Spring 2025
AWB BIRCH’S THE BOXER 21D
Sold in 2017, National Champion in 2018
AWB TWIN VIEW MAYWEATHER 39F ET Sold in 2019 then became Agribition Champion
AWB TWIN VIEW BOLD RULER 20K ET Sold in 2023 then won Farmfair and Agribition
AWB TWIN VIEW UNIVERSAL 22L ET Sold in 2024 then became National Champion
Cowlick Ranch, Olds AB
Canadian Board of Directors
PRESIDENT
Eddie Marsman
25032 Twp. RD 274
Red Deer County AB T0M 0V0
403-588-1400
eddie@hillsdowncontractingltd.onmicrosoft.com
VICE PRESIDENT
Duncan Pearson Box 589
Calmar AB T0C 0V0
780-220-5730
pearsongrainandcattle@gmail.com
DIRECTORS
Lorna Okell Box 627
Duchess AB T0J 0Z0 403-501-1019 jenty@eidnet.org
Cody Congdon Box 366
Bashaw AB T0B 0H0 403-350-5791
rockytopgelbvieh@hotmail.com
Bev Milne Box 1573
Fairview AB T0H 1L0
780-835-2645 milneranch@live.ca
Vicky Horn RR 2
Thorsby, AB T0C 2P0 780-668-8425
vicky@tangleridgeranch.ca
Braylen Blake Box 202
Glentworth, SK S0H 1V0 306-640-2204
braylen.blake@gmail.com
Gelbvieh Association of AB/BC Reps
President & Jr. Incentive Olivia Koziak 780-835-0264
koziaklandandcattle@gmail.com
Treasurer & 4-H Awards Malory Parrish gelbviehassocabbc@gmail.com gelbviehassocabbc4h@gmail.com
Vice President Drew MacDonell
Secretary Amber Paulencu
ManSask Gelbvieh Association Reps
President
Ian Thackeray Box 1002 Weyburn SK S4H 2L0 306-861-7687 tgfis@sasktel.net
Secretary Cynthia Wirgau Box 25 Narcisse MB R0C 2H0 204-278-3255 mansaskgelbvieh@gmail.com
Subscribe Today
The Gelbvieh Guide is mailed out to purchasers of Gelbvieh cattle when registration certificates are transfered; the seller of the animal for a registration certificate when you purchase a Gelbvieh animal.
To be added to our mailing list contact the CGA office. Domestic subscription is $26.25 and International subscription is $50.00.
Canadian Gelbvieh Association gelbvieh@gelbvieh.ca 403-250-8640
President’s Message
Eddie Marsman
Happy New Year everyone. I hope 2025 will be as good for the cattle business as 2024 was.
With the incoming US president threatening tariffs, this remains to be seen, but I am hopeful that our American counterparts will be helpful in pointing out to the new President that the U.S. and Canada have the largest two way trade in live cattle and beef in the world. In other words, U.S small and medium sized processors and local and regional food systems rely on Canadian cattle to thrive and stay in business. The integration of the North American live cattle and beef supply chain is unlike anywhere else in the world, contributing to both food security and local and regional food systems.
If tariffs were to be enacted it would be detrimental to both beef producers and consumers on either side of the border. Canadian cattle and beef exports have grown significantly over the last 10 years due to increased demand, mainly from the U.S. In 2024, Canada exported $ 7 billion in total exports, $ 6 billion of it went to the U.S. At this point in time, I remain hopeful that this tariff threat is merely a negotiating tactic to get what they want on other fronts.
With the bad news out of the way, let’s take a look back at last fall’s events. I was able to attend both the Farmfair and Agribition Gelbvieh shows. Both events were very well attended, and a tremendous showing of Gelbvieh genetics was put on display. Congratulations to the organizers and exhibitors on a job very well done. All of you are making the Gelbvieh breed look awesome, and as a breed we could not wish for better advertising than what we saw at both shows.
Next on the agenda were Wishlist and my personal favourite, the Canadian Gelbvieh People’s Choice Bull Futurity. We witnessed a great set of bulls coming through the ring for everyone’s perusal. I think these two are such neat events, and I really appreciate the time and effort put in by a lot of people to make these events a reality. It shows, and both events were a resounding success. On a personal note, I was honored to be asked to slap the Futurity Winner.
I also think a special thank you is in order to Keriness Cattle and Davidson Gelbvieh for generously donating a heifer calf to respectively the Gelbvieh Association of AB/BC and ManSask Gelbvieh Association. Both heifers were top quality and generated a lot of raffle ticket sales.
In closing, I would like to point out that despite possible turmoil from south of the border, Canadian purebred genetics are in high demand worldwide. I myself was involved in a little excursion to Hawaii to help a number of producers breed about 50 head to Canadian Gelbvieh bulls. Look for an article on that in the next issue of the Gelbvieh Guide. I am also aware of Canadian breeders making inroads in countries like Vietnam, Laos, Australia and New Zealand, to name a few. Also, the Champion Gelbvieh Bull yesterday in Denver was sired by a Canadian Gelbvieh bull.
I think there is a very bright future ahead for Canadian Gelbvieh worldwide. All you breeders keep up the good work promoting, and this breed will grow.
All that’s left now is to wish everyone good luck during the calving and bull sale season.
Until next time, breed Gelbvieh!
Photo credit: Cowlick Ranch, Olds AB
Office Report
Sarah Van Schothorst
Happy New Year everyone.
I hope everyone takes the time to look through the line up of articles we have. Thank you to all of those that contributed and advertised. The feedback on the Gelbvieh Guide has never been better with many advertising members selling females off farm due to their ads. Demand for the Gelbvieh and Gelbvieh influence heifers is growing. I have had many commercial cattle producers call the office looking for member directories this past fall.
Monthly eblasts will continue through 2025. Please check your junk to ensure they are coming to your inbox. We are using a free service called Brevo. Important notes and updates are in these eblasts so be sure to read them. I try to keep them brief and informative.
NEW MAILING ADDRESS FOR THE CGA
Canadian Gelbvieh Association
RR 1 Blackie, AB T0L 0J0
We have a couple of advertising options available on the CGA website. The banner ads ($250 for the year) or the Sale Barn. This would be a great place to advertise semen or embryos available for new members interested in the breed. Also a great place to direct commercial people to for private treaty offerings. If you have bulls or females for sale consider putting them up on the Sale Barn tab ($50 per ad). Ads on the sale barn are set up like Kijiji, you have the option to put up to 10 pictures and a description for your ad.
It was a pleasure to attend the Wish List and Canadian People’s Choice Bull Futurity. It was great to see so many members take part. The Roadmap to Public Promotion series was completed with a final session hosted with Don Oberg, auc-
tioneer. He went over the common questions producers have around auction sales and the responsibilities that acutioneers and sale consignors have. The CGA wishes to thank all of the producers and professionals that hosted the sessions througout this series.
Herd Assessment time is coming up. Please make sure you complete your herd assessment by March 1 in Digital Beef. If you have purchased females that aren’t showing up in your inventory list contact the seller and remind them to complete the transfer. It is important that you register all of your calves from 2024, even if you ended up culling them as feeder cattle or if they died. You paid for the cow’s herd assessment, so make sure to enter the data. When you go to do your 2025 herd assessment Digital beef will remind you of any outstanding reporting. You don’t have to complete this before completing the herd assessment but please ensure that you do enter the data.
Complete data reporting is a key component to accurate EPD evaluations.
For assistance completing your herd assessment you can contact the office. Step by Step screen shot instructions are also available on the CGA webiste under Registry tutorials.
The Canadian Gelbvieh Association AGM has been scheduled to be a part of the Junior Show again this year. Thank you to the CJGA for finding some time for us to hold this event. It sure is nice to pair the AGM with a youth event and to have the members come out and see what a great group of youth we have involved in the breed and the programs they are developing. See you all July 26 at 9AM in Swift Current
Wishing everyone a successful bull sale and calving season. All the best in 2025.
Gelbvieh Association of AB/BC News
Olivia Koziak
What a great time to be in the cattle business! We have seen the prices hold and more people wanting to get involved in the industry; let’s keep up the momentum. I am proud to be on the GAA/BC board and represent the association as your president for this upcoming year. For those who don’t know me, I am Olivia Koziak of Koziak Land & Cattle in Lamont, AB. My husband Chad, his family, and I run a mixed grain and cattle operation. I have been in the Gelbvieh breed my entire life, being a 3rd Generation Gelbvieh producer. My parents are Harold and Bev Minle of Milne’s Gelbvieh in the Peace Country. It has been a privilege to see the breed’s growth, not just in the junior program from when I was in it but the breed as a whole. I look forward to seeing what comes next.
2024 was a great year. The Gelbvieh National Show returned to Edmonton for the 50th Anniversay of FarmFair International and was a huge success. The stands were packed and filled online to tune in and watch. Congratulations to BNH Livestock and Stone Gate Farms on the balancer side, Royal Western Gelbvieh and Twin View Livestock on the purebred side, and
representing Gelbvieh in the supreme. Up next was our favourite weekend of the year, the Wish List Sale and Canadian People’s Choice Bull Futurity. This year was a great success thanks to the consignors, buyers and of course the people! We also have to thank Keriness Cattle for their support in donating the donation heifer. The funds raised by the donation heifer help our association all year round.
