You've reached the Virginia Cooperative Extension Newsletter Archive. These files cover more than ten years of newsletters posted on our old website (through April/May 2009), and are provided for historical purposes only. As such, they may contain out-of-date references and broken links.

To see our latest newsletters and current information, visit our website at http://www.ext.vt.edu/news/.

Newsletter Archive index: http://sites.ext.vt.edu/newsletter-archive/

Virginia Cooperative Extension -
 Knowledge for the CommonWealth

Beef Update

Livestock Update, November 2002

Scott P. Greiner, Extension Animal Scientist, Beef, VA Tech

CVCA Bred Heifers Sell December 14th
The 45th annual sale of the Virginia BCIA Culpeper Senior bulls will be held Saturday, December 14, 2002 at 12:00 noon at the Culpeper Agriculture Enterprises located on Route 29 just south of Culpeper. As a special guest, the Central Virginia Cattleman's Association will sell 50 bred, spring-calving Virginia Premium Assured heifers immediately following the bulls.

The sale will include 67 fall-born yearling bulls representing the top cut of the 112 bulls on test. Selling will be 61 Angus, 4 Gelbvieh, and 2 Simmental bulls. Complete performance information will be available on all bulls. The majority of the bulls selling are sired by the top AI bulls available within each breed. All bulls selling meet minimum genetic requirements (EPDs) to sire calves for the VQA Purple Tag Feeder Calf Program.

The CVCA consignment will include 50 Angus-cross Virginia Premium Assured heifers due to calve in February and March, 2003. All heifers have been developed together, and will sell in uniform groups of two to five head. Heifers have been bred AI to calving-ease Angus sire Rito 6I6 of 4B20 6807, with sons of 6I6 used as clean-up bulls. Calving dates and fetal sexes will be available sale day.

Beef producers and others who are interested are invited to visit Glenmary Farm to view the bulls and heifers. Glenmary Farm is located at Rapidan, VA and operated by Tom and Kim Nixon.

For catalogs and detailed information on the bulls and heifers visit the websites http://bcia.apsc.vt.edu and http://cvcacattle.com/, or phone VA BCIA at 540/231-9163 or Glenmary Farm at 540/672-7396.

2002-03 Wytheville Senior and Junior Bull Tests & Sale
A total of 93 Senior bulls (71 Angus, 14 Simmental, 8 Charolais) and 122 Junior bulls (79 Angus, 26 Simmental, 10 Charolais, 7 Gelbvieh) were delivered to the Southwest Bull Test Station on October 1, 2002. These bulls were weighed and vaccinated for IBR, PI3, BVD, BRSV, 7-way Clostridial, Haemophilus Somnus, were dewormed and given a magnet. Senior bulls were allocated to three pens, and junior bulls to three pens based on breed and age. After a two-week adjustment period, bulls will be weighed on test. They will be weighed and measured for frame size according to the following schedule:

  Senior Junior
On Test Oct. 14 & 15 Oct. 14 & 15
56-day Weight Dec. 10 Dec. 10
84-day Weight Jan. 7 Jan. 7
112-day Weight --- Feb. 4
Off Test Feb. 3 & 4 Feb. 24 & 25

Senior bulls will be subjected to a 112-day gain test, and junior bulls to a 133-day test. At the completion of the test, bulls will be evaluated for reproductive and structural soundness. Ultrasound evaluation of carcass traits will be conducted at or near the end of the test. Eligible bulls will be sold on March 22, 2003. For additional information, including progress reports on the bulls, visit http://bcia.apsc.vt.edu or call the Virginia BCIA office at 540-231-9163.



Visit Virginia Cooperative Extension