Tama sale on May 4 will conclude ICA program for this spring
AMES (ICA) — The Iowa Cattlemen’s Association will hold its third performance-selected bull sale of the season at 6 p.m. on Friday, at the Tama Livestock Auction Market in Tama.
58 heifers will go on the block, followed by 62 bulls.
A new feature of the sale is that for each sale, the buyer’s number will go into a drawing for a $200 to $500 credit that can be used on the evening’s purchases, or for future ICA sales in 2013.
“It’s our way of thanking and supporting our buyers,” said Kellie Carolan, ICA seedstock manager.
“We’re encouraging buyers to make the investment in proven seedstock that will maximize their investment in their herd.”
The sale features bulls and heifers that have met the standards of ICA’s Bull Evaluation Program, indicating they will provide genetics with high economic value to farmers with either commercial cow-calf or seedstock production. “Breeders have consigned an excellent set of bulls and heifers that carry breed-leading pedigrees and outstanding EPDs (expected progeny differences),” Carolan said.
At last year’s sale in Tama, the ICA program began a run of new records for the average sale price. At that sale, the average sale was $2,416. Since then, the first 2012 sale average price was $2,726 at Bloomfield, followed by $3,339 at Dunlap in late March.
“There are three reasons these average prices keep increasing,” Carolan says. “First, our consignors are putting good bulls and heifers in a program with 27 years of history. Second, the buyers are looking for the kind of breeding stock that will help us grow the cow-calf segment. The third reason is that there are record cattle prices across the industry.”
The 58 heifers offered include 36 Angus, 10 Simmentals, six Charolais, and six Sim-Angus. These heifers were on-test from Dec. 26, 2011 to April 3, 2012, at Van Meter Feedyard near Guthrie Center.
The 62 bulls were on test from Nov. 28, 2011 to April 2, 2012. They include 43Angus, 11 Simmentals, three Charolais, and five Simmental Composites. They were also on test at Van Meter Feedyard.
The sale heifers and bulls represent the top 75% of the group tested, and were selected based on carcass, growth and reproductive merit. “The bulls in this sale offering had an average gain of over 4.5 pounds per day on-test plus many which excel in calving ease and carcass traits,” Carolan says. The open heifers are averaging 1,000 pounds.
Another new feature of the 2012 ICA bull sales is that potential buyers can check out videos of the Lots during the week prior to the sale. These videos can be found at www.iacattlemen.org . Catalogs of the sale are also online at the same site.
Breeders of the highest-gaining qualified bull from each breed at the Tama sale will be honored by ICA and Pfizer Animal Health prior to the sale. (Pfizer is the official pharmaceutical sponsor of the ICA Bull Evaluation Program.)
Those breeders are: Craig Schaefer of Waterloo, who consigned Lot 256, an Angus bull sired by ‘S A V Satisfaction 8631.’ This March 2011 bull gained 5.34 pounds per day, making it the highest gainer over all breeds in the 2012 program.
The top gainer of the Simmental bulls was a March 2011 son of ‘RC Club King 040R.’ Lot 282, raised by Craig Utesch, Correctionville, gained 5.28 pounds per day.
Leading the Simmental Composites was Lot 292 from Chris Nelson, Stanton. This son of ‘G M Famous 701’ is a March 2011 bull that gained 5.22 pounds per day.
Rounding out the top-gaining bulls, Daniel Wakefield of New Richland, MN raised a Charolais bull that gained 5.14 pounds per day. Lot 266, son of ‘LT Cheyenne Blend 7142 P’ is a March 2011 bull.
The ICA Bull Evaluation Program, which has been in place since 1985, has two basic objectives: 1) to evaluate high-quality bulls in a common environment to benefit seedstock producers and; 2) to identify and merchandise a select group of bulls, which excel in traits that have a high economic value.
To accomplish the second objective, each bull must undergo a rigid evaluation process. “First, the bulls are placed on-test to evaluate their growth potential. Once the bulls finish the testing period, they undergo an ultrasound exam to gather carcass merit information as it relates to rib eye area size, amount of back fat, and the amount of intramuscular fat,” says Carolan.
Heifers also must meet standards that include the ultrasound exam, pelvic measurements, disposition, frame score, and structural correctness.
For more information about the ICA Bull Evaluation Program or to receive a sale catalog, contact the ICA office at (515) 296-2266.