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Five Oaks Ranch bulls complete tests

published: May 17th 2002

In preparation for its 12th annual production sale, Five Oaks Ranch of Valley Mills, Texas has just completed official gain tests on the polled Santa Gertrudis bulls that will be offered for sale on June 1, 2002 at 11 :00 a.m. at the Clifton Livestock Commis-sion Company in Clifton, Texas.

When the bulls were weighed off test,   ultra-sound measurements were conducted by Richard Graham Hood of Santa Gertrudis Breeders Inter-national, Kingsville, Texas. Two groups of bulls were evaluated. The first group included bulls born between December 1, 2000 and February 28, 2001. A second group of bulls were born between March 1, 2001 and May 31, 2001.

John R. Brethour of the Agricultural Research Center in Hays, Kansas, wrote recently in an article entitled “Ultrasound Evaluation of Seed Stock Cattle,” that “considering that values on bulls are below steers, a bull that scores 4.0 and higher  intramuscular fat] would be expected to produce calves that have the potential to grade Choice.”

Using ultrasound equipment designed by Brethour, Hood evaluated the bulls on the Five Oaks tests. One of the Five Oaks bulls, Prime Time 114, scored 6.46 in IMF, the highest IMF measurement recorded to date by Hood. That 6.46 score places the bull in the Prime quality grade, with moderately abundant marbling. These measurements were taken when Prime Time 114 was 367 days of age. The calf also gained 4.06 pounds per day on the official test.

In his article, Brethour said, “Bulls with marbling estimates exceeding 4.8 have been found to have the ability to sire calves with the potential to meet branded beef programs requiring average   choice and higher.”

On the official gain test, the group of 22 younger bulls posted an average overall gain of 437 pounds and ADG of 3.91/lbs/da. Total cost of gain on those bulls was 35-cents per pound. Ten different polled herd sires were represented. Top gaining bull on this test was 1B15, owned by Snodgress Cattle

Co. of Joshua, Texas, a guest consignor at this year’s Five Oaks production sale.

The group of older bulls averaged a gain of 454 pounds, with average daily gain posted at 4.08/lbs/da. The total cost of gain was 38-cents per pound. The group of 23 bulls were sired by 11 different polled Santa Gertrudis bulls.

The top-gaining bull in this group was Five Oaks 27/1, with an ADG of 5.09/lbs/da. He is a grandson of Five Oaks’ Stormin’ Norman 73/0.

The top end of the younger bulls and most of the older bulls tested in the Five Oaks gain program will sell at the Five Oaks Production Sale June 1. A total of 35 bulls and some 50 bred and open heifers will sell.