I would like to thank Darren Dunford and Kerry Pahl for your work and dedication to the board; we appreciate your time and work on the board! We are so fortunate to have the people we have in our association and the work of our board members is what keeps our events going. With that I would like to welcome Amber Paulencu and Cody Girling to the board, we are very excited to have you join our team!
Wishing everyone a great year, smooth calving and a great bull sale season: happy shopping and successful sales. Also, best of luck with the spring and summer shows!
CJGA Report
Kelsy Schmitz
Hello everyone!
On behalf of the junior board, we would like to congratulate everyone on their successes at all the shows this past year and would like to wish you all the very best with calving season.
The Canadian Junior Gelbvieh Board is hard at work planning the 2025 CJGA National Show which is being held in Swift Current, SK from July 24-26! A block of rooms has been booked under “Canadian JR Gelbvieh Show” at the Home Inn and Suites- Swift Current which can be reached at (306) 778-7788. Camping is also available in Kinetic Exhibition Park which can be booked online through their website or by calling (306) 778-1621. Updates on the show will be posted on our Facebook page: Canadian National Junior Gelbvieh Association. Feel free to reach out to any of the members or the advisors if you have any questions! Cheers!
Cody Girling Drew MacDonell Vice President
Amber Paulencu Secretary Darrell Hickman
Olivia Koziak President Malory Parrish Treasurer & 4-H Awards
Tom Kulak
Photo credit: Koziak Land & Cattle, Lamont AB
GAABC Commercial Breeder of the Year
The Gelbvieh Association of Alberta/BC is delighted to share their Commercial Breeder of the Year, MacArthur Ranches of Fairview AB.
The ranch is currently under the direction of John and Deserrie, the fourth generation to be at its helm. Their children Conor and Francis, although not involved in the day-to-day operations, have some four-legged investments that meander on the steep banks of the mighty Peace River. Calving time starts in late April on the South facing hills, the calving cows are allowed to do what they were designed to do have babies and look after them. Calving checks involve counting the new arrivals and keeping the local predators at bay. Calving ease is paramount for the MacArthur’s. The 300 +/- cowherd is primarily British-based, and John appreciates the Gelbvieh as his European influence. The entire bullpen is Gelbvieh or Balancer.
By late June calving is all but complete and its branding time, calves are vaccinated branded and sorted to the summer pastures. Once weaned in late November, the calves are backgrounded at the ranch’s feedlot. The following spring, they again hit the grass. Depending on market conditions, the yearlings are pulled off the grass and sold to the feedlot.
The MacArthurs association with Gelbvieh began in the 70’s
when John’s dad Dick, used an AI program to influx the continental breed into his commercial herd.
The Ranch grows the majority of their own feed: Silage for the feedlot is primarily barley, forages and peas. A recent move to soft wheat varieties is being evaluated.
Like many of the cattle producers of the Peace region John also makes use of a variety of grass seed aftermath products to create rations for the herd.
John spent numerous years on the Alberta Beef Producers Board, which gave him an appreciation for the diversity of Alberta producers and a chance to represent the North. MacArthur Ranch has always been willing to try new things and implement the ones that add to the bottom line. Their sustained use of Gelbvieh is the true testament to the fact that, for them Gelbvieh makes sense.
John, Deserrie, Conor, Bev Milne (CGA director presenting award)
ManSask Gelbvieh Association News
Cynthia Wirgau
I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Some of you will be into the full swing of calving, seeing the results of new genetics. Hope the weather cooperates for the most part.
Fall sales went well, cattle market is holding steady, we hope to see some strong bull sales this spring.
We saw 58 head of Gelbvieh & Balancer/PC exhibited at Agribition. Show was judged by Dennis Serhienko and his daughter Katie. Congratulation to the exhibitors of the Champion Gelbvieh Female Royal Western Gelbvieh, Champion Gelbvieh Bull Royal Western Gelbvieh, Champion Balancer/PC Female Fladeland Livestock and Champion Balancer/PC Bull Ledgerwood Gelbvieh. Exhibitors came from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Washington. Thank you to Blair Bentz our barn boss, all the sponsors, volunteers, exhibitors, and spectators for making the show a success!
Congratulations to the Commercial Breeder of the Year - Riverview Farms Herb & Donna Govier and Purebred Breeder of the Year - Twin View Livestock. Watch for articles about these producers.
Our AGM was held in Moose Jaw on Dec. 14. It was well attended. Thank you to Brett Spray for 6 years of service and Ryan Zalinko for 3 years on the board. We welcome Kim Little to the board. President - Ian Thackeray, Vice PresidentNeil Overby, Sec/Tres Cynthia Wirgau.
Other board members are Braylen Blake, Eileen Davidson and Maureen Tubman. A fun evening was had with the Fun Auction and Donation heifer raffle. Thank you to all that supported the donation heifer auction and to Davidson Gelbvieh for donating the heifer, which was won by Dillon Krawec of Fisher Branch, MB.
The association held its first meeting April 16, 1975 in Weyburn, Sk. This year we are looking forward to celebrating 50 years. Watch for more details in the next issue.
Back row: Maureen Tubman, Eileen Davidson, Cynthia Wirgau (Secretary/Treasurer), Kim Little Front Row: Ian Thackeray (President), Neil Overby ( Vice President).
Missing Braylen Blake
Photo credit: JML Farms, Lamont AB
CBBC Report:
Sandy Russell, CEO
Early November we held our Annual General Meeting (AGM) in conjunction with the 50th celebration of Farmfair International. It was a great opportunity to connect with the membership and hear some of the opportunities for alignment within the seedstock industry from these members. Before the business portion of the AGM we were fortunate to have Mark Lowerison, Partner in The Herdbook Group and the Project Lead on the Canadian Beef Improvement Network (CBIN), present to the membership and our stakeholders. Mark provided an update on the program and fielded a discussion with the group.
A new year brings new Directors to the CBBC Board. CBBC is excited to welcome Cory Ducherer, Brad Gilchrist, Ken Lewis and Garth Rancier as the latest additions. Current and/or re-elected directors are Kevin Blair, Eddie Marsman, Andy Schuepbach, Scott Severtson and Shawn Wilson. Shawn (SW Cattle Co.) has been elected as the 2024/25 Chair and Scott (Severtson Land & Cattle) as Vice-Chair. Shawn is looking forward to working with this new group of Directors to continue to advance the goals of our organization.
We’d like to sincerely thank retiring Chair David Sibbald and retiring Directors Ken Friesen, Marlin Leblanc, Rod McLeod, Dennis Serhienko and Brett Wildman for their service. Committing to a collective vision to bring our membership more value is no small task and we were fortunate to have these individuals’ efforts and expertise guide CBBC.
We’re also extremely excited to have Macy Liebreich join the CBBC team
as Program Administrator where we believe her diverse experience in the industry will be an asset for our members. She comes to us with a commerce degree from UBC, roots from the family ranch Merit Cattle Co, and recent experience from the international import/export division at Alta Genetics.
Canadian Western Agribition (CWA) is always a fall feature as it brings the opportunities to appreciate the genetics showcased and connect with international visitors. CWA also brought forth news of a substantial investment for promoting Canadian genetics internationally. CBBC is pleased to receive up to $871,200 over 3 years (2023-26) from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the AgriMarketing program. The financial support provided through the AgriMarketing Program will assist with global trade initiatives such as participation in major cattle shows, targeted promotional campaigns, incoming and outgoing missions, virtual activities, technical training and bilateral and multilateral meetings.
As a fresh year approaches, CBBC renews our commitment to serving as a unified front and collective voice for the seedstock sector. Our position to champion issues affecting the industry from our membership’s perspective is critical to the wholistic success of the Canadian beef industry. We are honoured to continue to do this work and to collaborate with partners to leverage resources to build upon opportunities for assuring a sustainable future for Canadian beef cattle breeders and producers alike.
Happy New Year everyone! Wow it is an exciting time to be in the cattle business. With female sales wrapping up and bull sale season just around the corner, the stack of catalogues soon to be in the mail and on social media can be overwhelming. We are in an information age. Over the next few paragraphs I hope to share with you where you can access additional information on prospective purchases and what some of the terminology that we find in sale catalogues means. The CGA has an abundance of additional information
that is accessible to anyone with a few clicks of the mouse. We will be much more satisfied with our purchases if there are no surprises. As a potential buyer don’t hesitate to use these tools provided to get a clear picture of what you are bidding on or what you are committing to purchase. Let’s start by finding the CGA’s website.
Step 1 - Type gelbvieh.ca into your search engine, which will take you to the Associations website.
Step 2 - Now find the Animal Search button and click.
