Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Elite Buck Sale

The top-performing bucks from the 2013 Western Maryland Pasture-Based Meat Goat Performance Sale will be sold via public auction at the 1st Annual Mid-Atlantic Small Ruminant Extravaganza, to be held September 19-21, 2013, at the Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex in Chatham, Virginia.

Bucks  meeting Gold, Silver, or Bronze Standards of performance for growth, parasite resistance, and parasite resilience will be eligible to sell. The sale will be held Saturday, September 21 at 12 noon.

Some of the bucks in this year's test.

The Elite Buck Sale will be followed by a Sale of Top Does: does from top herds across the country, regardless of breed or registry affiliation. Most of the doe consigners participate in the buck performance tests in Maryland and/or Oklahoma, so this is a great opportunity to purchase females from performance-tested herds.

The Small Ruminant Extravaganza is being sponsored by the Performance Management Group (PMG). For more information, contact John Smith at  jstrider01@netscape.com or visit the group's web site at http://pmg-epd.com.

As consigners can attest, 2013 has been a difficult year for internal parasites, primarily the barber pole worm. That's why this is a perfect year to buy a buck from the test. This year's top-performing bucks will have faced the most difficult parasite challenge Maryland test bucks have ever experienced. A significant parasite challenge is required to identify genetically superior males!