UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - A remote bidding location in western Pennsylvania will be provided by Penn State Cooperative Extension for the 35th annual Performance Tested Bull Sale, to be held March 28, at the Samuel E. Hayes Jr. Livestock Evaluation Center in Centre County.

Starting at noon, the event gives beef producers an opportunity to gauge the quality of bulls and purchase animals with outstanding genetics, according to John Comerford, associate professor of dairy and animal science and coordinator of beef programs in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. "Each bull has been rated for growth performance and ultrasound tested for carcass data," he says. "With many excellent animals available, the sale will be the largest performance-tested bull sale ever offered in Pennsylvania."

For the first time ever, producers who don't want to travel from the western part of the state will have an opportunity to participate in the sale, held by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, by going to the Washington County office of Penn State Cooperative Extension at 100 Beau St. in Washington, Pa.

"New this year, we recently did individual videos of each bull that is for sale," says Comerford. "Those videos were posted on the Penn State Department of Dairy and Animal Science Web site, where potential buyers can review them and prepare for the sale. They can go to www.das.psu.edu and view bulls by lot number and sale by clicking on '35th Annual Performance Tested Bull Sale' on the right side under Events.

"We will have a real-time video feed of the sale at the Washington County extension office, and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture will have people there to take bid registrations with a telephone connection to the auctioneer at the sale site in Centre County."

Not only can beef producers participate in the performance-tested bull sale from the southwest part of the state, Comerford points out, but the management of the bull sale will even help them arrange truck transportation of animals they buy to their farms. "This is actually a fairly common way of merchandising cattle in this country," he says. "But this is the first time we have tried an offsite bidding location."

116 Bulls Available

This year, 116 bulls representing eight different beef breeds -- including Simmental, Limousin, Angus, Hereford, Red Angus, Charolais, Lim-Flex and crossbred -- will be offered at the sale. All bulls were evaluated on rate of gain, muscling, composition of gain (fat thickness and marbling), and breeding soundness as part of the performance bull testing program.

Leading the sale is the high-indexing Simmental bull consigned by Kenley Myers of Dallastown, Pa. This high-capacity, heavily muscled bull leads the Simmental breed in average daily gain with 6.00 pounds per day. The second Simmental bull is a consignment from Caitlin Wolfgang of Middletown, Pa. The Simmental breed is represented by 23 bulls.

The top-indexing Angus bull is consigned by Robert Work of Smock, Pa. This thick-muscled bull finished test with an average daily gain of 5.54 pounds per day and has an adjusted loin-eye area of 16.9 square inches. The second Angus bull is a consignment of Hannah Grim of East Berlin, Pa. This big, deep-bodied bull has an adjusted loin area of 17.6 inches. Sixty-nine Angus bulls with highly favorable performance data will sell, and 13 are listed as calving ease bulls.

Eleven Hereford bulls from Pennsylvania and New York will be in the sale. The top indexing Hereford bull, consigned by Zane Hausner of Thomasville, Pa., registered tremendous performance, gaining 5.13 pounds per day. Following in the sale is a Hereford bull, consigned by Jack Abrams of Livingston Manor, N.Y., which recorded an adjusted yearling weight of 1,574 pounds.

Two Limousin and two Lim-Flex consignments are included in the sale, including two bulls consigned by Nathan and James Baker of Commodore, Pa., and two bulls consigned by Jim Delaplaine of Three Springs, Pa. These Limousin bulls posted gains as high as 4.71 pounds per day on test and loin areas as high as 20 square inches.

One crossbred (Simmental and Angus) bull will be featured in the sale. This correct, heavily muscled bull, consigned by Leon Tice of New Enterprise, Pa., posted gains of 5.40 pounds per day and has a 16.9 square inch loin-eye area.

The lone Charolais bull in the sale is an outstanding representative of the breed. This calving ease, docile bull was consigned by John Myers of York, Pa.

The seven Red Angus in the sale are led by the fastest gaining bull of all breeds. This wide-made, deep-bodied bull consigned by Wade Vonada of Mill Hall, Pa., maintained 6.02 pounds average daily gain through the 112-day testing period. This son of Pie Avalanche 381 also has a tremendous adjusted 365-day weight of 1,592 pounds.

All bulls to be sold in the 2008 performance tested sale have completed a 112-day test at the Livestock Evaluation Center. This test evaluates bulls on average daily gain, carcass traits and feed efficiency. Following the testing period, the bulls were ultrasonically scanned for loin-eye area, marbling and fat thickness and given breeding soundness exams. Following the bull sale, the Pennsylvania Simmental Association will hold a female Simmental breeding cattle sale. In addition, the 19th annual Pennsylvania Beef Expo will feature educational programs and events, including a trade show for the beef industry, a large junior show and a junior quiz bowl and skill-a-thon.

The Pennsylvania Bull Performance Testing Program is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture to promote a higher level of performance genetics within the beef industry. The selection for economically important traits in the beef industry can benefit the producer and the consumer through a higher-quality, more efficient product.

All performance information, including expected progeny differences, are listed in the 2008 Pennsylvania Performance Bull Sale Catalog, available online at www.agriculture.state.pa.us. For a hard copy of the catalog, please contact Glenn Eberly at 814-238-2527 or geberly@state.pa.us. For more information on the Livestock Evaluation Center, visit the center's Web site at www.agriculture.state.pa.us/lec.

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EDITORS: Contact John Comerford at 814-863-3661 or by e-mail at jxc16@psu.edu.

Writer/Editor Jeff Mulhollem 814-8673-2719 jjm29@psu.edu