2025 Winter Test: On-test Summary
W25-1
12/3/2025
Hello!
Hope everyone had a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving. One hundred and sixty-four bulls were weighed on to test on the Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving week. Attached is a report that lists data submitted or collected on bulls thus far. The average weight of bulls at delivery and on-test by age division was 953 lbs and 1,030 for Senior division bulls and 730 lbs and 807 lbs for Junior division bulls, respectively. Base off ontest weights bulls have done well as a group during the receiving period. Average daily gain between both age division was 2.75 lbs with a range of 0.07 to 7.6 lbs/day for Senior division bulls and -0.32 to 5.5 lbs/day for Junior division bulls. Now, the 7.6 lbs/day is believed to be a result of an in accurate delivery weight because on-test weights recorded on Monday were within 38 lbs of one another which is within our acceptable range for a two-day weight. As a group, on average there was a 3.35 lb difference between the two-day weights for each bull. However, 2.75 lbs per day was the target ADG for the receiving period, 3% shrink was applied to all delivery weights in an attempt to get closer to a non-shrunk weight in an effort to be more precise in delivery the daily dry matter target.
Prior to the on-test weight 26 bulls (15.9%) received treatment for symptoms associated with bovine respiratory disease (BRD) with one bull requiring a second treatment. For comparison, during the receiving period in Winter Test 2024 and 2023, 33 (20.3%) and 35 (21%) bulls had been treated for BRD with 18% relapsing and 1.8% becoming chronic in 2024. As we've done in recent tests, once the first bull (11/2/25 for this W25) is treated for BRD the entire group receives a treatment does of chlortetracycline as a top dress crumble on their feed for 5-consecutive days. However, several additional management techniques were changed with this set of bulls in an attempt to reduce BRD.
Traditionally bulls would have been resorted the day after delivery; however, weather was pretty crummy with rain and cooler temperatures and bulls visually appeared comfortable in the barns. Previous years health challenges did not justify implementing stress by re-sorting so close to delivery. Instead, we opted to focus on transitioning bulls to the test diet and allow additional time to acclimate to their new environment (pen mates, pens, water, etc.) before resorting. Two separate loads of feed are mixed and delivered daily given the amount to be fed and mixer size. These loads have historically been delivered in the morning. For this test during the receiving period this was switched to delivery the first load in the morning and the second load in the late afternoon. Initially this was done to prevent the majority of feed becoming wet given rainfall received but it was continued in an attempt to prevent bulls from eating too large of meal early if they were accustomed to eating on an AM/PM schedule, plus it created a better second opportunity for the day to "read" bulls for wellbeing. Additionally, we were able to mix a greater inclusion of dry hay into the diet by switching to large squares based on the mixer design. By pushing the re-sort back to the second day of on-test weights we should have accomplished or at least aided in, reducing stress primarily through nutritional stress as bulls were acclimated to the diet and a greater portion of their environment and reduced size variation within pen by reducing the effect of shrink on weights.
Twenty bulls were evaluated Briana Baugh DVM with Springmill Veterinary Service on the second day weight for poor gain and of those 9 were treated with a longer acting antibiotic (DRAXXIN) even though they did not have a fever, ranges in rectal temperature among these nine were 101.3 to 102.4°F. Also, the entire group received a second 5 consecutive day pulse of chlortetracycline through a top dress crumble from 11/27 to 12/1.
The table below lists ranges in weight and adjusted frame scores at on-test within pen. Keep in mind that we make an attempt to keep bulls together by breed type and owner as best we can versus a clear weight cut off by pen.
| Pen | Weight Range (Lbs) | Weight Difference (Lbs) | Frame Range | Frame Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 529 to 739 | 210 | 3.3 to 4.9 | 1.6 |
| 2 | 865 to 695 | 170 | 4.0 to 5.7 | 1.7 |
| 3 | 654 to 811 | 157 | 2.6 to 5.6 | 3.0 |
| 4 | 698 to 812 | 114 | 3.1 to 4.1 | 1.0 |
| 5 | 788 to 998 | 210 | 3.3 to 6.4 | 3.1 |
| 6 | 825 to 978 | 153 | 3.5 to 6.2 | 2.7 |
| 7 | 883 to 1,123 | 240 | 3.7 to 4.9 | 1.2 |
| 8 | 1,010 to 1,322 | 312 | 4.1 to 4.3 | 0.2 |
We had the opportunity to work with FERA and trial FerAppease® on this set of bulls to help guard against stress by reducing cortisol levels within the bulls upon a resort. Observations thus far are intriguing for the good, also having bulls acclimated to the TMR upon the resort helped distracted them by them going to go eat versus sniffing out their new pen mates shortly after arriving back to their home pen for the duration of W25. We'd be remiss to not thank FERA for donating the product and for Joe Meggison for coming to help apply FerAppease® and to operate a head catch for us at on-test. We will apply FerAppease® at off-test in an attempt to help bulls relax during BSE and branding.
We are in the process of streamlining entry of registration numbers into the database which may be why the majority are absent if they have already been submitted to IBEP. As a reminder, as noted in the rules, Registration and Weaning data are due by January 20, 2026. If this is not submitted to IBEP by this date then the bulls Sale Eligibility is automatically void yet will remain on test. Actual weaning data is required for adjusted data and it must be submitted by the owner as this information in not accessible by IBEP.
Please see the calendar for upcoming IBEP and Beef related events in the region. As always, help on weigh days or data collection days is always helpful and a great opportunity to set eyes on your bull during the test.
IBEP