190 bulls complete 120-day WBCIA Bull Test

Shoshoni — According to UW Extension Beef Specialist Steve Paisley, the bulls consigned to the 2008-2009 Wyoming Beef Cattle Improvement Association (WBCIA) Bull Test finished very strong.
    The 190 bulls were weighed off test the beginning of March at the Pingetzer Bull and Heifer Development Center near Shoshoni. “We continue to see a steady number of bulls, as well as consignors, participating in the annual test,” says Paisley in review. “This year’s group of bulls finished the 120-day test at 3.25 lb/day, with an average of 2.96 WDA. Although test ADG was down slightly from previous years, average WDA is exactly the same as previous years, indicating slightly younger bulls on test this year.”
    Bulls enrolled in this year’s test include two Balancer, 46 Red Angus, 22 commercial Red Angus and 120 registered Angus bulls. Following traditional policy, only the top 70 percent of the comparison groups will be eligible to sell in the WBCIA Bull Test Sale April 4 at the Pingetzer sale facility.
    “The quality of the genetics and the diversity are what makes the test the place to come to compare cattle,” says Bob Pingetzer, who feeds the cattle during the test and who entered the second gaining bull on test and the high indexing Red Angus bull. “The genetics get better every year, and that makes the competition.”
    The top gaining bull on test this year was #758, a registered Black Angus bull sired by Dale Banks Centennial 4822 and consigned by Steve Smith Angus of Lehi, Utah. He gained 4.15 lb/day over the 120-day test. #906 closely followed in the registered Red Angus division, gaining 4.10 lb/day. He was consigned by Pingetzer’s Six Iron Ranch of Shoshoni and sired by Six Cheyenne S7.   
    Additional top gainers included #940, a registered Red Angus bull sired by Six Hillbilly Harvest R34 and consigned by Pingetzer’s Six Iron Ranch, gaining 4.07 lb/day, and #644, a Balancer bull consigned by Steve Smith Angus, gaining 4.02 lb/d.
    Group performance over the test included 3.18 lb/day for the Red Angus division, 3.57 for the two Balancer bulls, 3.16 for the commercial Red Angus division and 3.24 lb/day for the registered Angus division.
    The registered Angus division, with an average WDA of 2.99, was led by #758, mentioned above, a Dale Banks Centennial 4822 son born Feb. 9 with a 4.15 ADG and 3.16 WDA. Steve Smith Angus owns him.
    Two bulls finished the test gaining 3.99 lb/day. #793 is a calving ease bull that is also the top WDA bull in the registered Black Angus division, sired by Connealy Danny Boy and owned by Klein Angus of Wheatland. This bull was born Jan. 22 with a 3.49 WDA. Also gaining 3.99 lb/day while on test with a 3.10 WDA is another calving ease bull born Jan. 24 and sired by Sitz New Design 349M, owned by Zorko’s 7Z Livestock of Laramie. Bull #774 is an additional calving ease bull that gained 3.91 lb/day with a 3.42 WDA. Rock Lake Land and Cattle, Wheatland, owns this Jan. 19 son of 7Z Nebraska 40104. Bull #793 also gained 3.91 lb/day, a Mytty In Focus calving ease son owned by Klein Angus of Wheatland, with a 3.33 WDA and a Jan. 23 birth date.
    The registered Red Angus division finished with a WDA average of 2.82 and was led by the top gaining Red Angus bull #906 consigned by Pingetzer’s Six Iron Ranch, mentioned above. This Feb. 25 born Six Cheyenne S7 son gained 4.10 over the test with a 3.26 WDA. He was followed by #940, a Six Hillbilly’s Harvest R34 son gaining 4.07 lb/day with a 3.06 WDA. Pingetzer’s Six Iron Ranch owns this Feb. 5 born son. Next is #904, another Six Cheyenne S7 bull owned by Shaide Pingetzer of Shoshoni, gaining 4.02 over the test with a 3.32 WDA. The top WDA bull in the registered Red Angus division was #903, a March 17 born son of C-T Montana 00647 owned by Lyle Taylor of Vernal, Utah with a 3.39 WDA.
     Steve Smith Angus owns both head of Balancer bulls. The top gaining Balancer bull is #644, a Feb. 14 born son of Manning Selma Alliance 11 with an ADG of 4.02 and a 3.50 WDA.
    The 22 head of commercial Red Angus bulls averaged 3.16 lb/day during the test, with an average WDA of 3.03. The top gaining commercial Red Angus bull was #459, sired by Remington Red Label and consigned by Clabaugh Cattle Co., Gillette. This March 14 born bull gained 3.85 lb/day with a WDA of 3.34. Next in the commercial Red Angus division was #462, a bull also consigned by Clabaugh Cattle Co., sired by Travelin Express gaining 3.67 lb/day with a 3.33 WDA. The top WDA bull in the commercial Red Angus division was #457, a Mission Statement son born March 5 owned by Clabaugh Cattle Co., with a 3.48 WDA.
    All bulls have been ear-notched and have been found to be PI negative (PIN) for BVD. Also, all the bulls that qualify for the sale will have passed a BSE (Breeding Soundness Exam). There will also be ultrasound information available on a supplemental sheet the day of the sale. PAP testing will also be performed on some of the bulls. This list will also be available the day of the sale.
    “The WBCIA Bull Test is a place to get your name known and compare your cattle to a lot of different operations under the same environmental conditions,” says Pingetzer. “It’s a place for small breeders to showcase their cattle, and for the buyer there are some very good cattle at reasonable prices.”
    He adds there’s a lot of data to back up the performance records on the bulls. “There are calving ease bulls with performance in volume, and this is an opportunity for buyers to see which genetics work for the environment.”
    “Please stop by the Pingetzer Bull and Heifer Development Center any time to evaluate the bulls prior to the sale,” says Paisley. “If you are interested in a particular bull, contact us and we will try to answer any questions that you have or put you in contact with the breeder.”
    “Be sure to join us for the sale Saturday, April 4 starting at 1 PM at the Pingetzer test facility north of Riverton,” urges Paisley.
    Additional information and test reports may be obtained by contacting either Bob and Paige Pingetzer at 307-856-4401 or Steve Paisley at 307-760-1561. Article compiled by Steve Paisley and Christy Hemken, assistant editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup.