The 40 th annual Calhoun Bull Evaluation Sale will be Friday, Dec. 11, at 12:30 p.m. at the Northwest Georgia Branch Experiment Station Livestock Pavilion in Calhoun.

Approximately 75 performance-tested bulls will be sold including Angus, Brangus, Charolais, Simmental, SimAngus, Braunvieh, Gelbvieh Balancer, Red Angus and Hereford breeds.

All the bulls have been on test at the Experiment Station’s feed lot in Floyd County. Only the top performing bulls will be sold. Official 112-day feed test gain records, plus 205-day weight and 365-day weight records will be available on all the bulls.

The bull test is a cooperative effort between the University of Georgia Extension Service, the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association and registered cattle producers. Through this bull test, local cattle producers are able to buy high-quality bulls using more than just what the bull “looks” like. They can use each bull’s gain records to see the type of genetics they have and can pass on to their offspring.

A high-quality, fast-gaining bull can make a huge difference in the type of calves produced. In the beef herd, the bull accounts for half of the genetic makeup of each calf they produce. Cattlemen who take the time and spend the money to buy top-quality bulls will reap the benefits for years.

Norman Edwards is coordinator of Walker County Extension Service.