Words by Bev Milne, Milne’s Gelbvieh Fairview AB
Photo credit: JML Farms, Lamont AB
Step 3 - In the far right panel you will have to decide how you want to search the animal; by Reg #, tattoo, or name, pick the appropriate one, fill in the information you have and click search. You may see multiple results if you used the name search, go through the options and click on the most likely one. You should now be on the Animal Detail Screen.
Lets go through a few terms you will see during your research:
1.Homo Polled - means that the animal carries two copies of the polled gene and therefore will only have polled progeny. Look for a designation on the Animal Detail Screen if the words Homo Polled are hyphenated with a (-D) that means the animal has been verified homo polled through DNA testing. If Homo Polled is hyphenated with the letter P ie: Homo Polled-P this animal has been designated Homo Polled through his verified parentage to two homo Polled parents. The breeder may also refer to an animal as homo polled because he knows the status of the animals parents. Without DNA or Parentage verification on the animal detail screen the animal will only be designated as polled.
2. Polled - (not homo) means that the animal carries only one copy for the polled gene and will on average pass a horned gene to its progeny 50% of the time. This may also be referred to as Hetero Polled. Therefore the polled status of the progeny will be determined by the combination of the parents genes. Again if there has been parentage or DNA testing completed you will see the -D or -P designation behind the word so you know how the status was determined.
3. Double polled - is a term you may see in catalogues it refers to the fact that both parents were polled but does not tell you the individuals genetic make up.
4. Single - polled is pretty self explanatory it refers to the fact one of the animals parents was polled and one was horned. You therefore know the animal has one copy of the polled gene and one copy of the horned gene.
5. Scurred - the scurred designation refers to a horn like growth that can be from a slight break in the hide to a sizeable rudimentary growth that typically does not attach to the
skull. The scur gene is separate to the horned/polled gene and is only seen expressed in genetically polled cattle.
6. Homo Black - means that the animal has 2 black genes as black is the dominant color this animal will only have black offspring. The same -D or -P will let you know if it is been given this designation through a DNA test or through parentage verification.
7. Black - not Homo will tell you that this animal only has one black gene.
8. Double black or single black - tells you the color (phenotype) of the parents of the animal not the genetic make up
9. Red - animals carry two red genes and red is recessive so you will never get a black crossing red to red even if one of the grandparents were black. Talking to the breeder can often answer your concerns.
10. Dilution gene - if you are concerned that a red or golden coloured animal may carry a dilution gene you can further investigate by clicking on the DNA tab if the animal has been tested for the dilution gene, you can find the results here. The other way to investigate for dilutor is to look for relations that have been crossed with black hided cattle. If a dilutor is crossed with a homo black animal the dilutor will be expressed as a grey coloured calf. If you have a red or golden coloured calf from two black parents it is considered dilutor free.
11. Adjusted weights - adjusted weights are used to put animals on an even playing field so that we can generate EPD’s and compare a late March born calf to a January born animal. If you click on the performance tab you can find actual data in black text and the adjusted data in blue text.
12. Projected weights - are just that the breeder is taking a measure of the animals current growth and extending it to sale day. With the amount of handling the sale cattle get prior to sales it has been my experience that these weights often prove to be optimistic.
Figure 1. Search screen. Here you can search for animals based on their information, animals meeting certain EPD critera, or breeders (under the Ranch search).
Figure 2. Animal Detail Screen where all animal details are displayed including performance data, donor dam or AI sire qualifications, DNA results, and pedigree info.
Researching Frozen Genetics Lots offered
been DNA parent verified to her sire and dam, and that she has been tested for the required genetic defects. Once DNA is verified on her resulting ET calves they will eligible for registration. You can also make a quick check here on things like her color test or horned polled test if they have been done. While you have her details up you may want to look at some of her progeny if she has some already registered. Be aware that not all progeny have to be reported. I personally find this regrettable and may pass on such animals but I can also call the breeder and ask about the reason for the missing infor mation. You can also check on the ownership tab to make yourself aware of any other breeders that may have a share of the animal or have progeny. And of course there are her EPD’s and performance statistics.
3. Much like the Donor Dam a Bull that you are considering using semen from must have a Verified AI Permit. This permit acknowledges that the animal is parent verified to both sire and dam and has been tested for the genetic conditions as required by the CGA. If you are using Owners use only semen you must be listed as an owner of the animal with the CGA. Please ensure that the service type is recorded accurately when you register calves. If you are using in-herd use semen you must still record the calf as being bred via AI service. Nat ural service should only be used when you have walked a bull.
4. Embryo sales are often offered with a guarantee of a certain level of results. Read these conditions carefully and if you have any questions call the management company or the breeder directly. This will be considered the contract you are both under so make sure you understand.
DNA verification of parentage for ET calves or missing performance data. If you intend on registering progeny I highly recommend that you make sure that the animal you purchase has his required DNA work done prior to turn out in the pasture. A bull may have been Horned/Polled tested but this does not mean he has verified to his sire which is what needs to be done in order to register progeny. I personally have gotten caught here but luckily everything checked out.
It is always a good idea to find out whether a breeding soundness exam has been completed and if the animal has a satisfactory semen test. Some breeders will list this information in their terms and conditions. If it is not there I would call the breeder and inquire. A satisfactory semen test doesn’t guarantee him a breeder but it is a good start. If you are purchasing for the first time from a breeder and the terms and conditions don’t address your concerns about warranties by all means call the breeder and ask. Most breeders are willing to work with customers over concerns. Many years ago some breeds had a standard set of terms and conditions, that is not the case now. With the advancements in reproductive technologies these old standards are either outdated or fail to address many of the issues that arise.
Check the individual sales term and conditions or talk directly to the breeder. If a concern arises you will have to work it out with the seller so get to know who you are dealing with.
On the walking bull side of things I find it is most important to not assume anything. A registration number that starts with UNGV has its registration process started but not completed. For some reason there may be missing information such as
Have realistic expectations of the breeders obligations, these are animals we are talking about and many things are beyond the control of the breeder or you as the purchasers as the saying goes “s#&t happens”.
insurance
Through most sales whether private treaty or by auction you will be able to purchase insurance on your purchases. A lot of breeders may insist on it if you are leaving them at the breeder’s for later pick up. Please give heavy consideration to purchasing insurance on your new animal or be prepared to absorb the loss should something happen. Once the sale is complete you as the new owner assume the risk for your animal.
EPDs
You will notice if you research different breeder’s cattle that some breeders have more information than others. There are minimum requirements for data collection in order to register an animal but the Association has the capacity to track much more if the breeder provides it.
You may notice that when you look up an animal their EPDs are highlighted yellow. This means the breeder has paid to have a high denisty genomic panel done on the animal. This doesn’t change how an EPD is used but it does increase the accuracy of the EPDs. For a young animal with no progeny, such as yearling bulls, the added accuracy would be equivalent to them having had 4 to 25+ offspring depending on the trait. These are called progeny equivalents which is the average number of progeny records it would take to see an equivalent change in accuracy from a genomic test. Over time these estimates will change as the statistical models improve, the number of phenotypes reported increase, and genomic data improves. You can see the progeny equivalents for the traits reported on the CGA wesbite gelbvieh.ca or below.
When asked what is the first thing that comes to mind in terms of EPDs and purchasing an animal, Sean McGrath, geneticist and breed improvement consultant, said
“ It is important to realize that an EPD just describe an animal’s genetics relative to the population. This does not necessarily mean that you need or should select for the 1%, it means you can select animals in the range that fit your environment”.
When looking at selecting an animal to purchase producers should figure out what their production goals are first and then select the EPDs to look at that will work the best to help them achieve those goals. Definitions and examples of how to read each EPD are available on the CGA webiste.
Sean explained “EPDs are effective and using them will result in genetic change. The most important part of using the tool is to have a defined goal that you want to accomplish. Defined is different than just “more”. A hammer is a useful tool to build a house, but having a blueprint first makes it a lot more effective.”
“EPDs work and commercial producers are using them in their selection decisions. This is evident when we look to individual sale results and the associated EPD. There is value being assigned to genetic values by the industry.”
Good luck in your research. I hope this will help with your presale research and remember that breeders love to talk cattle so please give them a call and discuss your needs.
POSITION
Restrain the calf in a corner to maintain head control.
Place the head in a neutral position.
PLACEMENT
�Gently advance the tube. If there's resistance, pull it out and start again.
Palpate the calf's neck. When the tube is in the correct position, you will feel two tube-like structures (trachea and esophagus).
REMEMBER
It's important to feed slowly. It can take up to 3 minutes for the stomach to fill.
� Ensure the fluids are body temperature (38 ° C/l 00 ° F).
Before pulling the tube, kink and pull in one swift motion to ensure no fluid is inhaled.
To ensure pathogens are not introduced to the herd, use separate feeders for sick and healthy animals. � Clean the equipment thoroughly.
Well Fed Bulls Make Good Breeders
Heather Smith Thomas
Proper nutrition for young animals has been found to be vital for breeding success, but it should start before weaning.
