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The sale’s top selling bull, which brought $7,500, was consigned by Griffin Angus of Monroe City, MO.
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The second-high selling bull, at $7,000, came from Claussen's Simmentals of Bettendorf, IA.
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Prices Up at 45th Annual WIU Performance Tested Bull Sale

March 15, 2017

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MACOMB, IL – The Western Illinois University Performance Tested Bull Sale celebrated its 45th anniversary, with prices rebounding from the 2016 sale.

The second highest sale average in the history of the station was posted at $3,461, up $600 from last year. The sale was held Friday, March 10 at the WIU Livestock Center in Macomb. Buyers from Illinois, Iowa, Indiana and Missouri took home the 50 bulls offered for sale, which were consigned from five states, making the testing program the top in the Midwest.

Monte Lowderman, of Lowderman Auction Options, auctioneered the sale, while Professor Emeritus John Carlson, of the WIU School of Agriculture, managed the 2016-17 test. The sale was dedicated to the memory of Professor Emeritus Ken Nimrick, who passed away in August. Nimrick was a past manager of the testing program for many years and a faculty member of the WIU School of Agriculture.

The top indexing bull in the sale was an Angus consignment from Groennert Angus Farm, of Nashville, IL, that grew 5.20 pounds per day with a 15.40 square inch ribeye and a huge marbling percentage of 6.6 percent. This bull sold to the Robert Kline Trust of Macomb, IL, for $3,600.

The high selling bull of the sale was an Angus entry from Griffin Angus, of Monroe City, MO, that gained 4.80 pounds per day with an outstanding ribeye of 17.20 square inches and an intramuscular fat percentage of 5.25 percent. The bidding was fast and furious and found Braden Culp of Hannibal, MO, as the final bidder at $7,500. This price is the third highest ever at the WIU sale.

Close behind this price was a bid of $7,000 on a Simmental fractional bull that was the second high indexing bull. Offered by Claussen's Simmentals of Bettendorf, IA, this bull had the top growth rate of 5.71 pounds per day and a 15.33 square inch ribeye and intramuscular fat of 3.83 percent. Robert Weaver, of Lewistown, IL, added this bull to his herd.

Andrew Thordsen, of Monmouth, IA, paid $6,600 for an Angus bull consigned by K-Sha-K Angus, of Milan, IL, that grew 5.07 pounds per day with a ribeye area of 14.40 square inches and an intramuscular fat percentage of 4.62 percent. Claussen's Red Angus, of Bettendorf, IA, sold its entry to Barry Dowell, of Stronghurst, IL, for $4,000 and Sturdy Hereford Outlet of Rochester, IL, sold its Hereford entry for $3,000 to Matt Bloomgren, of Monmouth, IL.

The 22 Angus bulls in the sale averaged $3,648, while 15 Simmental fractional bulls followed closely with a $3,637 average. Ten purebred Simmental bulls averaged $2,970, while the lone Charolais fractional bull sold for $1,550.

Entries will be accepted this summer for September delivery of bulls to begin the 2017-18 testing program.

For information on entering next year's test, contact the WIU School of Agriculture in Macomb at (309) 298-1080. Information on next year's test will also be found this summer on the test station's web page at wiu.edu/cbt/agriculture/bull_test.



Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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