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2021 Illinois Performance Tested Bull Sale prospers despite pandemic

The Illinois Performance Tested Bull Sale reached its second highest sale average this year despite pandemic related changes.

“The big highlight is that we were able to get a good set of cattle in front of some really good cattlemen.”

Sale Manager Travis Meteer tells Brownfield to comply with COVID-19 social distancing regulations, the 53^rd annual sale was moved to Lowderman’s Auction facility in Macomb, where they sold 34 bulls for an average of $4,396.  

He says the top seller was a high indexing Angus yearling sold by Kramer Angus of Farina to Graham Angus of Pearl for $9100. “When phenotype performance and pedigree all match in this sale, that is what is takes to top it, and that bull certainly did.”

Meteer says the sale results show that cattleman have not stopped planning for the future and are seeking genetics that can take their herd to the next level.

“We have seen a cattle cycle that’s been in a lull but once we come out of that there is a big opportunity to see an uptick in cattle prices and so I think producers are aware of that and are reinvesting in their herds.”

The second high selling bull was consigned by Rincker Simmentals of Shelbyville and purchased by Witley McKinney of Neoga for $8,000, while the third high seller, sold by Murphy genetics of Illiopolis, went for $6,000 to Dean Nelson of Oneida.

A full list of sale results is available here.