COLUMBIA, Mo. - Buyers are already expressing interest in replacement heifers offered for sale this fall, say University of Missouri Extension specialists who coordinate the Show-Me-Select Heifer Program.
Five sales will be held across the state, down from the original seven auctions announced.
While some producers worry about the rising price of corn and softer prices for fed cattle, cow-calf herd owners are looking to the future, said Eldon Cole. "These heifers are for producers in it for the long haul." Cole, MU Extension livestock specialist at Mount Vernon, coordinates the first sale, Nov. 19 at the Joplin Regional Stockyards, Carthage, Mo.
"These are calving-ease heifers," Cole said. "They've been pelvic measured and come with a 30-day guarantee from sale date for being bred. These are not trader heifers. They've been scrutinized since weaning and should improve the genetics of a lot of herds."
The southwest sale has 370 heifers consigned, one of the largest ever.
Al Kennett, MU Extension specialist at New London, Mo., had a similar description for the Dec. 11 sale at Palmyra, Mo., that will end the series. "I think the quality will be very good, maybe some of the best we have ever had."
Kennett described the offering as mostly Angus crossbred heifers with several Angus-Simmental cross and several black whiteface heifers. All of them are bred to Angus bulls, with about 30 percent being AI-bred to the CRA Bextor bull.
Roger Eakins, MU Extension specialist at Jackson, Mo., said the Fruitland, Mo., sale on Dec. 4 could be advertised as an "elite sale." About 55 percent are bred by artificial insemination to proven superior sires. "We'll have 25 head of the new Tier Two heifers," Eakins said. These heifers are AI-sired and are carrying AI-sired pregnancies.
The heifers are enrolled in a yearlong breeding-improvement program. Only heifers with the trademarked black and gold ear tags of the Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Program qualify for the sale.
The original criteria when the program started in 1997 were to improve calving ease in Missouri cow herds. Additional requirements to improve the quality have been added.
Sale locations, times and coordinators are:
-Southwest: Friday, Nov. 19, 7 p.m., Joplin Regional Stockyards, Carthage, Mo., Eldon Cole, Mount Vernon, colee@missouri.edu, 417-466-3102 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 417-466-3102 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.
-West Central: Saturday, Nov. 27, 11 a.m., Kingsville Livestock Auction, Kingsville, Mo., David Hoffman, Harrisonville, hoffmand@missouri.edu, 816-380-8460 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 816-380-8460 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.
-North Central/Northwest: Saturday, Dec. 4, 1 p.m., Green City Livestock Market, Green City, Mo., Chris Zumbrunnen, Milan, Mo., zumbrunnenc@missouri.edu, 660-265-4541 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 660-265-4541 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.
-Southeast: Saturday, Dec. 4, 1 p.m., Fruitland Livestock Auction, Fruitland, Mo., Roger Eakins, Jackson, Mo., eakinsr@missouri.edu, 573-243-3581 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 573-243-3581 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.
-Northeast: Saturday, Dec. 11, 12:30 p.m., F&T Livestock Market, Palmyra, Mo., Al Kennett, New London, Mo., kennetta@missouri.edu, 573-985-3911 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 573-985-3911 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.
Sales in northwest Missouri at St. Joseph and in south-central Missouri at Mountain Grove will not be held this fall.
Preliminary sale catalogs are available in advance. On sale day, printouts with additional information, including calving dates, will be distributed. The data adds value to the heifers.
The sales are conducted by local committees of participating producers. The statewide program is organized by the not-for-profit corporation Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifers.
Information on the sales will be posted online before sale dates at http://agebb.missouri.edu/select/.