47th Annual Southwest VA Performance Test Bull Sale

ABOUT THE BULLS AND THEIR PERFORMANCE Scott P. Greiner, Extension Animal Scientist - Virginia Tech

Virginia BCIA contracts with Mountain Spring Farm, Wytheville, VA to develop bulls for its members with the following basic objectives: (a) To provide a standard, impartial postweaning gain test and development program that will furnish records which will be useful to the buyer and consignor in their breeding programs; (b) To provide a source of and market for performance tested bulls; (c) To provide quality genetics which address the demands of the industry, and (d) To serve as an educational tool for beef cattle improvement and promotion. How the Bulls Have Been Handled

Carcass EPDs Marbling (MB) - EPD predicts differences in USDA marbling score. Expressed in marbling score units. Ribeye Area (RE) - Predictor of bull’s genetic ability to transmit carcass ribeye area. EPD expressed in square inches. Fat Thickness (Fat) - Predicts differences in progeny external fat thickness, measured between the 12 and 13th ribs. EPD expressed in inches. EPD Accuracy (ACC) - Accuracy is an indicator of the reliability of an EPD. Accuracy values range from 0.0 to 1.0. Values approaching 1.0 are reflective of more information used in the calculation of the EPD, and less risk the EPD will change with additional information. Multi-Trait Index EPDs Angus Weaned Calf Value ($W) - Index value expressed in dollars per head, is the expected average difference in future progeny profitability differences due to genetics from birth to wean ing. Includes both revenue and cost adjustments associated with differences in birth weight, weaning weight, milk, and mature cow weight. Angus Beef Value ($B) - Represents the expected average dollar-per-head difference in the progeny postweaning performance and carcass value compared to progeny of other sires. Combines estimates of genetic merit for growth and carcass merit, which are adjusted for differ ences in costs of production and expected premiums/discounts associated with grid marketing of progeny. Angus Combined Value ($C) - Index value expressed in dollars per head includes all traits that make up both Maternal Weaned Calf Value ($M) and Beef Value ($B). Charolais Terminal Sire Index (TSI) - Predicts expected difference in economic merit between bulls when all progeny are placed in the feedlot and sold on a carcass grade and yield basis. EPD expressed in progeny dollars per head. Gelbvieh Maternal Profit Index MPI) - A higher number represents more profitable genetics in scenario where calves are sold at weaning and replacements daughters retained in the herd. Bulls with higher MPI values would be expected to produce daughters with stayability and re productive efficiency as well as other traits that lead to profitability in a production system where calves are sold at weaning. Gelbvieh Feeder Profit Index (FPI) - Terminal index designed to aid producers in selecting sires whose progeny will perform in the feedlot and carcasses are sold on grade and yield system. Hereford Baldy Maternal Index (BMI) - Index designed for commercial cow-calf producers who use Hereford bulls in rotational crossbreeding programs on Angus-based cows and heifers. Re tained ownership of calves through the feedlot phase of production is assumed, with fed cattle marketed on a Certified Hereford Beef pricing grid. Hereford Certified Hereford Beef Index (CHB) - A terminal sire index, where Hereford bulls are mated to British-cross cows and all offspring are sold as fed cattle on a CHB grid. Simmental All Purpose Index (API) - Evaluates sires for use on the entire cow herd (bred to both Angus first-calf heifers and mature cows) with the portion of their daughters required to maintain herd size retained and the remaining heifers and steers put on feed and sold grade and yield. Simmental Terminal Index (TI) - Predicts expected difference in economic merit between bulls when all progeny are placed in the feedlot and sold on a carcass grade and yield basis. EPD expressed in progeny dollars per head. EPD Averages - Spring 2026 CED BW WW YW DOC MCE Milk CLAWANGLE HS MB RE FAT $M $W $B $C Angus +6 +1.2 +66 +117 +19 +8 +26 +0.48 +0.48 +0.51+0.66+0.65+0.019 +62 +63 +149 +256 CED BW WW YW CEM Milk MB RE FT TSI Charolais +10.9 -1.0 +62 +113 +9.1 +24 +0.10+0.62+0.003 +266 CED BW WW YW DOC CEM Milk MB RE FT MPI FPI FT MPI FPI $Values $M +60 $W +55 $B +125 $C +220 Angus Maternal Weaned Calf Value ($M) - Index value expressed in dollars per head, is the expected average difference in future progeny profitability from conception to weaning. Includes both revenue and cost adjustments associated with differences in calving ease direct, calving ease maternal, weaning weight, milk, heifer pregnancy, docility, mature cow weight, claw set and foot angle.

