE- Area producers have the opportunity to acquire quality genetics for their beef herds at the Wisconsin Beef Improvement Association's 52nd annual Performance Selected Bull Sale. It will be held April 4, 2009 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville's Pioneer Farm.

The sale benefits both Pioneer Farm and producers. Producers get the opportunity to improve their herds with different genetics or get income from selling bulls. Pioneer Farm gets additional income from genetic testing and is able to offer student learning experiences. Students in the Animal Science Management class taught by Alicia Prill-Adams, assistant director of Pioneer Farm, gain beef management experience by performing ultrasounds and fertility tests. Student workers also handle the bulls the day of the sale.

Buyers are assured they are getting superior genetics because each bull is tested for genetic merit by an expected progeny difference test. These tests are done in a non-biased environment at Pioneer Farm. Only bulls that have a 95 percent index after testing make the sale. EPDs reveal traits such as weight per day of age, average daily gain, carcass quality and breeding soundness. Ultrasounds are done to determine rib eye quality and amount of back fat. A DNA test is also available to consigners, which determines rib eye quality, percentage of intramuscular fat, tenderness and behavior.

"Pioneer Farm provides a neutral environment where management is removed as a factor and the bull's genetic potential for gain is truly expressed. The bulls are all handled the same in an unbiased manner. Therefore, we can see the potential of what the offspring from these bulls are going to gain when in a feedlot situation," said Prill-Adams.

Pioneer Farm is contracted by the Wisconsin Beef Improvement Association to provide testing and care for the bulls. Consigners bring their bulls to the farm in the fall to be tested and only pay a yardage fee and feed and veterinary costs. Once the bull is sold, the consigner receives the profit from the sale. Josh Kamps, WBIA board member and UWP alumnus and his wife, Gretchen, camp coordinator for the UWP School of Agriculture, own an Angus seed stock business and are consigners.

"This is our fifth year participating in the sale. It's a good way to get non-biased testing information so we can compare what we're doing with what others are doing with their animals. The staff is excellent. They walk the pens every day and treat any sick animals. They always call you right away if something is wrong, even if it's a weekend. It's worked out well. We've sold bulls so others can get new genetics on their farm and bought bulls to get new genetics on our farm," said Gretchen.

More information about the WBIA Performance Selected Bull Sale or test station visit www.wisconsinbeef.com or contact Prill-Adams at (608) 342-1119 or prillada@uwplatt.edu.

Contact: Alicia Prill-Adams, assistant director, UWP Pioneer Farm, (608) 342-1119, prillada@uwplatt.edu Written by: Krystle Kurdi, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, kurdik@uwplatt.edu