2019 Florida Bull Test

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Well it's that time of year, we sat out the Bull Test last year but are taking a couple this year. We won't be putting them in the sale but want to see how they perform against bulls from other programs. I have a theory that we can become pasture blind, if we're not careful. A number of very good breeders participate in the bull evaluations each year, they bring bulls with excellent genetics as well as performance. The data we receive from the test is valuable to us in determining how we are stacking up and if we need to make adjustments. Anyone else hauling any to Florida this year or any other test? We are taking Gizmo Sensation F51 reg# 19450739 and Gizmo Abundance F52 reg# 19448505

Gizmom
 
Getting into a bull test is something that I have thought about. I'd like to see how my genetics do against some of the others around me, and help get my name out there. Not sure which one I would do, but maybe the North Alabama bull test in Cullman.
 
Southernultrablack,
We have been to both so I can give you my experiences with both test facilities.

Pros(both)
Fantastic people that take care of the bulls on a daily basis. Extension personnel that work hard to do the best job at both places.

Cons(both)
You are gonna have a tough time selling bulls at either place if you dont have a buyer or two in you pocket on sale day. You are considering going for the same reasons I went to them, think you have bulls that can do people some good and dont have buyers knocking on your door to buy them private treaty.

Florida bull test
I like the feed efficiency part of the equation, dont like the ration. The ration has no corn. Imo you you are doing feed efficiency you should have a ration closely matching a feed yard type ration to see what the bulls progeny might look like in a feed yard. That being said, Our bulls did really well on feed efficiency in 4 years we finished 2nd twice and out of a total of 8 bulls we only had one finish outside the top 50 and he got hurt lost weight first half of test, finished between 50th and 60th. We had 4 bulls out of 8 in top 10 for their years. In good years bulls brought good money averaged 4800 on year, averaged 1800 the next on our bulls. In 2019 had a bull finish 17th overall,
2nd in feed efficiency, Sold 9th bring 1800.. cost 1000 bucks for the test and sale per bull (round numbers)

North alabama
Ration is plenty hot, maybe too hot, gains in the 6 to 7 lb range for the warm up. These bulls were on feed before delivery. We haven't been there since 2014 so ration might have changed. Bring a bull that is at least a 6 frame. Really nice shade for the bulls, really hilly ground.

Gizmom is doing it the right way, test them, bring them home, sell them for what they are worth to her.

If you have any questions shoot me a pm..
 
I'm considering our bull test but I'd like to hear from others who've had experiences with them (ours in particular)... I looked up last years sale averages. I don't know anyone that goes there to buy a bull. So I'm guessing most operations have to really promote their bull at sale. So we'd probably choose not to sell there also. I want the data.
 
I've been in talks with Midland to take 5 SAV America 8018 sons to them. They may flop, they may be winners, who knows. What I do like however is that if someone else is taking care of things, people have a harder time calling b.s. on your efforts. I do like that the system sorts out the bulls with merit from those with hype.

Midland made one thing very clear to me. "We are in this marketing process together, you must push as hard as we do" Fair enough, I have that covered.
 
jscunn said:
Southernultrablack,
We have been to both so I can give you my experiences with both test facilities.

Pros(both)
Fantastic people that take care of the bulls on a daily basis. Extension personnel that work hard to do the best job at both places.

Cons(both)
You are gonna have a tough time selling bulls at either place if you dont have a buyer or two in you pocket on sale day. You are considering going for the same reasons I went to them, think you have bulls that can do people some good and dont have buyers knocking on your door to buy them private treaty.