Southwest Virginia Performance Tested Bull Sale // Saturday, March 28, 2026 Negative Anaplasmosis test at delivery. Negative BVD PI test at delivery. Out-of-state health pa pers available sale day. All bulls evaluated for breeding soundness and fertility- guaranteed to be breeders. Senior bulls have passed full breeding soundness exam (including semen evaluation). Junior bulls have had an exam (scrotal, palpation, penile exam), but not had semen evaluation. Consulting veterinarian is Dr. John Currin from VA-MD College of Veterinary Medicine. See inside back cover for full guarantee. Performance Records Expected Progeny Differences (EPD) An EPD is an estimate of the genetic value of an animal as a parent. Specifically, EPDs pre dict the difference in performance of the future offspring of a parent, compared to the future offspring from another parent in the same breed. EPD values may only be directly compared between animals within the same breed. Production EPDs Maternal EPDs Management EPDs Carcass EPDs CED BW WW YW DOC MCE Milk CLAW ANGLE HS MB RE FAT EPD +6 +1.0 +45 +92 +11 +7 +24 +.45 +.35 +.60 +.45 +.35 -.005 Production and Maternal EPDs Calving Ease Direct (CE) - Predicts the ease with which a bull’s calves will be born to first calf heifers. Higher EPD indicates a higher percentage of unassisted births. Birth Weight (BW) - Predicts differences in progeny birth weight, measured in pounds. Higher EPDs indicate heavier birth weights. Weaning Weight (WW) - Predictor of bull’s ability to transmit weaning growth to his progeny. Ex pressed in pounds. Yearling Weight (YW) - Predictor of bull’s ability to transmit pre and post-weaning growth to his progeny. Expressed in pounds. Docility (DOC) - Predicts difference in yearling cattle temperament, with a higher value indicating more favorable docility (expressed as percentage having most desirable temperament score). Calving Ease Maternal (MCE) - Predicts the average ease with which a sire’s daughters will calve as first-calf heifers, with a higher value indicating greater calving ease in first-calf daughters. Maternal Milk (Milk) - Predictor of bull’s genetic ability to transmit milk and maternal ability to his daughters. EPD expressed as additional pounds of calf weaned by the bull’s daughters. Management EPDs Claw Set (CLAW) - expressed in units of claw-set score, with a lower EPD being more favorable indicating a sire will produce progeny with more ideal claw set (claw with toes that are symmet rical and even). Foot Angle EPD (ANGLE) - expressed in units of foot-angle score, with a lower EPD being more favorable indicating a sire will produce progeny with more ideal foot angle (pastern with 45-degree angle with appropriate toe length and heel depth). Hair Shed (HS) - expressed in units of hair shed score, with a lower EPD being more favorable indicating a sire should produce progeny who shed their winter coat earlier in the spring. Se lection for this trait should improve the genetic potential for a sire’s progeny to shed off earlier increasing the environmental adaptability of cattle living in heat stressed areas and producers grazing endophyte-infected fescue. One hundred fifteen Senior bulls (calved September 1 through December 31, 2024) and 137 Junior bulls (calved January 1 through March 31, 2025) were delivered to the SWBTS on Octo ber 7, 2025 and went on test October 28 following a 21 day warm-up period. Both Senior and Junior bulls completed the 112-day test February 11, 2026. Upon delivery to the station bulls were vaccinated for clostridial diseases, IBR, PI3, BVD, BRSV, Pasturella, Haemophilus Somnus, and dewormed. They were fed a silage ration supplemented with dry corn, alfalfa haylage, and a commercial protein supplement. The ration was formulated to contain approximately 75% TDN and 13% crude protein on a dry-matter basis. Sale Requirements Qualifications for bulls selling within each breed test group was based on the following criteria: Growth EPDs: All bulls selling meet minimum genetic requirements (Terminal Index EPD) for Virginia Quality Assured (VQA) Purple Tag Feeder Calf Program. Frame Score: Minimum frame score of 5.0 for all breeds. Reproductive Soundness: All bulls have been subjected to a breeding soundness evaluation including scrotal circumference measure, internal palpation, and penal inspection. Senior bull evaluation included semen evaluation, and has satisfactory rating as defined by the Socitey for Theriogenology. Conformation: A committee evaluated all bulls for structural soundness and phenotype, including foot claw and angle. Unsound or unsuitable bulls have been eliminated. Sale Eligibility and Order: Additional bulls were eliminated and sale order established using an index combining individual performance (adjusted YW and test ADG) and EPDs (CED, WW, YW, Milk, MB, REA). Health and Fertility

PB Gelbvieh +12 +0.0 +71 +105 +12 +6 +23 +0.20 +0.62 -0.04 +106 +103 Gelbvieh Balancer +13 -0.6 +74 +116 +12 +7 +23 +0.38 +0.49 -0.01 +104 +124

CED BW WW YW CEM Milk MB RE FT BMI CHB FT BMI CHB

Hereford +3.8 +2.5 +56 +90 +1.7 +27 +0.15+0.47 +0.024 +374 +123

CED BW WW YW DOC CEM Milk MB RE FT TI API FT API TI

PB Simmental +9.9 +1.3 +80 +119 +11.8 +5.7 +23.3+0.17 +0.88 -0.07 +82 +133 Simmental Hybrid+11.5 +0.0 +78 +121 +12.7 +7.0 +24.0+0.40 +0.69 -0.03 +83 +136

Percentile (%Rank) Rankings on EPDs- Found in front of catalog. Indicates where EPD ranks relative to all other bulls evaluated within breed. 5 = EPD ranks in top 5% of breed for that trait.

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