New producers welcome: Get involved in Missouri’s performance tested bull sale

PALMYRA, Mo. — Northeast Missouri cattle producers are encouraged to take advantage of the long-standing Missouri Bull Testing Program, an initiative designed to improve the genetic quality, performance and profitability of beef herds across the state.

The Missouri Bull Testing program is sponsored by the Northeast Missouri Beef Cattle Improvement Association and is a cooperation between purebred cattle producers and the University of Missouri Extension livestock specialists. This program helps identify and market superior genetics at the Performance Tested Bull Sale, held each March at F&T Livestock Market in Palmyra. Bulls must meet stringent requirements to qualify for the sale, including minimum standards for growth, soundness, scrotal circumference and genetic merit. Only the top-performing bulls, based on quantitative data, are eligible.

“It’s a great way for producers to take the guesswork out of breeding decisions,” MU Extension Livestock Specialist Brenda Schreck said in a press release. “You get bulls with the data to back them up, and that gives everyone more confidence, whether you’re buying or selling.”

To be eligible for the 2026 Performance Tested Bull Sale, bulls must be born between Jan. 1, 2024, and Feb. 28, 2025. In addition, bulls must be in the upper 50th percentile for Expected Progeny Differences (EPD) in at least two of four traits: Birth Weight (BW) or Calving Ease (CE), Weaning Weight (WW), Yearling Weight (YW), and Milk.

Further qualifications include having a yearling weight taken between 320 and 440 days of age under the supervision of an MU Extension Livestock Specialist. Bulls must also have an adjusted 365-day weight of at least 1,100 pounds, measure 49 inches or greater at the hip, and receive a grade of B- or above. These rigorous standards ensure only bulls with the potential to make a positive, data-proven impact on herds are marketed through the sale.

More information about the Missouri Bull Testing Program and how to participate can be found at https://nemobeef.com/. For questions or assistance with the bull program, contact Schreck at schreckb@missouri.edu or 573-767-5273.