Florida bull test
I like the feed efficiency part of the equation, dont like the ration. The ration has no corn. Imo you you are doing feed efficiency you should have a ration closely matching a feed yard type ration to see what the bulls progeny might look like in a feed yard. That being said, Our bulls did really well on feed efficiency in 4 years we finished 2nd twice and out of a total of 8 bulls we only had one finish outside the top 50 and he got hurt lost weight first half of test, finished between 50th and 60th. We had 4 bulls out of 8 in top 10 for their years. In good years bulls brought good money averaged 4800 on year, averaged 1800 the next on our bulls. In 2019 had a bull finish 17th overall,
2nd in feed efficiency, Sold 9th bring 1800.. cost 1000 bucks for the test and sale per bull (round numbers)

North alabama
Ration is plenty hot, maybe too hot, gains in the 6 to 7 lb range for the warm up. These bulls were on feed before delivery. We haven't been there since 2014 so ration might have changed. Bring a bull that is at least a 6 frame. Really nice shade for the bulls, really hilly ground.

Gizmom is doing it the right way, test them, bring them home, sell them for what they are worth to her.

If you have any questions shoot me a pm..

JS, thank you very much for the info!
 
southernultrablack said:
jscunn said:
Southernultrablack,
We have been to both so I can give you my experiences with both test facilities.

Pros(both)
Fantastic people that take care of the bulls on a daily basis. Extension personnel that work hard to do the best job at both places.

Cons(both)
You are gonna have a tough time selling bulls at either place if you dont have a buyer or two in you pocket on sale day. You are considering going for the same reasons I went to them, think you have bulls that can do people some good and dont have buyers knocking on your door to buy them private treaty.

Florida bull test
I like the feed efficiency part of the equation, dont like the ration. The ration has no corn. Imo you you are doing feed efficiency you should have a ration closely matching a feed yard type ration to see what the bulls progeny might look like in a feed yard. That being said, Our bulls did really well on feed efficiency in 4 years we finished 2nd twice and out of a total of 8 bulls we only had one finish outside the top 50 and he got hurt lost weight first half of test, finished between 50th and 60th. We had 4 bulls out of 8 in top 10 for their years. In good years bulls brought good money averaged 4800 on year, averaged 1800 the next on our bulls. In 2019 had a bull finish 17th overall,
2nd in feed efficiency, Sold 9th bring 1800.. cost 1000 bucks for the test and sale per bull (round numbers)

North alabama
Ration is plenty hot, maybe too hot, gains in the 6 to 7 lb range for the warm up. These bulls were on feed before delivery. We haven't been there since 2014 so ration might have changed. Bring a bull that is at least a 6 frame. Really nice shade for the bulls, really hilly ground.

Gizmom is doing it the right way, test them, bring them home, sell them for what they are worth to her.

If you have any questions shoot me a pm..

JS, thank you very much for the info!

I second that comment!
 
I always have kind of thought of bull tests like cattle shows. Some people do them and do very well, but it's an outlier of the industry. And it puts an emphasis on terminal, which is starting to become a four letter word. The only bull of note I can remember coming from test was BR Midland who was eventually owned by practically every seed stock operator in America at the time.
 
Any of the bull test sales are probably the best place for most folks to buy a quality bull at a decent price. Most consignors are trying to promote their operation and send good stock, there's not much bs involved, they must preform against their peers or go home.
 
Creek

We don't enter the test thinking we will ever win, our cattle are developed for balanced traits if we are heavy on any trait it would be maternal not performance. These test give you great information on how your cattle preform not only against bulls of our breed but bulls of other breeds. The feed efficiency portion of the test has been an eye opener as well. Our cattle have not done as well as JSCunn bulls in that area. We have been very inconsistent in feed efficiency

Gizmom
 
gizmom said:
Creek

We don't enter the test thinking we will ever win, our cattle are developed for balanced traits if we are heavy on any trait it would be maternal not performance. These test give you great information on how your cattle preform not only against bulls of our breed but bulls of other breeds. The feed efficiency portion of the test has been an eye opener as well. Our cattle have not done as well as JSCunn bulls in that area. We have been very inconsistent in feed efficiency

Gizmom

I'm curious Gizmom, what are your DMI and $EN scores on those bulls? and the dams that produced them? Just a ball park, not a list. Above breed average, below, extreme in one category or another?
 
