I call B.S.; Am I wrong?

[Santas and Duhram Reds]

Went to a sale over the weekend and there were a couple of Red Angus bulls around 16-18 months available for sale. The seller advertised them as gaining 6.5-7.0 lbs/day on a gain test. These bulls were not fat, just average conditioning, some may have even been a little less. They weighed anywhere from 1050 to 1200 lbs at the end of the test. I believe the end weights but I call B.S on the adg. Am I being too critical? Wouldn't these bulls have been fat as butter with gain results like this. Maybe they were as thin as rails before the test started, but if they have gain numbers like this, why would they be that thin to begin with. The sale was in Harrison Arkansas and called the "Ridin' for Reds Sale" in case anyone else was there.

 

[Brandonm22]

How long was the test? That seems exceptional for a 120 or 150 day test where I would really expect to see the bulls get excessively fat. For a 60 or 45 day test, 6 or 7 pounds ADG ought to be very achieavable. MikeC who used to post here a lot knew a lot about Bull Tests. Frankie does too.

 

[cfpinz]

Do the math, somebody's full of crap. 100 days @ 6lbs/day is 600 lbs. That means they would have only weighed 450-600 lbs at yearling. Adjust the days on test anyway you like, it still doesn't add up. You sure they weren't from Tennessee?

 

[Cowdirt]

Do the math, somebody's full of crap. 100 days @ 6lbs/day is 600 lbs. That means they would have only weighed 450-600 lbs at yearling. Adjust the days on test anyway you like, it still doesn't add up. You sure they weren't from Tennessee?

Most of us in Tennessee can't get that kind of gain. ;-)

 

[Brandonm22]

Do the math, somebody's full of crap. 100 days @ 6lbs/day is 600 lbs. That means they would have only weighed 450-600 lbs at yearling. Adjust the days on test anyway you like, it still doesn't add up. You sure they weren't from Tennessee?

Do the math. 45 days x 6 lbs/day ADG is only 270 lbs. Wean them to the test. Pull them off test 45 days later weighing in the eights or the nines. Obviously if they were left in the yard for 100 days or more at that rate of gain they should be 'at least' 1200 lbs coming off test and something above 1500 lbs at 16-18 months old. We don't enough details to call people we don't know liars about cattle we have never seen; but something here does not sound exactly right.

 

[Frankie]

Went to a sale over the weekend and there were a couple of Red Angus bulls around 16-18 months available for sale. The seller advertised them as gaining 6.5-7.0 lbs/day on a gain test. These bulls were not fat, just average conditioning, some may have even been a little less. They weighed anywhere from 1050 to 1200 lbs at the end of the test. I believe the end weights but I call B.S on the adg. Am I being too critical? Wouldn't these bulls have been fat as butter with gain results like this. Maybe they were as thin as rails before the test started, but if they have gain numbers like this, why would they be that thin to begin with. The sale was in Harrison Arkansas and called the "Ridin' for Reds Sale" in case anyone else was there.

What Brandon said. It depends on the test. While it's not common, it's not unusual anymore to see an Angus bull gain 6+ pounds per day on test at our station (112 day test). I've never seen anything gain 7 lbs. But if you look at the first 28 day report on some of the tests, you will see bulls with out of sight gains. If you put the calves on test at lighter weights, you'll get higher gains. But during the 112 days, their weight gain will usually level out. Most bulls are off test by 12 months, so they've lost some of the fat.

IMO, the test index is more important than simple ADG. Most tests have an index based on more than ADG. Our test station uses ADG and adjusted yearling weight to make up the test index. Some tests also include carcass quality, or scrotal measurements, or adj YW, or WDA. You can "manage" one of those things, but when you start messing with one, it will usually affect the other. Generally it takes a pretty well balanced bull to be a top indexer on the major bull tests.

 

[alftn]

These test , I am sure give bragging rights to the winner, and do tell how steers will do when feed off ,out of these bulls. Have there been many test on grass feed gains?,

 

[Frankie]

These test , I am sure give bragging rights to the winner, and do tell how steers will do when feed off ,out of these bulls. Have there been many test on grass feed gains?,

It's not bragging rights, it's $$$$. At our test station sale, the top indexing bull will usually be the high selling bull. The last few years though buyers are looking at other factors not included in the test index like carcass, EPDs, and pedigree.

There are forage bull tests around. Here are links to a couple of forage bull tests:

http://www.clemson.edu/edisto/efbt/efbt.htm

http://msucares.com/livestock/beef/mbci ... stest.html

 

[S&WSigma40VEShooter]

Went to a sale over the weekend and there were a couple of Red Angus bulls around 16-18 months available for sale. The seller advertised them as gaining 6.5-7.0 lbs/day on a gain test. These bulls were not fat, just average conditioning, some may have even been a little less. They weighed anywhere from 1050 to 1200 lbs at the end of the test. I believe the end weights but I call B.S on the adg. Am I being too critical? Wouldn't these bulls have been fat as butter with gain results like this. Maybe they were as thin as rails before the test started, but if they have gain numbers like this, why would they be that thin to begin with. The sale was in Harrison Arkansas and called the "Ridin' for Reds Sale" in case anyone else was there.

I have heard of some bulls gaining 5 pounds and above. I have even heard of one gaining 8 pounds per day.

 

[Santas and Duhram Reds]

Our bull gained over 5 lbs a day and he was fat as mud. Like I said, these calves were not fat. That is the most troubling part for me to believe it.

 

[husker1]

So many people play tricks with these tests and use it to their advantage....since their test might have been something as simply as a few weeks, it is probably achievable....I've also herd of people doing things such as shrinking prior to the test, etc....

All methods of cheating the system.

 

[double v]

due the math Red, at 7.0lbs adg x 90days would have put 630 lbs so before test those bulls were around 600lbs it adds up if we are talking yearling bulls but 16-18 months old bulls the math dosen't add up.