Years of research have shown that bulls with larger testicles tend to have more sperm and can settle more cows than bulls with small testicles. Also, well-fed bulls generally reach puberty quicker than undernourished bulls.
Dr. John Kastelic, a veterinarian and professor in cattle reproductive health at the University of Calgary, has done a lot of research on bulls and nutrition.
“Historically people focused on nutrition after weaning. There’s been a lot of study on that, going back to the 1970s,” says Kastelic. In years past, most people ignored the bull calf’s pre-weaned nutritional needs and then provided them with high-energy diets after weaning. “Back then, seedstock producers fed young bulls practically a feedlot ration to achieve gains up to four pounds per day. With performance testing, the goal was to identify bulls with ability to gain rapidly and efficiently, so they were fed high-energy diets.” Buyers then expected bulls to be fat and selected those with high rates of gain.
Evidence shows that feeding high-energy diets after weaning causes rapid weight gain but may deposit fat in the scrotum, which insulates the testes and interferes with optimum sperm production. These bulls have lower semen quality and higher risk for laminitis, joint problems, liver abscesses and rumenitis.
Producers now realize bulls should be fed for a long life of breeding rather than like a steer destined for slaughter.
“Unfortunately, some of the damage in overfat young bulls can be permanent,” says Kastelic.
“If bulls are fed post-weaning on a mostly forage diet, the bulls with genetic potential for rapid and efficient gain will still gain faster, although the difference between the top and bottom is smaller,” he added.
“You can still do a feed test, but on a forage-based ration with a modest amount of grain, and still identify the top-performing bulls. There is no excuse to push them with a feedlot ration because you can do permanent damage.”
Attention to nutrition is also important before weaning,
Photo credit: Lonesome Dove Ranch, Ponteix SK
Kastelic added. Since first-calf heifers generally don’t milk as well as older cows, the age of the dam influences young bulls’ scrotal circumference.
“Research in the 1970s at Colorado State University, looking at scrotal circumference in yearling bulls, came up with an adjustment formula. If the bull had a heifer for a mother, you add about 1.5 centimetres to the yearling minimum scrotal circumference and for a mature cow there’s no adjustment. If he had a really old dam, you also add a small amount of correction,” Kastelic says.
“The adjustment wasn’t widely applied; generally the minimums were the same for all bulls. Then studies in dairy bulls showed that bulls well fed early in life reached puberty quicker, had larger testes and produced more sperm.
“This was also our finding with beef bulls about 20 years ago. We discovered that if we fed them very well prior to about six months of age, we could hasten puberty a little, but more importantly we increased testes size and number of sperm produced.”
To prove this idea, they used a feeding trial with three groups of young bulls weaned at about six weeks of age. One group received 100 percent of protein and energy requirements. Another received 70 percent of those requirements and a third group 130 percent of requirements.
“We fed that ration from about eight weeks of age to about 25 weeks of age. We slaughtered the bulls at about 16 months of age and found that the bulls on the 130 percent ration — compared to the bulls fed 70 percent — reached puberty a month earlier and had testes about 20 to 30 percent bigger. They produced 20 to 30 percent more sperm than bulls on the 70 percent ration. In general, when testes are bigger, bulls produce more sperm,” Kastelic says.
“We found no difference in semen quality. There was no indication that feeding bulls extra at an early age in any way harmed sperm quality, but they had more sperm reserves and more quantity.”
Researchers monitored hormones important in development, especially luteinizing hormone.“This hormone is released from the pituitary, a gland at the base of the brain, and goes to the testes and causes release of testosterone. Starting at about six to eight weeks of age, there’s an increase in this hormone, and it stays relatively high until about 20 to 25 weeks and then decreases.“The nature of that increase, how high it gets, and how often it is released has a big impact on what happens later in the bull’s life,” says Kastelic. The early LH profile dictates the bull’s testicular development and mature scrotal circumference.
“When we fed bulls 130 percent of their requirements, we could substantially increase the amount of LH. There were
profound differences in those bulls in that early phase of growth. …
“The other thing that was interesting was that if we held them back in growth through the first 25 weeks and then supplemented them, giving them 130 percent of their nutrients, we had different results. This would be like having a heifer for a mother and then getting a lot of protein and energy after weaning,” he says.
“We found that even with the additional supplement we could not rescue those bulls. The future course of testes development was already set; they were on a trajectory to be underachievers.”
Extra nutrition early in life, from about six weeks to 25 weeks of age, is key to a bull’s future fertility.
It might be necessary to creep feed young bulls born to firstcalf heifers. “Don’t use a grain-only supplement because you don’t want to overdo the starch,” Kastelic advises. “It must be a balance of energy and protein, with minerals and vitamins. You probably want them gaining about three pounds per day during that time frame, and then back off on the supplemental feed at weaning and keep them on a growing ration.”
Thursday, March 13, 2025
Live
Young Visionaries
Gelbvieh Guide has asked these two young men to think outside the box and come up with ways to energize young and old alike and to inspire directional change which is critical for blazing new paths in the cattle industry. What is the Gelbvieh breed’s vision for the future and how can we as breeders and the Canadian, Provincial and Junior breed associations achieve that goal?
Cameron Davidson
Cameron is a Grade 9 student (14 years of age) who goes to Ponteix School in Saskatchewan. He is a 4th generation Gelbvieh breeder who first started showing in 2014 at Agribition in the Junior Gelbvieh events when he was 4. Cam is on his 7th year in the Mankota 4-H Club where he shows Gelbvieh cross steers and in 2022 he won Grand Champion Steer. He also shows Gelbvieh females. In the local Regional 4-H show which has 100+ participants and is comprised of 6 or 7 clubs the 4 young Davidson’s are usually at the top of the class. Riding and roping on the farm are two of Cam’s favourite past times. He doesn’t get that strange as his father, Ross, competes in ranch rodeos including Agribition’s Ranch Rodeo and has been very successful!
At the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado in January 2024 Cam won Reserve Grand Champion Gelbvieh Junior Breeding Heifer in the Junior Show with DRT Sapphire Jewel 3L.
He then went on to represent the Gelbvieh breed at the Calgary Stampede in early July 2024 as his heifer calf Sapphire Jewel qualified in the Junior BMO Extreme as Junior Gelbvieh Calf Champion at Agribition in the fall of 2023. They also won Reserve Grand Champion Gelbvieh Female in the same show.
Later in July at the CJGA Show in Stettler, Alberta Cam was the Junior Champion Showman and and he was selected to be a Director in the CJGA. Cam had an active summer as he also attended two shows in Bashaw in August where he showed some cattle and he also took part in the judging events. He won the Junior Judging in the AJAA and he qualified to compete in the Western Canadian Show Ring Judging where he judged all sorts of cattle in an all-breeds setting.
Cam went with his family to Farmfair in November and showed in the Open Gelbvieh Show as well as in the Junior All-Breed
Show. Later in the month he showed Sapphire Jewel at Agribition in the BMO Junior Beef Extreme where she was Reserve Champion Yearling Heifer as well as Reserve Gelbvieh Female in that junior event! In the Junior Events at Agribition in ‘Sales Talks’ and ‘Judging Heifers’ he won the Senior Division. (GA)
1. GG In what unique way can we promote our breed to increase the number of buyers of Gelbvieh bulls for commercial use?
Promoting Gelbvieh cattle can be very exciting! You can highlight traits, converting feed to meat, Gelbvieh cattle are extremely adaptable and their maternal strengths are unmatchable. Also you could create exciting social media content and share the breed’s qualities.
2. GG – How can we motivate cattle buyers and feedlot operators to purchase Gelbvieh influenced calves and market Gelbvieh’s ability to finish efficiently and meet carcass weight and quality demands?
In my opinion, Gelbvieh-cross cattle speak for themselves. Buyers and feedlot operators notice how easy-fleshing and well-muscled Gelbvieh cattle are and they feed very well and make excellent beef. To promote the cross, you could display a top quality carcass.
3. GG – How could we encourage commercial cattlemen who buy purebred Gelbvieh bulls to begin a Herdbuilding Program and register percentage Gelbvieh females?
I would encourage commercial cattlemen to keep using registered purebred Gelbvieh bulls to create extremely maternal made females that produce pay weight calves but maintain beautiful feet and udders. I would inspire commercial cattle producers to keep replacement females that make very functional Gelbvieh-cross cows.
4. GG – Describe one way in which you as a Junior could entice more young people to show Gelbvieh influenced calves. I think the Gelbvieh breed does a great job involving youth. There are so many great sponsors and volunteers that run such great junior Gelbvieh events and the Gelbvieh breed makes juniors feel so welcome.
5. GG – What was your favourite activity at the CGJA Show in Stettler, Alberta last year?
I really enjoyed show team judging. I think it’s great, you get to work together with another member and judge in a real setting. It makes great practice for the real world.
Kale is in Grade 8 from Central Butte Saskatchewan. He started showing Gelbvieh-X heifer calves in 4-H in the Enfold 4-H Club in 2019 and progressed to showing Gelbvieh-X steers in order to generate some money.
