PENNSYLVANIA FURNACE, Centre Co. – Pennsylvania’s 30th Performance Tested Ram Lamb and Meat Goat Buck Sale produced record-breaking results.  The sale was held on Aug. 2 at the Samuel E. Hayes Jr. Livestock Evaluation "center".

This year’s sale averaged $344 per animal for 163 rams, meat goat bucks and invitational ewes and does, the largest offering in the sale’s history.

The 58 tested rams in the sale sold for a record-setting average of $488.  Suffolk sheep began the sale and sold strong with 22 rams and 22 ewes in the sale. 

A ram consigned by Ralph and Melanie Horchler of Volant, Pa., topped the Suffolk sale, selling to Justin Smith of Dorcas, W.Va., for $1,500.  The high-indexing senior Suffolk, consigned by John Scott Jr. of Princeton, W.Va., sold to Robert Feeney of Bedford, Pa., for $675.  The exceptional growth and muscling among the rams entered in the sale received much buyer interest.

The high-selling Dorset ram, out of 13 in the sale, was a very complete, heavily muscled ram consigned by Melana Lovell.  This ram sold for $1,100 to John Jacob Waltz Jr. of Smithsburg, Md.  The second high-selling Dorset ram, a smooth, moderate-framed consignment from Hollystone Farm of Paoli, Pa., sold for $800 to Walter Gross of Wakefield, R.I. 

 Jason Botsford of Punxsutawney, Pa., consigned the high-indexing and high-selling Hampshire ram.  This large-framed, correct-structured fall ram was sold to David Pinckney of Cayuga, N.Y., for $600.  Eight Hampshire rams sold in the sale.

The high selling ram of the day was a heavily muscled Dorper ram from Riverwood Farms of Powell, Ohio.  This ram was sold to Jean McCumber of Sidney "center", N.Y., for $2,800, a new record price for a performance tested ram in Pennsylvania.  The four Dorpers in the sale averaged $1,244.

Robert Calvert of Mercer, Pa., consigned two excellent Shropshire Rams to the testing program.  One of these Shropshires set a new all time record average daily gain of 1.45 pounds-per-day gain on test.

Four outstanding Cheviots sold for an average of $450.  The top-selling and the top-indexing Cheviots were consigned by the Willerton family of Danvers, Ill.  The high-selling Cheviot sold to Sandra Burger, of Kunkletown, Pa., for $575.

Other breeds offered for sale included a Royal White consigned by Mary Ann Clark of Mill Hall, Pa., which sold to Philip Kidney, Dansville, N.Y., for $600; a Katahdin consigned by Ken and Lilae Shope, Bellefonte, Pa., sold to Kenneth Guindon, Roaring Branch, Pa., for $375; and a Texel consigned by the Silvara Valley Farms, Laceyville, Pa., sold for $350 to Tom Hopkins of Georgetown, Pa.  Thirty-seven ewes of the same represented breeds averaged $226 per head.

Twenty-six full-blood Boer bucks averaged $300 per head.  Starting the buck sale was the high-indexing senior buck, a consignment from Curtis Charles of Lancaster, Pa., that earned Charles an award chair presented by the Keystone Goat Producers Association. This buck sold for $325 to Zachary Teter of Beverly, W.Va.  The high-selling buck in the sale, at $750, was a consignment from Dr. Joanne Bicknese of Cream Ridge, N.J.  This high-performing junior buck sold to Paul Whittington of Sabina, Ohio.  The second highest-selling buck was the top indexing junior buck, consigned by the Nix Besser Farm.  This outstanding individual was selected by Rebecca Phillips, Sycamore, Pa., for the winning bid of $600.
A percentage buck, consigned by the Houser Family of Hughesville, Pa., sold to Roger Stock of Martinsburg, Pa., for $275. The 41 does consigned by breeders in the program, averaged $277 per head.

    
The rams and meat goat bucks in the sale were the top animals selected from the 77-day ram and 70-day buck growth trials, which evaluate growth, average daily gain, muscling and fat deposition.  All information from the trials is published for buyers interested in improving their flock or herd. 

The Livestock Evaluation "center" conducts performance testing programs for swine and cattle in addition to sheep and meat goats.  Supported by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, the Livestock Evaluation "center"’s goal is to help producers throughout the state and country bring their livestock to market more efficiently and meet the demands of the consumer through improving genetic quality.

For more information about Pennsylvania’s performance testing programs and sales, contact Glenn Eberly at 814-238-2527 or geberly@state.pa.us.  For more information on the Livestock Evaluation "center", visit the "center"’s Web site at www.agriculture.state.pa.us/lec.

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The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Samuel E. Hayes, Jr. Livestock Evaluation "center" measures genetic traits for cattle, swine, sheep, and meat goats for two purposes: to benefit producers in evaluating economically important traits, and to benefit consumers by providing wholesome, high quality products at an affordable price.