Bull Sale to be held in Calhoun on Friday, December 7 th

By: Eddie Ayers, County Extension Agent

The 49 th annual Calhoun Bull Evaluation Center Bull Sale will be Friday, December 7 th at the Northwest
Georgia Research and Education Center Livestock Pavilion in Calhoun. The sale starts at 12:30 pm.
Approximately 95 performance tested bulls will be for sale with 5 breeds represented including Angus,
Charolais, Hereford, SimAngus, and Simmental.

The bulls in this sale have been tested for 112 days to evaluate their potential for growth. Only the bulls
which rank in approximately the top two-thirds of each breed are allowed to be sold (based on ADG-
average daily gain and WDA-weight per day of age). These bulls have also passed a breeding soundness
exam and are guaranteed as breeders. All known disposition and soundness problems have also been
eliminated from the sale.

In addition to performance records, other information includes Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) and
ultrasound measurements for backfat, ribeye area and percent fat in ribeye area (intramuscular fat).
Each of the bulls offered in the sale will have sound data to back up his performance. You are able to
select bulls that best fit your beef herd by comparing EPDs. The EPDs tell us how the average calf crop,
sired by a certain bull, will perform. For example, a bull with a weaning EPD of 40 pounds should sire
calves that average 40 pounds more at weaning than a bull with a weaning EPD of 0.

The same is true for birth and yearling weights. The milk EPD refers to the added weaning weight of a
bull’s daughter’s calves due to her increased milk production. Of course, there are also negative values for
each trait as well.

The EPDs have been more accurate in predicting how a bull’s progeny will perform than the bull’s own
performance. The most current information will be provided for you to make a sound decision when
selecting your next herd sire.

The bulls are available for viewing at the Bull Evaluation Center located just off Georgia Highway 140 on
Bells Ferry Road in Floyd County prior to the sale and will be on display at the Livestock Pavilion in
Calhoun from Thursday, December 6th after 2:00 pm until sale time on Friday, December 7th . Videos will
be posted online at www.ugabeef.com prior to the sale.

In addition to the sale, there will also be a cattle seminar on Thursday, December 6th at 6:30 pm so put it
and Friday’s sale date on your calendar. If you’re unable to attend the auction, you can take part in the
sale on-line.

For more information, click here or contact me in the Gilmer County UGA Extension office.