Sept. 23, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Mike Hall
(805) 756-2685
Cal Poly Calling all Cattlemen & Women
to Campus
for the 49th Annual Bull Test Sale Oct. 1 - 2
SAN LUIS OBISPO -- Cattle buyers, breeders and ranchers from across the state will converge at Cal Poly Oct. 1 and 2 for the University’s 49th Annual Field Day and Tested Bull Sale. The two-day event includes workshops on the latest animal science developments and techniques for cattle owner and concludes with an auction of champion cattle raised to peak condition by Cal Poly students
On Oct. 1st, the 49th Field Day will begin at the College of Agriculture Livestock Pavilion. Cattlemen and women will get an introduction to the Cal Poly beef program and can choose from advanced technology workshops including
• Value indexes with EPDs in bull selection
• Low-stress cattle handling
• The do’s and don’ts when working with vaccines
Presenters include Bill Bowman, Vice-President, Information and Data Programs American Angus Association; Mike Lathrop, DVM, Technical Veterinarian, Pfizer Animal Health;. John Maas DVM, Extension Veterinarian, University of California, Davis; Bob Erickson, Owner Bob Erickson Equipment; and Jamie Cornwall, Regional Sale Representative, Pfizer Animal Health.
Mark Nelson, President of California Cattlemen’s Association, and Bill Dale, Executive Director of California Beef Cattlemen Improvement Associations, will present the latest developments from their associations. Field day events begin at 8:30 a.m., with registration in the Livestock Judging Pavilion on Via Carta Road on campus.
The 49th Annual Field Day also includes a commercial trade show, refreshments, lunch and a “bull session,” which gives buyers and consignors time to preview bulls up for auction at the Tested Bull Sale Oct. 2nd.
The day will conclude with the annual barbecue at Madonna’s Alberti Ranch, The barbecue kicks off at 7 p.m., with dinner and an auction. Proceeds will benefit the Collegiate Cattlemen’s Club and the Cal Poly Livestock Judging Team.
The 49th Annual Cal Poly All-Breed Performance Tested Bull Sale Preview begins at 8 a.m. Oct. 2nd in the University’s Livestock Judging Pavilion with inspection of the bulls. Cattle breeds available for auction will be Charolais, Low Birth Weight Angus, Limousin, Red Angus, Multi-Trait Angus, Brangus, Angus, Hereford, Continental Composite, and Simmental. The Bull Test sale begins at 1 p.m. Oct. 2nd.
“The bull test is a breeder-financed program set up to identify and improve the quality of beef cattle,” explained Cal Poly Animal Science Professor Mike Hall, a beef cattle specialist.
This year’s Bull Test began with 323 bulls brought to Cal Poly. As always, the bulls were kept in hillside corrals where they had to travel steep inclines for feed and water. The bulls faced a 100-day evaluation of their performance and structural and reproductive soundness before the auction. “Only the top 50 percent of the bulls make the sale,” Hall explained.
Cal Poly has continued to work with Cargill Animal Health Mineral
Specialist Lex Gamblin on the Bull Test cattle. With this year’s
crop of bulls, “Under Lex’s advice, we have adjusted
the feed ration to be higher in roughages and fiber to ensure optimum
breeding condition,” Hall explained.
In an effort to eliminate respiratory illness at the Bull Test,
once again this year, all bulls had to test PI-BVD negative before
arriving, Hall added. All cattle presented for sale at the annual
Bull Test auction have been vaccinated with Anaplasmosis and have
documented with performance data and breeding value.
For details and registration, contact Mike Hall at (805) 756-2685 or visit the Cal Poly Bull Test Site at: http://bulltest.calpoly.edu.
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