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Beef Update
Livestock Update, April 2005
Scott Greiner Extension Animal Scientist, Beef, VA Tech
Virginia BCIA Presents Premier Angus Breeder Award
The Virginia Beef Cattle Improvement Association presented its Premier Angus Breeder Award at their Annual Meeting held in conjunction with the Virginia Beef Industry Convention on February 26, 2005. The award is based on outstanding performance of their entire consignment at Virginia BCIA Central Bull Test Stations in the test year 2003-04. The Premier Angus Breeder Award was presented to Echo Ridge Farm, C.W. Pratt and Family, of Atkins, Virginia. Echo Ridge consigned a total of 38 bulls to the Virginia Central Bull Test program, and had cattle in both Senior and Junior test groups at both Culpeper and Wytheville. The Echo Ridge bulls posted an average yearling weight ratio of 104 and average test gain ratio of 104. Of the 38 bulls evaluated, 34 Echo Ridge bulls qualified for the respective sales and sold for an average premium of $366 relative to other Angus bulls sold in the same sales. The Echo Ridge consignment groups included the top breeder group, as well as high indexing and top two high selling bulls at Culpeper Senior in 2003, along with the high indexing Junior Angus bull at the Southwest Junior test in 2004, and the high indexing and second high selling Angus bulls as Culpeper Junior in 2004. This is the second consecutive year the Pratt's have won the distinguished Premier Angus Breeder Award.
Virginia BCIA Elects 2005 Officers
John Wilkins was recently elected president of the Virginia Beef Cattle Improvement Association for 2005. Wilkins is manager of Llangollen/Huntland Farm, a registered Angus operation located in Middleburg, VA. Other officers elected at the BCIA Annual Meeting held February 26 include Vice President Terry Slusher of Floyd, and Secretary/Treasurer Ray Simms of Fredericksburg.
During the annual meeting of Virginia BCIA, directors elected to serve a three year term included Jason Pratt, an Angus breeder from Atkins, VA, Pete Henderson, an Angus breeder from Williamsburg, and Buster Hounshell, a Simmental breeder from Wytheville. Other members of the BCIA board of directors include Roger Morris of Appomattox, Charles Rosson of Louisa, Leo Muncy of Pipestem, WV and past president Dennis Pearson from Warrenton.
The technical directors of the association are Norm Vincel, VA-NC Select Sires, Rocky Mount, Virginia and Bill Beal, Virginia Tech Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences. The educational advisor is Scott Greiner, Extension Animal Scientist at Virginia Tech.