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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Record Individual at 41st Annual IPT Bull Sale

The Illinois Performance Tested Bull Sale was the lead off event of the 2009 Illinois Beef Expo held on Thursday, February 19th at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield. A new top price of $8,300 for a yearling Angus bull exceeded the previous record of $6,900 set at the 2005 sale. Also, the overall average of $2,371 on 78 bulls was the third highest average in the sale's 41 year history. The University of Illinois Extension, University of Illinois Department of Animal Sciences, and consigning breeds sponsor the sale. Also, Fort Dodge Animal Health and the Illinois Angus Association provide industry support.

This sale has developed into one of the largest performance tested bull sales in the Midwest. During the past 41 years, the sale has sold 4,224 bulls valued at over 6.8 million dollars according to Dave Seibert, Animal Systems Educator with University of Illinois Extension and Bull Sale Manager. There were three breeds, Angus, Simmental, and Polled Herefords represented in the 2009 sale, however, the majority of the bulls came from the Angus and Simmental breeds.

Bulls with high growth either through adjusted weaning & yearling weights, weight-per-day of age (WDA) or Expected Progeny Difference (EPDs) for performance were in high demand throughout the sale. There were several phenomenal weaning and yearling weights offered in the 2009 sale. Adjusted weaning weights of 800 pounds were not unusual with four bulls over 900 pounds for adjusted 205 days weight. Yearling weights were equally as impressive with most in 1,250 to high 1,300 pound range, several weighing over 1400, a few in the 1500 range, and one bull with over a 1,600 adjusted yearling weight.

Another measure of growth potential is the EPDs for weaning and yearling weight. Many bulls of all breeds were in the top 5% of their breeds for these growth traits with a number well beyond the minimum needed for the top one-percent of their breed for these traits. The reason for this superb performance is the stacking of pedigrees with high accuracy AI growth sires.

Selecting for outstanding growth can result in a higher birth weight and poorer calving ease bulls. However, through knowledgeable selection a purebred breeder can put downward pressure on birth weight while reaching for higher weaning and yearling weights.

Commanding top Angus price for the day at $8,300, and the highest ever for the 41 year history was a very popular January 18, 2008 bull from Hobbs Angus of Good Hope. This high performance bull had exceptional growth EPDs that were in the top one percentile for weaning and yearling. In addition, he excelled in maternal milk and had desirable carcass traits of marbling and ribeye area. Following active bidding by several seedstock firms and top commercial operations he was purchased by David Waller of Marietta.

A half brother and stallmate of the top selling bull brought $4,550 for Hobbs Angus. This January 6, 2008 bull had similar growth and milk EPDs and qualified for the Illinois Heifer Development Program with desirable calving ease development EPDs. Also, this was one of the highest Bio-Economic or dollar weaned valued bull in the sale. This yearling was the third high selling bull in the sale and sold to Dean Nelson of Oneida.

Securing the second high price of $4,700 was another early January yearling from Can Am Cattle Company of Shelbyville. This bull had an exceptional adjusted weaning weight of 928 pounds which resulted in being in the top percentile for weaning and yearling EPDs. This popular bull was purchased by David Rincker of Strasburg. Can Am Cattle Co. also had a February yearling with one of the higher weight-per-day of age (WDA) in the sale at 3.7 along with an 892 weaning weight at 1406 yearling weight that brought $3500 from Miller and Anderson from Hillsboro.

The seedstock firm of Murphy's Angus from Illiopolis had a very successful sale with three bulls selling over $3,000. The second high six trait Power Score bull in the sale with a 7.83 and lead off bull to start the Senior Division with exceptional EPDs where eight of the nine EPDs were in the top five percentile of the breed. This 1730 pound September 2007 senior bull was purchased by long time buyer H.J. Logsdon Farms of Shawneetown. Another Murphy's Angus January yearling bull with high WDA and excellent calving ease brought $3500 from Mike Harrison, Washington Farms in Woodbine, Maryland. This operation has purchased herd bulls from the IPT Bull Sale for many years. Another top Murphy's Angus bull brought $3000 from Stacy Duduit of Pana.

Callan Farms of Stonington has a very successful day with three bulls over $3000. The firms top selling bull at $4150 was a January yearling with exceptional carcass date going to Brian Rincker of Strasburg. The Callan firm had a September 2007 with carcass EPDs in the top one percentile for marbling and five percentile going for $3000 to Ken Lewis of Moro and a January yearling with outstanding growth and carcass EPDs to Stan Buzzard of Beecher City for $3000.

The top Power Score of the sale was consigned by Prairie Creek Angus of Pleasant Plains with an exceptional 7.17 Power Score. This outstanding genetic package excelled in the EPDs traits provided in the sale and was at the very top of the offering for the economic traits of $ Wean and $ Beef. This bull was purchased by Ken Moro for $3,100. Other Angus seedstock firms with bulls selling over $3,000 includes; 4E Angus Farm of Tuscola; and Keith Kramer of Farina.

