University of Florida – North Florida Research and Education Center Beef Unit sale facility where the Florida Bull Test Sale will be conducted.
Cliff Lamb, University of Florida – North Florida Research and Education Center, Marianna, FL
Recently, the 15th Florida Bull Test was completed. The test is conducted at the North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC) in Marianna, FL. This year 103 bulls were received from 33 consignors from Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. There were 46 Angus, 4 Braford, 4 Brahman, 10 Charolais, 2 Hereford, 3 Red Angus, 16 SimAngus, and 18 Simmental consignments born between August 15 and December 31 of 2013. Bulls were delivered in late July and initiated their 112-day test on August 19, 2014. The last day of test was December 10, 2014. In addition, a hallmark of the FL Bull Test is that individual feed intake is assessed to establish feed efficiency. At completion of the test the entire group of bulls averaged 3.38 pounds of gain per day, but ranged from 2.21 to 4.59 pounds per day.
Overall ranking for the test is based on average daily gain (ADG) and the weight per day of age (WDA) generating an index ratio. The top performing bull and top performing SimAngus bull, J&W Mr. Cruising, was owned by J&W Simmental Farm of Headland, AL indexed 129 with an ADG of 4.13 and WDA of 4.04 lb/day. The top Angus bull, Gray’s Impression 6262 301, owned by Grayhaven Farms of Monticello, FL was ranked 2nd overall and indexed 122 with an ADG of 4.46 and WDA of 3.23 lb/day.
The top Charolais bull owned by Rogers Bar HR of was ranked 3rd overall and indexed 120 with an ADG of 4.66 and WDA of 3.43 lb/day. The top Simmental bull, A-7, owned by R&K Farm of Elba, AL was ranked 9th overall and indexed 114 with an ADG of 4.37 and WDA of 2.80 lb/day. The top Hereford bull, JTN Revolution 911Y A19, owned by J Taylor Neighbors of Americus, GA was ranked 11th overall and indexed 113 with an ADG of 3.78 and WDA of 3.34 lb/day. The top Braford bull, 4056, owned by Running M Ranch of Tallahassee, FL was ranked 38th overall and indexed 103 with an ADG of 3.44 and WDA of 3.06 lb/day. The top Brahman bull, 409, owned by Ford Farms of Malone, FL was ranked 62th overall and indexed 98 with an ADG of 3.46 and WDA of 2.69 lb/day.
Feed Efficiency Facility where bulls are housed to obtain individual feed efficiency data.
A unique aspect of the Florida Bull Test is the ability to collect individual feed intake data on all the bulls. Therefore, feed efficiency is assessed on all bulls. Residual feed intake (RFI) was the measure of feed efficiency used to rank the bulls in the test, and it was calculated as the difference between actual feed intake and expected feed intake. The more negative the number is, the more efficient the bull is. During this bull test the RFI of bulls ranged from -5.08 to 7.76 lb/d. The most feed efficient bull, Gizmo EXR 1329 0709 6149, was owned by Gizmo Angus of Molino, FL. This bull consumed 16.62 lb/day with a feed:gain ratio of 4.85 and an RFI of -5.08. Therefore, he consumed 5.08 lb per day less feed than expected for his gain. This equates to more than 1,850 lb per year less feed than that bull was expected to consume!
The Florida Bull Test Sale will be held on January 17, 2015 at the North Florida Research and Education Center in Marianna, FL. Of the 103 bulls originally consigned to the test 84 bulls qualified for the sale, of which approximately 65 will be on offer. Only bulls meeting specific benchmarks are eligible for the sale. In addition, bulls were inspected for structural soundness and disposition and passed a breeding soundness exam to qualify for the sale. Additional information, such as actual performance data, expected progeny differences (EPDs), and carcass ultrasound data will be available for bull buyers to aid in the selection of bulls to purchase.
A new initiative for the 15th Florida Bull Test is to include the possibility of remote bidding for the sale through the internet. Internet bidding and videos of bulls are available through Cattle In Motion (www.cattleinmotion.com ). This opportunity will provide consignors an added opportunity to market their bulls to potential buyers who are unable to attend the sale in person. In addition, buyers who cannot attend the sale will have the opportunity to purchase bulls through a verified internet bidding company. We are excited about offering this new opportunity!
Source:ufl.edu