Kale’s Grandparents have a Charolais herd and use Gelbvieh bulls and his parents have a small Gelbvieh-X Simmental herd. Out of curiosity Kale attended the Canadian Gelbvieh Junior Show in Swift Current in 2023 and helped a friend. He became so passionate about Gelbvieh that in October 2023 he attended the Function and Finesse Sale and purchased his first purebred Gelbvieh, JSJ Lola 3L from JSJ Livestock. Lola has been shown in several shows including the Cody Sibbald All Breed Jr Show in Beechy SK, the Enfold 4-H Achievement Day (she was Reserve Champion Female) and the Frontier Days Regional Show. July 26 & 27 they headed to the CJGA Show in Stettler, Alberta. Lola competed in one very strong
class of 27 head of yearling heifers with 5 Splits. They placed 1st in their split and it should be noted that all of the Juniors need to be commended on bringing such a fine group of females to town! In September in Swift Current Kale continued on the show road. He showed Lola in an All Breeds Show at the Junior Stockman and he also showed two pens of commercial Charolais X Gelbvieh Cross bred heifers. He also attended the Young Ranchman’s All-breeds Show to learn more about judging, showing and clipping.
In October Kale added to his Purebred Gelbvieh herd by purchasing LML Samantha 41M from Last Mountain Livestock at the 2024 Function and Finesse Sale and he also purchased a bred cow, AWB Twin View Flossy 5K from Twin View. This 13-year old breeder is excitedly awaiting the birth of his 2 Purebred calves. He loves the docility and mothering ability and he has already noticed that Gelbvieh crosses well with many breeds! He is thankful that his grandparents, parents and the two men from Twin View have been so helpful and he is looking forward to the show season in 2025!
1. GG In what unique way can we promote our breed to increase the number of buyers of Gelbvieh bulls for commercial use?
One idea I had was for breeders to give buyers farm tours so buyers could see for themselves how well Gelbvieh bulls can perform and fit in their herd, focusing especially on community pasture buyers and managers to promote the use of Gelbviehs in their pastures. I also think the breed could use more promotion through social media and share current breeders success stories promoting Gelbviehs calving ease, efficient rate gains, and hybrid vigor- making them compatible with any breed.
2. GG – How can we motivate cattle buyers and feedlot operators to purchase Gelbvieh influenced calves and market Gelbvieh’s ability to finish efficiently and meet carcass weight and quality demands?
I think feed to gain efficiency is a huge selling point for the Gelbvieh breed. They gain easy and can convert feed efficiently and effectively which then leads to a lower cost to finish Gelbvieh influenced cattle, and maximizes profit. To promote this I think feedlots should be shown the data and seedstock breeders should keep especially precise records to prove their effective and efficient gains.
Kale McKenzie
3. GG – How could we encourage commercial cattlemen who buy purebred Gelbvieh bulls to begin a Herdbuilding Program and register percentage Gelbvieh females?
To promote a Herd herd-building program, we should point out the benefits of crossbreeding data and the value of tracking each cow’s history and production for commercial breeders. We should find potentially interested producers, visit their farms, assist with cow registration, and offer incentives, like discounted registration fees, to make it easy for breeders and increase registrations.
4. GG – Describe one way in which you as a Junior could entice more young people to show Gelbvieh influenced calves. I think we should invite other members and 4-H groups to the Jr. Gelbvieh show and how fun it was to network with breeders and experience how welcoming and supportive Gelbvieh breeders are to juniors. Educate and promote available incentives and scholarships for juniors. Another idea is to create Gelbvieh Jr. Ambassadors to share and promote the breed on social media and at events like Agribition and regional 4-H shows.
5. GG – What was your favourite activity at the CGJA Show in Stettler, Alberta last year?
My personal favorite was judging with the ringmen because it gives juniors the experience of judging in front of a crowd and working as a team. It also provided the opportunity to judge high class Gelbvieh cattle. Honestly, I enjoyed every event at the show!
BNH KLASSY MS LOU 2K
BNH Livestock, Red Deer County AB
DL JEN-TY MOJO 696M
Shelby & Brantley Horn, Thorsby AB
STON MAJESTIC 5M
Stone Gate Farm, Sundre AB
BNH LEGENDARY 16L ET
BNH Livestock, Red Deer County AB
Farmfair International National Gelbvieh Show
November 7, 2024 Edmonton, AB
Judge: Matt Criddle, Balgonie SK
Balancer/Percentage Junior Heifer Calf
Champion BNH MADE RIGHT LOU 7M
BNH Livestock, Red Deer County AB
Balancer/Percentage Intermediate Heifer calf
Champion JML MONEYPENNY 19M
JML Farms, Lamont AB
Reserve GAC MISS GOLD RUSH M326
Green Acres Cattle Company, Andrew AB
Balancer/Percentage Senior Heifer calf
Champion DL JEN-TY MOJO 696M (Reserve)
Shelby & Brantley Horn, Thorsby AB
Reserve STON BLACK MAID 1M
Stone Gate Farm, Sundre AB
Balancer/Percentage Junior Bred Heifer
Champion FLADELAND LAINEY 35L
Pin to Point Gelbvieh, Okotoks AB
Additional owner: Royal Western Gelbvieh, Red Deer County AB
Balancer/Percentage 2-Year-Old Cow with calf
Champion BNH KLASSY MS LOU 2K (Champion)
BNH Livestock, Red Deer County AB
Reserve DR DUSTY ROSE TREASURE 280K
Marissa Yowney, Colinton AB
Balancer/Percentage Junior Bull Calf
Champion MY BEEP 1M
Marissa Yowney, Colinton AB
Balancer/Percentage Intermediate Bull Calf
Champion DUSTY ROSE IKONIQ 641M
Dusty Rose Cattle Co., Dapp AB
Balancer/Percentage Senior Bull Calf
Champion STON MAJESTIC 5M (Champion)
Stone Gate Farm, Sundre AB
Balancer/Percentage Junior Yearling Bull
Champion BNH LEGENDARY 16L ET (Reserve)
BNH Livestock, Red Deer County AB
Purebred Junior Heifer Calf
Champion RWG KITTY M411 ET
Royal Western Gelbvieh, Red Deer County AB
Reserve BNH SWEET DREAMS 28M ET
BNH Livestock, Red Deer County AB
Purebred Intermediate Heifer Calf
Champion STON MISS DEBBIE 15M
Stone Gate Farm, Sundre AB
Reserve RWG PARKLAND M320
Royal Western Gelbvieh, Red Deer County AB
Purebred Senior Heifer Calf
Champion RWG MS ON CUE M201 ET
Royal Western Gelbvieh, Red Deer County AB
Reserve AWB TWIN VIEW PATSY 17M
Twin View Livestock, Parkbeg SK
Purebred Junior Bred Heifer
Champion RWG GOODNIGHT L415 (Reserve)
Reserve
Royal Western Gelbvieh, Red Deer County AB
BNH LIVIN LIKE BARBIE 14L
BNH Livestock, Red Deer County AB
Purebred Senior Bred Heifer
Champion AWB TWIN VIEW GRACIE GAYLE 27L ET
Twin View Livestock, Parkbeg SK
Reserve CK MAYBE IT WAS MEMPHIS 74L
BNH Livestock, Red Deer County AB
Purebred 2 Year Old Cow/Calf Pair
Champion RWG PARKLAND K406
Royal Western Gelbvieh, Red Deer County AB
Reserve STON GAYLE 13K ET
Stone Gate Farm, Sundre AB
Purebred Mature Cow/Calf Pair
Champion RWG PARKLAND J435 (Champion)
Royal Western Gelbvieh, Red Deer County AB Reserve HDG SWEET PEA 1J
Royal Western Gelbvieh, Red Deer County AB
Purebred Junior Bull Calf
Champion BNH DREAM COME TRUE 24M ET
Reserve
BNH Livestock, Red Deer County AB
BNH MAVERICK 9M
BNH Livestock, Red Deer County AB
Purebred Intermediate Bull Calf
Champion TIP MR MADMAX 141M
Thackeray Land & Cattle, Weyburn SK
Reserve BNH MERCURY 2M
BNH Livestock, Red Deer County AB
Purebred Senior Bull Calf
Champion KLC MONEY TALKS 48M
Koziak Land & Cattle, Star AB
Reserve AWB TWIN VIEW PEAK 30M
Twin View Livestock, Parkbeg SK
Purebred Junior Yearling Bull
Champion RWG LOADED L418 (Reserve)
Royal Western Gelbvieh, Red Deer County AB Reserve GCC LINEBACKER 56L
Milne’s Gelbvieh, Fairview AB
Purebred Senior Yearling Bull
Champion AWB TWIN VIEW UNIVERSAL 22L ET (Champion)
Twin View Livestock, Parkbeg SK
Additional owner Goodview Gelbvieh, Punnichy SK
Purebred 2 Year Old Bull
Champion ROSSO TIP KICKSTART 200K
Thackeray Land & Cattle, Weyburn SK
Additional owner: Rosso Charolais
RWG PARKLAND J435
Royal Western Gelbvieh, Red Deer County AB
RWG GOODNIGHT L415
Royal Western Gelbvieh, Red Deer County AB
AWB TWIN VIEW UNIVERSAL 22L ET
Twin View Livestock, Parkbeg SK
Additional owner: Goodview Gelbvieh, Punnichy SK
Get Of Sire
Royal Western Gelbvieh, Red Deer County AB
Progeny Of Dam
Twin View Livestock, Parkbeg SK
Purebred Breeders Herd
Twin View Livestock, Parkbeg SK
Premier Breeder & Exhibitor
Royal Western Gelbvieh, Red Deer County AB
RWG LOADED L418
Royal Western Gelbvieh, Red Deer County AB
Juniors at Agribition
Cynthia Wirgau
15 junior participated in the Gelbvieh junior activities at Agribition.
