By Jane Moorman
New Mexico’s statewide cow herd decreased during recent years due to severe drought conditions. As weather conditions improve, cattle producers are now investing in the future as they rebuild their cow herds with higher-quality genetics from regionally adapted registered cow herds.
One place to find that genetic stock is at the 54th annual Tucumcari Performance Bull Test and Sale. The sale will Saturday, March 14, at the New Mexico State University Agricultural Science Center at Tucumcari. The live auction will begin at 1 p.m. following a lunch at 11:30 a.m.
“We have had some outstanding bulls participate in the performance test,” said Marcy Ward, NMSU Extension livestock specialist. “The cattle in this year’s test have out-preformed other bull tests across the country. The top 85 percent preforming bulls will be sold on March 14. This is a great opportunity for a producer to improve their herd’s genetics.”
The Tucumcari Performance Bull Test is one of the country’s longest-running programs. Since its creation in 1961, bulls from more than 25 different breeds have participated in the 16-week program that gathers objective performance data for improving the probability of beef cattle. Producers from throughout the United States have used the sale to improve the genetics and quality of their herds.
This year’s Angus bulls are from Cornerstone Ranch, Fort Sumner; Hartzog Angus Cattle, Bovina, Texas; J-C Angus Ranch, Moriarty; McCall Land & Cattle, Albuquerque; Netherton Angus, Las Animas, Colorado; OK Panhandle State University, Goodwell, Oklahoma; Riverside Angus, Las Animas, Colorado; Salazar Ranches, Espanola; Sanchez Angus, Belen; and Walker Angus, Tucumcari.
A selection of Hereford bulls are from Abercrombie Ranch, Tucumcari; Cornerstone Ranch, Fort Sumner; and White Herefords, Albuquerque.
“Producers have entered their bulls into the performance test to see how each animal develops in our controlled feeding program,” Ward said. “We track the bull’s average daily gain, pen feed efficiency and carcass development, while producing 56-day, 84-day and 112-day performance reports.”
On the sale day, buyers will review the performance results while viewing the animals. The producers with the top-performing bulls will be awarded a jacket.
Source:nmsu.edu