The Simmental breed was in steady demand throughout the offering. This is substantiated by the fact that almost half of the bulls sold in the price range of $2000 to $2500 In the 2009 sale there were twenty three Simmentals that averaged $2,183 which was the third highest average for the breed in the past 41 year history of the sale. All but two of the Simmental bulls in the sale were black and all but three were polled.

Commanding the top price of $4,950 was a January yearling from Bob Fitzpatrick of Milan that had the highest adjusted yearling weight in the total sale of 1603 pounds along with excellent EPDs traits for weaning, yearling, marbling, and the $ Value Indexes of All Purpose Index (API) and Terminal Line (TLI). This bull was purchased by Kevin Hilderbrand of Ohio, Illinois who purchased the high selling Simmental bull from the Fitzpatrick breeding firm at the 2008 IPT Bull Sale.

The Rincker Simmental firm from Shelbyville sold five of the most popular bulls in the sale that were purebred yearlings. Topping the Rincker offerings was thick topped January 2008 bull that excelled in the carcass traits of Marbling and Ribeye area and sold to Thomas Laue of Shumway for $3,000. Following close behind was a March 2008 stall mate that was a balanced EPD bull that sold for $2500 to Larry Moore of Herrick. The Rincker firm had the top two Power Score bulls to lead off the Simmental Yearling division. This pair of black, polled purebred February embryo transfer yearlings had identical 17.0 Power Scores with exceptional growth and ribeye EPDs and brought $2275 and $2075. The fifth Rincker bull brought $2100 which resulted in solid demand throughout their offering.

Two relatively new consignors to the bull sale found their bulls in solid demand. Huizenga Farms of Morrison in northwest Illinois sold a January black, polled composite bull with one of the highest weaning weights in the sale at 956 pounds that qualifies as a heifer sire sold for $2725 to James Dorris of Sesser. Following close behind at $2700 was another black, polled composite bull with the highest WDA in the sale at 3.9 going to Andy Ray of Mount Sterling.

The long time consigning firm of Fox Creek of Newton had the third and fourth high Power Score bulls in the sale. Their January 2007 black, polled composite with excellent growth EPDs and eligible as a heifer sire brought $2500 from Joseph Webel of Farmington.

In the Simmental division there were 14 purebred bulls that sold for $2327 and nine composite bulls that brought $1958. In addition, there was some resistance to the three scurred bulls as they sold $650 below the Simmental average.

Besides the 54 Angus and 23 Simmentals there was one Polled Hereford in the sale. Even though numbers were limited the genetic value of the July 2007 bull consigned by Rabideau Polled Hereford of Clifton was exceptional. This moderate framed, thick made, structurally correct bull weighed in at 1611 pounds, qualified as a heifer bull and excelled in the carcass traits of marbling and ribeye. The bidding on this single Polled Hereford entry was active with the winning bidder at $2450 was Marvin Rakes of Chatham.

Producers interested in viewing a breakdown of all the prices can visit the Illinois Performance Tested Bull Sale web site at www.IPTBullSale.com. Also, included on this site are the individual bull prices from the 2009 sale and the numbers and averages from the previous 41 sales.

The sale provides an abundance of performance information to assist buyers with the genetic selection for future seedstock for their herds. Items provided to the buyers include: adjusted birth, weaning, and yearling weights; EPDs, accuracies, and percentile rankings for calving ease direct, birth, weaning, yearling and maternal milk, marbling/% IMF, and ribeye area. In addition Bi-Economic or $Values and percentile rankings are provided on all the bulls to determine the genetic and economic impact the bulls will have on their future herd. Other traits collected and provided to the buyers are sale weight, weight per day of age, scrotal circumference, pelvic area, and frame score.

For the second year all bulls must be tested for Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD) using the Persistently Infected (PI) ear notch screening system. Also for the eighth year, all bulls must meet the Johne's health requirement. This is first sale in Illinois to have animals tested for Johne's. Johne's is a disease that both commercial and purebred cattle producers will have to become more proactive to eradicate from their herds. Also, in the future, buyers will demand that new genetics brought into their herd be negative for Johne's disease.

The IPT Bull Sale Advisory committee will be meeting this spring to formulate rules and regulations for the 2010 sale that will be held as the lead off event of the Illinois Beef Expo. Once again the 2010 sale will require all Angus bulls be scanned prior to the sale with information processed through the American Angus Association and the resulting EPDs for marbling and ribeye area.

A complete copy of the Rules and Regulations along with the Nomination Form will be available by September 1st on the sale web site. Nomination will need to be made by December 15, 2009, for the 2010 sale. Seedstock breeders interested in consigning to the 2010 sale should call Dave Seibert at 309-694-7501 (Extension 224) or write to 727 Sabrina Drive, E. Peoria, IL 61611 to request a hard copy of the Rules and Regulation and Nomination Form.

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Source: Dave Seibert, Animal Systems Educator, University of Illinois Extension (309-694-7501).

Contact Dave Seibert with any IPT Bull Sale Questions.

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