In showmanship Shelby Horn advanced to the final drive for Intermediate show person. Other participants were Flynn Davidson (Cloverbud), Jaime Davidson and Keegan Little (Juniors), Raleigh Little and Cameron Davidson (Intermediate).
Team Grooming saw participants in the Intermediate division. Brayden Fladeland with Lane Robinson, Zayne Labatte and Cam Davidson with Shelby Horn and Isabella Delorme.
Jaime Davidson won the Junior Art Work and Raleigh Little won the Senior Art work. Both did a great job marketing Gelbvieh.
Thursday the juniors were paired up to do sales talk. Winning this event were Keston Hollman and Ash Davidson. Cam Davidson won Senior division.
Judging heifers was Friday’s event. Junior winner was Noah MacKenzie and Senior went to Cam Davison, second Raleigh Little.
Thank you to Davidson Gelbvieh for being the major sponsor, and also Bar GR Gelbvieh for their sponsorship.
Junior Beef Extreme
Heifer Calf
Champion
RWG PARKLAND M320
Royal Western Gelbvieh, Red Deer County AB
Additional owner & Junior exhibitor Keston Hollman
Reserve FLADELAND MADDY 2M
Fladeland Livestock, Gladmar SK
Junior exhibitor Rylan Fladeland
Yearling Female
Champion
RWG GOODNIGHT 3415 (Champion)
Royal Western Gelbvieh, Red Deer County AB
Additional owner & Junior exhibitor Keston Hollman
Reserve DRT LONESOME SAPPHIRE JEWEL 3L (Reserve)
Lonesome Dove Gelbvieh, Ponteix SK
Junior Exhibitor Cameron Davidson
RWG GOODNIGHT 3415
Keston Hollman
Left to right back row: Ash Davidson, Jaime Davidson, Keston Hollman, Raleigh Little, Eileen Davidson, Cameron Davidson, Chayse Hollman. Left to right front row: Flynn Davidson, Keegan Little
DRT LONESOME SAPPHIRE JEWEL 3L Cameron Davidson
Thank you
WADE DAVIDSON
TRIPLE S CATTLE COMPANY
DIAMOND Z LIVESTOCK
FIR RIVER LIVESTOCK
JONUS CATTLE CO
LONESOME DOVE RANCH
RPS GELBVIEH
THACKERAY LAND & CATTLE
OVERBY STOCK FARM
FLADELAND LIVESTOCK
LCF GELBVIEH LIVESTOCK
P&R CATTLE CO
MAPLE GROVE GELBVIEH
TWIN VIEW LIVESTOCK
COWLICK RANCH
MEMORY FARM GELBVIEH
PRAIRIE GELBVIEH ALLIANCE
LEDGERWOOD GELBVIEH
BAR GR GELBVIEH
HURLBURT LIVESTOCK
Major Show Sponsors
FLADELAND MERLOT 13M
Fladeland Livestock, Gladmar SK
HL ROSEBUD 61L
Maple Grove Gelbvieh, Narcisse MB
LEDGERWOOD MARINERS
Ledgerwood Gelbvieh, Clarkston WA USA
FLADELAND BIG MUDDY 45M
Fladeland Livestock, Gladmar SK
Canadian Western Agribition Gelbvieh Show
November 27, 2024 Regina SK
Judges: Dennis & Katie Serhienko, Maymont SK
Balancer/Percentage Heifer calf
Champion FLADELAND MERLOT 13M (Champion)
Fladeland Livestock, Gladmar SK
Balancer/Percentage Yearling Heifer
Champion HL ROSEBUD 61L (Reserve)
Maple Grove Gelbvieh, Narcisse MB
Balancer/Percentage Bull Calf
Champion LEDGERWOOD MARINERS (Champion)
Fir River Livestock, Hudson Bay SK
Reserve FLADELAND BIG MUDDY 45M (Reserve)
Fladeland Livestock, Gladmar SK
Purebred Junior Heifer Calf
Champion FLADELAND MARION 63M ET
Fladeland Livestock, Gladmar SK
Reserve MGF RESILIANT TALEA 27M
Maple Grove Gelbvieh, Narcisse MB
Purebred Senior Heifer Calf
Champion AWB TWIN VIEW PATSY 17M (Champion)
Twin View Livestock, Parkbeg SK
Additional owner: Beamish Land & Cattle, Jarvie AB
Reserve AWB TWIN VIEW GRACIE GAYLE 24M
Twin View Livestock, Parkbeg SK
Purebred Yearling Heifer
Champion DRT LONESOME SAPPHIRE JEWEL 3L
Lonesome Dove Ranch, Ponteix SK
Reserve RWG GOODNIGHT 3415
Royal Western Gelbvieh, Red Deer County AB
Additional owner: Keston Hollman
Premier Breeder & Exhibitor
Royal Western Gelbvieh, Red Deer County AB
Purebred 2 Year Old Cow/Calf Pair
Champion
RWG PARKLAND K406 (Champion) with calf at side
RWG MAGNUM M448
Royal Western Gelbvieh, Red Deer County AB
Reserve FLADELAND KATIE 5K with calf at side
FLADELAND MADDY 2M
Fladeland Livestock, Gladmar SK
Purebred Mature Cow/Calf Pair
Champion
RWG PARKLAND 1435
Royal Western Gelbvieh, Red Deer County AB
Reserve DRT Lonesome Sapphire 393H
Lonesome Dove Ranch, Ponteix SK
Purebred Junior Bull Calf
Champion TIP MR MARVEL 310M
Thackeray Land & Cattle, Weyburn SK
Reserve BPW CAPTAIN MORGAN 45M
Maple Grove Gelbvieh, Narcisse MB
Additional owner: Brooklynn Wirgau
Purebred Senior Bull Calf
Champion AWB TWIN VIEW APEX 11M ET
Twin View Livestock, Parkbeg SK
Reserve GOODVIEW MEMPHIS 426M
Goodview Gelbvieh, Punnichy SK
Purebred Yearling Bull
Champion RWG LOCK THE DOOR L431 (Champion)
Royal Western Gelbvieh, Red Deer County AB
Reserve AWB TWIN VIEW UNIVERSAL 22L ET
Twin View Livestock, Parkbeg SK
Additional owner Goodview Gelbvieh, Punnichy SK
Purbred 2 Year Old Bull
Champion ROSSO TIP KICKSTART 201K (Reserve)
Thackeray Land & Cattle, Weyburn SK
Additional owner: Rosso Charolais
Progeny of Dam
1. Twin View Livestock, Parkbeg SK
2. Lonesome Dove Ranch, Ponteix SK
Breeder’s Herd
1. Royal Western Gelbvieh, Red Deer County, AB
2. Twin View Livestock, Parkbeg SK
Get-Of-Sire
1. Royal Western Gelbvieh, Red Deer County AB
2. Twin View Livestock, Parkbeg SK
RWG PARKLAND K406
Royal Western Gelbvieh, Red Deer County AB
AWB TWIN VIEW PATSY 17M
Twin View Livestock, Parkbeg SK
Additional owner: Beamish Land & Cattle, Jarvie AB
RWG LOCK THE DOOR L431
Royal Western Gelbvieh, Red Deer County AB
ROSSO TIP KICKSTART 201K
Thackeray Land & Cattle, Weyburn SK
Additional owner: Ross Charolais
Sale Results
Function & Finesse Female Sale 6.0
October 18th at Twin View Livestock, Parkbeg, SK
Sale Partners Twin View Livestock, Goodview Gelbvieh, Keriness Cattle, Jonus Cattle, Last Mountain Livestock, RPS Gelbvieh, Triple S Cattle Company, Ledgerwood Gelbvieh, Diamond Z Livestock, Braylen Blake Gelbvieh and Classic Cattle Company.
15 Open Heifer Calves Averaged $7833
17 Bred Females Averaged $7353
Function & Finesse was fortunate with good weather and a great crowd for the 6th edition of the sale. There was active bidding in person and online with buyers from 4 provinces and the US. Many of the heifer calves were purchased by juniors that we look forward to seeing at the National Junior Show in Swift Current this summer. The winner of the Junior Futurity Scholarship of $1,000 was Kale Mckenzie that he earned with his heifer, JSJ LOLA 3L.
