2 Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer sales set

COLUMBIA, Mo.– Fall-calving Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifers will be auctioned in two southern Missouri sales next month.

• May 4 at 1 p.m., Fruitland (Mo.) Livestock Auction in southeastern Missouri.
• May 17 at 7 p.m., Joplin Regional Stockyards, Carthage, in southwestern Missouri.

Roger Eakins says 251 bred heifers are consigned at Fruitland. They are 95 percent black or black whiteface. Registered heifers include 42 Angus, eight Simmental and eight Hereford. Crossbreds include Angus-Simmental, Angus-American and Angus-Hereford. Most have been synchronized for artificial insemination (AI) and 68 percent are pregnancy checked and confirmed AI-bred.

There are 184 fetal-sexed heifers carrying known heifer or bull calves.

Eldon Cole says 350 crossbred and purebred heifers are consigned at Joplin. About 90 percent are black or black whiteface. Breeds and crosses include Amerifax, Angus, Hereford, Gelbvieh, Red Angus and Simmental. A few carry 1/8 Brahman.

Calving dates fall between mid-August and the end of November.

On sale day, the heifers are sorted into uniform lots according to calving dates, breed, color and size. All have been pregnancy checked twice, once within 30 days of sale. All are sold guaranteed bred for 30 days.

All heifers are graded for conformation and sale requirements on arrival at the barns by USDA and Missouri Department of Agriculture graders. Those not meeting SMS standards are sent home.

All Show-Me-Select heifers carry the trademarked ear tags. Increasingly, more of the heifers are ranked Tier Two, indicating use of higher-accuracy proven sires.

Eakins and Cole, University of Missouri Extension regional livestock specialists, manage the sales, which are organized by boards of local consignors. Eakins can be reached at 573-576-2965. Cole is at 417-466-3102. Detailed sale catalogs will be available on sale day.