DATE: 10/06/2006

CONTACT: Dr. Larry Olson, 803-284-3343, ext. 231; lolson@clemson.edu

WRITER: Tom Lollis, 803-284-3343, ext. 241; tlollis@clemson.edu

Edisto REC to offer good set of bulls during Oct. 14 sale

BLACKVILLE – Beef producers looking for good herd sires will find 45 to bid on during the Edisto Forage Bull Test Sale at Blackville.

“We have a really good set of bulls,” said Larry Olson, Clemson University Extension beef cattle specialist and test coordinator. “As a group these bulls will average close to 1,700 pounds. They have lots of meat on them.” The sale begins at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14.

The group will include 27 Angus, 7 Gelbvieh, 5 Red Angus and 6 Balancers.

The test began with 72 bulls in November of 2005. Twenty-seven were weeded out for poor performance, disposition, muscling and subpar breeding potential standards.

Olson said that both purebred breeders and commercial cow-calf producers will find sires at Edisto to meet their needs. He said the commercial bulls should sire the medium to large minus frame crossbred calves which will weigh 600 lbs. and more at 7-8 months of age, as well as good replacement heifers.

“These are the calves in demand by cattle feeders,” said Olson. “They bring the top prices and will make a profit every year.”

Bulls on test are fed under on-farm conditions – primarily with forages and a bulk, commodity-based test ration.

Edisto REC is three miles northwest of Blackville in Barnwell County on U.S. Highway 78.

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