The lead off heifer calf and high seller was Lot 10 - AWB TWIN VIEW PATSY 17M to Beamish Land and Cattle for $19,000. Patsy went on to be Reserve Grand Champion Female at Agribition. New sale partners, Classic Cattle Company, sold their Lot 7 heifer calf, SVF BAHA 3M ET, to Del & Tammy Wyatt and Twin View Livestock for $14,000. She is a daughter of past Function and Finesse high seller TWIN VIEW BAHA 1H ET. Parker Mann added some elite females to his herd including Lot 5 - AWB TWIN VIEW UNIQUE LADY 35M for $13,000.
The high selling bred heifer was once again consigned by Goodview Gelbvieh. Lot 23 - BLB GOODVIEW FAME 344L was purchased by Prairie Hills Gelbvieh for $11,750. Parker Mann also selected Lot 33 - AWB TWIN VIEW SAVANNA 46L for $10,000. The Lot 1 donor female, AWB BIRCH’S GRACE 178D, was purchased by Beamish Land and Cattle for $10,000. The Lot 17 fall born embryo transplant heifer from Ledgerwood Gelbvieh sold to Unger Land & Livestock for $9,000. The opportunity to flush a female from the Gayle cow family sold to Guymon Livestock of Utah for $7,000. Embryos from TWIN VIEW GRACIE GAYLE 27L ET and CIBS DUNBAR 3962L were purchased by Goodview Gelbvieh for $1,600 each.
The Function and Finesse Sale Group would like to thank everyone who supported the sale and look forward to next year!
The Destination Female Sale
11 Bred Heifers - $7545.00
7 Open Heifer calves - $5892.00
Lot 1 - ULL Miss Pretty 50B - A stylish easy fleshing donor cow sold to AKS Gelbvieh of Hay Lakes, AB for $12500.00
Lot 5 -ULL Savanna 27L - A beautiful SLC Roadtrip daughter sold to Hilltop Gelbvieh of Stoney Plain, AB for $7000.00
Lot 6 - CLR Linda 70L - A fancy bred with an exciting future sold to Dale Banks of Crossfield, AB for $11,000.00
Lot 7 - CLR Lucy 53L - A powerful broody bred heifer consigned by Cowlick Ranch sold to Jonathon Knowles of Byemoor, AB for $9500.00
Lot 8 - CLR Ms Gabriel 62M - A very exciting RWH Horsepower H311 daughter sold to Hillsdown Gelbvieh of Red Deer County, AB for $14500.00
Lot 9 - FRSQ Ms Electric & Lot 12 - FRSQ Lady Fantasia 63L - A couple of Red powerful bred heifers sold to Davidson Gelbvieh of Ponteix, SK for $8250 and $7000.00
Lot 15 - FRSQ Lady Felicia 28L - A fancy black Protege bred heifer Sold to Dale Banks of Crossfield, AB for $8250’
The Destination Female Sale group would like to send a huge thank you to all the bidders and buyers at our sale. As well a thanks to all those who took time to stop by Cowlick Ranch to view the sale animals. We look forward to offering some more exciting Gelbvieh genetics in 2025!
AWB 35M
AWB 17M
BLB 344L
3M
Gelbvieh Wish List Sale
December 6 & 7, 2024
Auctioneer: Don Oberg
Averages:
Heifer Calves - $7020
Bred Heifers - $8812
High-selling heifer calf, consigned by Stone Gate Farm, was purchased by Nelson Gelbvieh for $10,000.
High-selling bred heifer, consigned by BNH Livestock, was purchased by Jen-Ty for $16,000.
Another fantastic Wish List weekend for the history books; from Friday afternoon festivities to the completion of the sale Saturday evening, the barn was filled with Gelbvieh enthusiasts, purebred and commercial. This year’s tremendous donation heifer was donated by Keriness Cattle and raised over $12,800 for the association! Thank you VERY much Keriness for your support to the association.
We appreciate all the consignors, bidders and buyers who participate in the sale; without you and the strong lineup of females, we would not have the weekend that we all enjoy! See you all next year for the 2025 sale, Dec. 5-6.
The Gathering
December 9, 2024
Auctioneer: Ryan Dorran
Monday, December 9 marked the 8th annual Gathering Female sale. With one of the strongest sets of cattle to date top to bottom. It showed with the largest online bidder list to date across North America.
SLC Lisa 99M was the high selling heifer calf and sale topper, a BA75 daughter, sired by HL SLC Firestick 26J- selling to York Cattle Company, California and Royal Western Gelbvieh.
SLC 174M, the other Firestick daughter, was also a sale highlight, selling for $11,000 to Fladeland livestock. The choice of a flush opportunity on the Parkland females was purchased by Pin to Point Gelbvieh and Nelson Gelbvieh for $14,500. They selected the National Champion Female RWG Parkland K406.
The paternal sister to the national champion female, SLC Xanadu 177M was another sale feature and highly contested Junior show heifer selling to CDC farms and Real World Genetics for $12,500.
HL SLC Firestick semen was hot, selling for $325/straw
The high selling bred heifer was DDN 339L for $10,500.
Thank you to all of those who attended both the sale and open house, as well as all of the bidders who represented 11 states and 5 provinces. Cattle sold into 3 states, 2 provinces and with the largest junior representation to date, as almost 1/3 of the females went to junior members!! We look forward to seeing these females out this summer at the junior shows on both sides of the border!!
With that, we thank every single one of you who support and continue to support our program’s year after year, and to those that keep pushing us forward! See you in 2025!
The Gathering Group
2024 Prairie Gelbvieh Alliance Sale
Sale Date: December 14, 2024
Location: Grant Hall Moose Jaw, SK
Auctioneer: Mike Fleury, Aberdeen, SK
The Prairie Gelbvieh Alliance weekend started out with a pizza party on Friday evening at the Grant Hall, it was an evening of fun and great conversations. Saturday started out with the ManSask Annual General meeting after the meeting everyone went out to view the sale offering on what turned out to be a beautiful winter day. After viewing the cattle at the Moose Jaw Exhibition everyone made their way back to the Grant Hall for supper and the PGA sale. The first item on the list was the ManSask donation heifer donated by Davidson Gelbvieh.
Heifer Calves
Lot 9 HL Dana 31M, this dark red female sired by FRL Blk Dragon 838J turned a lot of heads. When the hammer fell she sold to Cowlick Ranch and Unger Land & Livestock for $11,000.
Lot 10 HL Jazz 32M is an impressive female sired by FRL Blk Dragon 838J. She had a lot of friends at the sale and she has made her way to her new home at Jen-Ty Gelbvieh in Alberta. She sold for $9,000.
Bred Heifes
Lot 23 FRSQ Foursquare Ms Molly 78L, an own daughter of Dungy will be sure to impress her new owners. It has been said that this could be the most impressive daughter of Dungy to date. She will call Keriness Cattle Co. her home now. She sold for $8,500.
Lot 4 TIP Miss Lavender 145L, this bred heifer will make a tremendous cow with her style and substance. She was purchased by JML Farms from Alberta. She sold for $7,750.
Herdsire Prospect
Lot 14 MGF Money Maker 15M is a rip of a Balancer 50. Deep bodied, strong top with tons of performance will produce the right kind of calves for the commercial industry. Lee Peterson purchased him for $7,500.
The Prairie Gelbvieh Alliance would like to thank all of the bidders and buyers along with all those that attended both in person and online. Volume buyer for the sale was JML Farms with four lots. The 2025 sale will be our 25th anniversary. Put December 13, 2025 on your calendar! See you in Moose Jaw.
News & Notes
Gelbvieh Junior receives Miss World Banner at Farmfair’s 50th Anniversary Celebration in Edmonton...
In 2023 DL Jen-Ty Hot Stuff 550H from Colby Hollman, Red Deer County AB. was crowned Miss North America & Miss World.
This fall Colby was honoured to be presented with the banner for this award.
Junior Success at Farmfair 50th Anniversary
BNH Klassy Ms Lou 2K and BNH Mercury 2M exhibited by BNH Livesotck and junior exhibitor Colby Hollman of Red Deer County AB were named Champion Commercial 2 year Old pair.
Bar GR is sponsoring 25 junior herd assessment fees. Limited to one per junior member. Cow must be in the juniors name. First come first serve. Contact the office to arrange.
Gelbvieh Along The Rainy River
Contributed Article
Riverview Farms in Sleeman Ontario is nestled in the crook of Northwestern Ontario along the shores of the Rainy River. The farm itself began over 100 years ago, with both sides of the family working together. Today, the farm is run by 3 generations of Goviers: Herb (Donna), his eldest son Corrie (Emma), and 2 of their children – Evan (Cassidy) and Dillon.
A number of years ago, the Goviers found a need to introduce a Gelbvieh bull to the herd.
They were looking for greater calving ease, increased maternal milk supply, fast growth weight, quiet temperament, and longevity. Adding a Gelbvieh bull was the obvious choice and Corrie said “It was the right one”.
