Traits Influencing Sale Price of Performance Tested Beef Bulls in Michigan

For business and breeding decisions, bull producers need information on the phenotypic and genetic qualities most demanded by their markets. This study utilized data from the Michigan Cattlemen’s Association/Michigan State University Bull Evaluation Program, which evaluates bulls from consignors throughout Michigan and Indiana, raising them in a central location for five months, while standardizing their environmental and feeding conditions. Bulls meeting the program criteria are offered for sale at auction. Traits listed in the sale catalog which influence the variation in sale price (SP) were analyzed for Angus, Simmental, and SimAngus bulls that sold through the program from 2010 to 2016 (n = 466). For Simmental and SimAngus bulls, the PROC GLM of SAS was used to examine the categorical traits of coat color, horned status, birth type (single, twin, or embryo transfer), and purebred or percentage status. The average SP for purebred Simmental bulls was $693.92 more than for SimAngus bulls (P = 0.011). No other categorical traits were significant in explaining variation in SP. A multiple linear regression analysis (PROC REG of SAS), using the stepwise procedure (entry level: P ≤ 0.05; stay level: P ≤ 0.10), was completed to examine the continuous variable traits of bull age, sire, birth weight (BW), weaning weight (WW), final weight (FWT), average daily gain (ADG), weight per day of age (WDA), frame score, intramuscular fat (IMF), ribeye area (RE), scrotal circumference, pelvic area, and Expected Progeny Difference (EPD) percentiles for calving ease (CE%), birth weight (BW%), weaning weight (WW%), yearling weight (YW%), maternal milk (MM%), marbling (MAR%), fat thickness, ribeye area (RE%), Angus EPD indices for weaned calf value ($W) and beef value ($B), and Simmental EPD indices for terminal index (TI) and all purpose index (API). For Angus, SP = $2,017.39 – $1,057.39(CE%) – $790.07(BW%) – $1,932.70(YW%) – $1,943.89(MAR%) + $1,303.92(MAR%²) – $728.30(RE%) + $0.00067(FWT²) + $60.40(ADG²) + $121.64(RE) – $26.18(IMF²) [R² = 0.6927; P < 0.0001]. For Simmental, SP = –$15,291 – $832.21(CE%) – $758.18(MM%) + $348.55(BW) – $2.20(BW²) – $2,955.34(TI%) + $2,055.26(TI%²) + $0.00134(FWT²) + $154.82(WDA²) + $174.17(RE) [R² = 0.7326; P < 0.0001]. By understanding the monetary impacts of individual traits on sale price, bull producers can focus on breeding objectives that either emphasize or deemphasize particular traits, based on current market demand.