A prize Simmental bull from Washington County will be among those sold at the state’s 46th annual Performance-Tested Bull Sale on March 29.
SVJ Prosperity F516, a Simmental bull owned by Duane Snee of SVJ Farm in Amity, Washington County, is considered the top bull of his breed, with an adjusted yearling weight of 1,371 pounds, an average daily gain 4.26 pounds and an adjusted loineye of 14.4 square inches, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
Beef producers look to the sale each year to find bulls with the best genetics and the best breeding potential, said William Nichols, PDA spokesman.
“He and more than 90 other bulls are breeding stock, intended to sire calves that grow faster and contain more and higher-quality beef,” Nichols said, “meeting consumer demands and improving farmers’ operations while featuring a smaller environmental footprint than previous generations of livestock.”
Thirteen Simmentals are scheduled to sell at the event, which is held at Pennsylvania’s Livestock Evaluation Center in Pennsylvania Furnace, Centre County, at noon March 29.
Consignors will offer 96 bulls representing the Angus, Simmental, Hereford, Red Angus, SimAngus and Black Hereford breeds. Bulls enrolled in the program completed a 112-day test evaluating average daily gain, weight per day of age, feed efficiency, loin muscle size and fat deposition. They also passed a breeding soundness exam.
Catalogs featuring final weights and performance information are mailed by request and are available digitally at www.livestockevaluationcenter.com.