CreekAngus said:
I always have kind of thought of bull tests like cattle shows. Some people do them and do very well, but it's an outlier of the industry. And it puts an emphasis on terminal, which is starting to become a four letter word. The only bull of note I can remember coming from test was BR Midland who was eventually owned by practically every seed stock operator in America at the time.


I don't think there is much of an emphasis on show. Look at the Midland test, that is about performance, I doubt they care about how pretty the bull is at the end of the test.
 
************* said:
CreekAngus said:
I always have kind of thought of bull tests like cattle shows. Some people do them and do very well, but it's an outlier of the industry. And it puts an emphasis on terminal, which is starting to become a four letter word. The only bull of note I can remember coming from test was BR Midland who was eventually owned by practically every seed stock operator in America at the time.


I don't think there is much of an emphasis on show. Look at the Midland test, that is about performance, I doubt they care about how pretty the bull is at the end of the test.

He's not saying this is like a show he's saying some people specialize on doing well in the feed tests just as some cattle people focus on excelling in the show ring.

That's my interpretation at least.
 
TennesseeTuxedo said:
************* said:
CreekAngus said:
I always have kind of thought of bull tests like cattle shows. Some people do them and do very well, but it's an outlier of the industry. And it puts an emphasis on terminal, which is starting to become a four letter word. The only bull of note I can remember coming from test was BR Midland who was eventually owned by practically every seed stock operator in America at the time.


I don't think there is much of an emphasis on show. Look at the Midland test, that is about performance, I doubt they care about how pretty the bull is at the end of the test.

He's not saying this is like a show he's saying some people specialize on doing well in the feed tests just as some cattle people focus on excelling in the show ring.

That's my interpretation at least.

I see.

When I spoke with Midland they implied it was no walk in the park.

Here is one take away from my conversation, and I'm not B.S.ng anyone here, they told me that more and more bulls that made the final cut were coming from the eastern/southeastern United States. They would not expound, but they told me that they are slowly outperforming their western counterparts. Interesting huh?
 
TennesseeTuxedo said:
************* said:
CreekAngus said:
I always have kind of thought of bull tests like cattle shows. Some people do them and do very well, but it's an outlier of the industry. And it puts an emphasis on terminal, which is starting to become a four letter word. The only bull of note I can remember coming from test was BR Midland who was eventually owned by practically every seed stock operator in America at the time.


I don't think there is much of an emphasis on show. Look at the Midland test, that is about performance, I doubt they care about how pretty the bull is at the end of the test.

He's not saying this is like a show he's saying some people specialize on doing well in the feed tests just as some cattle people focus on excelling in the show ring.

That's my interpretation at least.
Exactly correct.
 
BH

The F51 bull has a DMI of +.67 and an EN of -17

The F52 bull has a DMI of +.18 and an EN of +4

I will be honest until you asked the question I had not even looked at those numbers. I am just not a numbers person, for me genetics and phenotype trump numbers, both these bull calves were chosen based on genetics and phenotype, the only number I looked at was BW and CED and that is because I plan to use them on heifers.

Gizmom
 
When I spoke with Midland they implied it was no walk in the park.
As it should be. Check out Lucy Snyder's test in Nevada. The hoops those bulls have to jump thru to make the sale would curl your nose hairs.
 
I haven't done the research but I have been told like the grow safe feed efficiency tests the cattle that go in lighter are the better gainers. My source said that they go in light and gain really well because maybe they weren't getting enough from the cow and get put on hotter feed and really grow. It's a bull test station the same?
 
Angus Rocks

The test has a rule that calves have to weigh 2.5 pounds per day of age to qualify, this eliminates bringing one in really light. The two were hauling are not managed any differently than the rest of the calves in fact they won't be separated until tomorrow morning when we load them to haul to the test. On a side note the F52 calf is out of a Bridget check him out. Hid dam is 1046 so a grand daughter to the C11 cow. And to answer your question yes we have some Bridgets available.

Gizmom
 

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