UW’s High Altitude Bull Test and Sale to Conclude With March 26 Field Day

The University of Wyoming’s second annual High Altitude Bull Test and Sale will culminate in a field day at the Laramie Research and Extension Center Tuesday, March 26.

The annual field day, which is free and open to the public, offers producers a chance to learn about current beef cattle research and network with others involved in beef research. All attendees will be able to participate in the live auction bull sale. This event also gives students an opportunity to gain practical experience in production agriculture.

The event will begin at 10 a.m. at the Cliff and Martha Hansen Teaching Arena. Kacie McCarthy, an assistant professor and cow-calf extension specialist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, will kick off the field day with a presentation about bull development strategies. Chase Markel, an animal science Ph.D. student at UW, will speak briefly about bovine pulmonary hypertension research at UW. Tim Holt, a professor at Colorado State University, also will speak about bovine pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) tests, which screen for cattle’s susceptibility to pulmonary hypertension and other altitude-related health issues. Finally, UW faculty, staff and students will report on the results of this year’s test and future directions for the high-altitude bull program.

At noon, lunch and a student poster session highlighting current beef cattle research at UW will be provided.

The bull sale begins at 1 p.m. and will be broadcast live on the DVAuction site. More than 40 bulls are available for sale; breeds include Angus, Red Angus, Simmental, Hereford, Charolais, Shorthorn and commercial bulls. The sale catalog and videos of the bulls can be found at www.dvauction.com/events/208354.

“The data collected on the bulls involved will provide consigners and buyers with additional information to utilize when making sire selection decisions,” says Shelby Rosasco, UW Extension beef specialist and a co-founder of the program.

PAP scores, expected progeny differences, growth performance, feed efficiency and carcass evaluation data are available for all of the bulls in the test.

Twelve producers consigned a total of 81 bulls into the test in November. After an initial PAP test mid-December, UW researchers recommended that some bulls at high risk of altitude-related health issues be removed from the test. Remaining bulls underwent feed efficiency testing to measure and evaluate performance; a second PAP evaluation to further assess the risk of pulmonary hypertension; carcass ultrasounding to evaluate ribeye area, fat thickness and intramuscular fat; and a complete breeding soundness exam.

For more information about the UW High Altitude Bull Test and Sale, visit the UW Department of Animal Science website or the UW Beef Extension Facebook and Instagram pages.

Call or email Rosasco at (307) 766-2329 or srosasco@uwyo.edu with questions. 

About University of Wyoming Extension

Since 1914, UW Extension has provided lifelong learning opportunities to Wyoming citizens across the state. With roots in agricultural education, UW Extension supports rural communities facing contemporary challenges and changes. UW Extension brings the university’s resources to each of the state’s 23 counties and the Wind River Indian Reservation. To learn more about UW Extension, visit www.uwyo.edu/uwe or call (307) 766-5124.