Our first Gelbvieh bull was purchased from the Gutton Bull Test Station. Over the years, we added to our herd with various sire purchases, most recently from Maple Grove Gelbvieh.
Over the past 25 years since Corrie became a partner in the farm, the number of cow/calf pairs has doubled in size. They calve out about 200 calves in February/March each year, and another 40 pairs in September/October. Now that the boys are older, they are adding to their own herds, and are already valued partners on the farm.
The Govier family is very involved and committed to their community and supporting the Agriculture industry in their community while serving as ambassadors for the Gelbvieh breed.
Corrie and Herb have both served numerous terms on our local Rainy River Cattlemen’s Association as directors, which runs our local, non-profit auction mart. Evan, Cassidy and Dillon work at the sales as well. Herb has also been a director of Rainy River Community Pasture, a director of Rainy River Feeder Finance and on the board of the Rainy River Regional Abattoir. Herb and Donna are now able to farm full time after his retirement from the local township as the Roads Superintendent, and her retirement from nursing. Corrie, Evan and Dillon are all working full time off the farm as heavy duty mechanics. The farm work is shared among us all to keep the farm running well. Many hands do make light work.
We sell our calves at our local sales barn in the spring and in the fall, which is located in Stratton Ontario, and is community run.
Herb was presented with the ManSask commercial breeder of the year award at Agribition 2024 by ManSask director Neil Overby.
GAABC Junior Incentive
The Gelbvieh Association of AB/BC is extremely proud of the Junior Incentive program, which continues to grow each year! In 2024, we had 34 juniors enter the draw, with a total of 153 entries. The junior incentive breeders’ purse was a total of 3,250, which was split into two draws and another draw for a grooming package donated by Co-op.
The first draw winner of $1,625 was Brantley Horn. Brantley purchased DL Jen-Ty Sweet Pea 123M from Jen-Ty Gelbvieh.
The second draw winner of $1,625 was Hannah McCracken. Hannah purchased JNA Spice Girl 83M ET from Pearson Farms.
The draw winner of the Co-op grooming package went to Lauren Pancoast.
If you are interested in contributing to the breeder’s purse or have a Gelbvieh project and would like to enter, contact Olivia Koziak at koziaklandandcattle@gmail.com 780-835-0264.
Entries open for the 2025 draw on January 1st, 2025. Best of luck to all our Gelbvieh juniors. Keep up the hard work and promoting our breed! Don’t forget to send us your photos!
My name is Brantley Horn, When I heard the breeders purse announced, I was ecstatic. I could not believe that I won after my sister won it twice in a row. At the sale, in the end, I came out with a nice Jen-Ty heifer. This heifer is going to be used as one of my show heifers. I can’t say how thankful I am to the Gelbvieh breed and all the supporters that made this happen.
My name is Hannah McCracken. When I won my $1625 sale credit I couldn’t believe it and was quick to pick out my favorites in the catalogue! The 2024 Wishlist sale was the second time we went to the Wishlist sale in person, and we hope to make it a tradition to go every year. I ended up buying a heifer that caught my eye right away, JNA Spice Girl 83M from Pearson farms. I had seen this heifer before, at Farmfair, and fell in love with her right away. Without a doubt I’d like to thank the members of the AB/BC Gelbvieh association who sponsored the sale credit. Spice girl is fitting into our herd nicely and I’m so excited to show her in 4-H and any summer shows that come our way!
THANK YOU SPONSORS
$500 - Jonus Cattle & Towerview Ranch
$300 - JenTy Gelbvieh
$250 - BNH Livestock, Hilltop Gelbvieh, Brittain Farms, Milne’s Gelbvieh
$200 - Pearson Farms, Silverline Farms
$150 - JML Farms
$100 - Limestone Stock Farms, Dusty Rose Cattle, Koziak Land & Cattle, AKS Ranch
Brantley Horn with DL Jen-Ty Sweet Pea 123M
Hannah McCracken with JNA Spice Girl 83M ET
AD Index
BREED GELBVIEH
Events
Jan 15 - RPS Gelbvieh Private Treaty Bull Sale Opening Day, Medstead, SK
Feb 1 - AKS Ranch Private Treaty Bull Sale Opening Day, Hay Lakes AB
Feb 8 - Prairie Hills Gelbvieh Annual Bull Sale, At the Ranch North of Dickinson, ND USA
Feb 11 - Draft Picks Bulls Sale at 1PM, Red Deer County AB
Feb 15 - Thackeray Land & Cattle Bull Sale, At the Goodwater Hall, Goodwater SK
Feb 28 - Mar 1 - Gelbvieh Advantage Bull Sale, DLMS Farmgate Timed Auction
Mar 1 - Herd Assessments Due
Mar 3 - Severtson Land & Cattle 32nd Annual Bull Sale, At the Ranch, Innisfail AB
Mar 4-5 - Jen-Ty Gelbviehs Annual Bull Sale, DLMS Farmgate Timed Auction
Mar 7 - Davidson Gelbvieh & Lonesome Dove Ranch 36th Annual Bull Sale, At the Ranch, Ponteix SK
Mar 9-10 - Fladeland Livestock Online Bull Sale, DLMS Farmgate Timed Auction
Mar 10-11 - Flatland Ranch Gelbvieh Bull & Female Sale, DLMS Farmgate Timed Auction
Mar 12 - Twin View Livestock The Bulls Gelbvieh Bull & Replacement Heifer Sale, At the Ranch, Parkbeg SK
Mar 13 - Prairie Power Gelbvieh Bull Sale, Olds Cow Palace, Olds AB
Mar 19 - Milne’s Gelbvieh 33rd Annual Bull Sale Opening Day, Fairview AB
Mar 20 - Koziak Land & Cattle 9th Annual Bull Sale Opening Day, Lamont AB
Mar 20-21 - Severston Online Semen & Embryo Sale, DLMS Farmgate Timed Auction
Mar 23 - Best of the Breeds Bull Sale, Goodview Gelbvieh Consigning, Yorkton SK
July 24-26 - Canadian National Junior Gelbvieh Show, Swift Current SK
July 26 - Canadian Gelbvieh Association Annual General Meeting, Swift Current SK
December 5-6 - Wish List Sale & Canadian People’s Choice Bull Futurity, Stettler AB
Canadian Gelbvieh Association Notice of Annual General Meeting
July 26th at 9:00AM, Paviliion at the Swift Current AG & EX, Swift Current SK
1. The CGA Constitution may be amended at any General meeting of the Association by affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members present, but no amendment shall be valid until approved by the Minister of Agriculture of Canada and filed at the Department of Agriculture of Canada.
2. Notice of all proposed amendments shall be signed by two members in good standing and submitted to the Association at least forty five days in advance of a General Meeting and they shall be included in the Notice calling such meeting, otherwise the meeting shall have no power to deal with the same.
3. The Meeting has only power to deal with the Article and selection as stated in the Notice calling such meeting. Members wishing to submit amendments to the CGA by-laws are requested to forward them to the CGA office by June 11th including the names of the active member moving the said changes and the seconder. Copies of CGA bylaws are available on request and are published on the CGA website.
Advertising Content
The Gelbvieh Guide assumes no responsibility for the accuracy and truthfulness of submitted advertising copy, and has the right to refuse any ad copy or photos. Advertisers shall indemnify and hold harmless the Guide containing pedigrees or statements regarding performance must conform to records kept by the Canadian Gelbvieh Association. Copy deviating from official records may be changed as necessary without advertiser consent.
Editorial Polilcy
Opinions expressed are the writers and not necessarily those of the Gelbvieh Guide or Canadian Gelbvieh Association. Photos are welcome, but no responsibility is assumed during transit or while in the office.
Publisher’s Statement: All statements, including product claims, are those of the person or organization making the statement or claim. The publisher does not adopt any such statement or claim as its own, and any such statement or claim does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher.
Business Directory
Photo Contest
Congratulations 2025 Winners
Cow/Calf WinnerJen-Ty Gelbvieh, Duchess AB
Orange Tag WinnerJML Farms, Lamont AB
Herd Winner - Cowlick Ranch, Olds AB
Bull Winner -Koziak Land & Cattle, Star AB
Thank you to the sponsors of the prizes. People who entered photos prior to December 6th were entered to win draw prizes. Winning photos were also awarded prizes. Junior draw prizes included a Ranchbaby bib western scarf, a Farm Vet Barbie, Yeti mug, and Brown Creek Wild Rag. Saskatoon Prairie Land Park Junior Beef Expo donated a grand prize Junior draw item including a full exhibitor entry for one participant, which includes the seminar, heifer entry and steer entry. This also includes some hands on time with Kirk Stierwalt! Adult draw prizes included a Young Living essential oil & diffuser, and CCIA swag bag. Winning prizes include a Boulet boot coupon for a free pair of boots of the winners choosing, 2 pairs of fencing pliers from MAUN, and a Welcome to the Farm sign from Ketchum.
