Monday, August 6, 2012


2012 Florida Bull Test
Wow it is hard to believe that it is already time to deliver bulls to Marianna for the 2012 bull test.  They have a record number of bulls consigned this year so come sale day buyers should have a really nice set to select from. 
Last year we consigned three young bulls two of these were out of our senior herd sire Coleman EXT 6149 and one was an AI sired calf.  Out of the 63 calves entered into the test our calves placed 20th (6149 calf), 27th (HA Image Maker 0415 calf) and 39th (6149 calf).  We don’t enter the calves with the expectation of winning; we breed for balance not explosive growth so we probably will never have the lead off bull in one of these sales.  For us the bull test is about the information that is gathered on the animals.  Learning how our calves perform against other animals from other progressive breeding programs is a valuable tool to have in the tool box. 
This year we are only sending two young bulls both out of our junior herd sire Sinclair Rito 9R9.  This is a young bull that we have been really excited about.   The two calves we have selected to send are:
Sinclair Rito 9R9 Sire of 1106 & 1136
Gizmo Rito 1106 S023 9R9 Registration #17226615 this young bull has an impressive pedigree his dam is out of a full sister to Morgan’s Direction a bullet proof calving ease bull and a bull that was in the top 10% of the breed for REA.  His sire Sinclair Rito 9R9 was a stand out in the Sinclair program and is a grandson of the breed legend Rito 707.
The second bull is:
Gizmo Rito 1136 717 9R9 Registration #17227360 this is another young bull with a royal pedigree his sire is out of Rito Revolve OR5 a very impressive son of 707.  This calf’s young dam has been a standout since birth in the Gizmo program.  She is out of BC Matrix and Gizmo Pride 314 which was the natural daughter of our donor cow Finks Pride 6211. 
The test schedule is:
Nomination deadline – June 15, 2012
Delivery Date – July 31, 2012
Test begins (initial weights) – August 21 & 22, 2012
28 - day weight – September 19, 2012
56 - day weight – October 16 and 17, 2012
84 - day weight - November 14, 2012
Test ends (final weights) - December 11 and 12, 2012
Bull Test Sale -January 19, 2013
Results will be posted on the Florida Bull Test site after each weigh in.