STOCKTON, Mo. – “When buying a bull, it is important to look at performance and genomics when selecting the next herd sire,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist.

One sale that incorporates this information into its sale offering is the 104th Southwest Missouri All Breeds Performance Tested Bull Sale. This long-running sale put on by the Southwest Missouri Beef Cattle Improvement Association will be held 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 28, at the Springfield Livestock Marketing Center in Springfield. The sale offering includes 33 Angus bulls, two Hereford bulls and one Sim-Angus/Simmental bull.

“Since expected progeny difference (EPD) is a representation of how a bull’s progeny will perform, it is an important bull selection tool,” says Davis. Therefore, over the years this sale has required bulls to meet performance standards as well as certain EPD requirements. Sale bulls are required to have EPDs that are above average for their breed in three of six EPD categories. The six EPD categories are calving ease direct, weaning weight, yearling weight, milk, marbling and ribeye area. This ensures buyers can purchase a bull at this sale knowing that purchase has some EPD strengths, Davis says. Cattle producers may use other EPDs or indexes in cattle herd sire selection, but these six traits are a good starting point in selecting the next herd sire.

“Genomic testing and incorporating that genomic information into bulls’ EPDs gives the cattle producer more confidence that the bull’s progeny will perform as intended by the EPDs,” says Davis. To that extent, the bulls that sell in this sale are required to be genomic tested and that information incorporated into their EPDs.

“Like in the past, MU Extension plans to have an educational session and answer questions related to using EPDs when buying bulls,” says Davis. This session, titled “Buying Bulls by the Numbers,” will take place before the sale at 5:30 p.m. in the sale arena.

For more information on the sale and online bidding, contact sale manager Chase Hultgren at 417-880-4479 or chahul04@gmail.com.

A sale catalog is available at https://www.pasturetopublish.com/salebooks/ranch-638177111925332520/swmobcia10282024api/flip-book.