September 2021 Profit Picture

THE

PROFITPICTURE

SEPTEMBER 2021

VALUE-ADDED OPPORTUNITIES pg. 6

CARBON MARKETS pg. 34

BALANCING IMMUNITY AND FERTILITY pg. 30

MaternalMagic

ANNUAL BULL SALE X

November 6, 2021 | Chickamauga, GA Selling 60 Registered Gelbvieh & Balancer® Bulls with more than 50% being products of our proven embryo transfer program.

CALL OR VISIT WEBSITE TO REQUEST CATALOG TODD, ALISA, & KATELYN BICKETT, BO & KELSIE WILSON

Chickamauga, GA (423) 667-3799 Tom Murphy, Cattle Manager (308) 470-0001

tjbgelbvieh.com

31st Annual Judd Ranch

Gelbvieh, Balancer® & Red Angus

Cow Power Female Sale

Saturday, October 9 • 12:00 noon • Pomona, Kansas One hour SW of Kansas City • Free Trucking in U.S. on Purchases of $20,000+

138 HOMOZYGOUS POLLED FEMALES SELL

There are cows; then there are females like this beautiful Judd Ranch first calf heifer with her powerhouse bull calf. The difference: fertility, maternal ability, performance, eye appeal, teat and udder structure. The list goes on and on, including Judd Ranch being honored 21 of the past 23 years (1998-2020) as the breed’s #1 Dam of Merit/Dam of Distinction breeder and owner. Plus cows that produced 282 bulls that sold in our March bull sale, with an 80 lb. average birth weight/894 lb. actual weaning weight off dams!

Please join us on Saturday, Oct. 9, at the Ranch when 100–plus Judd Ranch (spring & fall/bred & open) females will be sold at auction. A vast majority of the offering will be homozygous polled and every female is Judd Ranch born and raised.

Call Cattlemen’s Connection Toll-Free 1-800-743-0026 for your sale catalog.

Catalog online at www.juddranch.com

Judd Ranch Inc.

Dave & Cindy Judd Nick, Ginger Judd & Family Brent, Ashley Judd & Family 423 Hwy. K-68 • Pomona, KS 66076 785-566-8371

Visit our web site: www.juddranch.com

“The Complete Package” • Calving Ease • Growth • Carcass • Fertility

CONTENTS FEATURES Demand Driven Premiums

By Laura Handke

6

Exports Add Value to Every Head of Cattle Produced in the U.S.

14

Over the Fence: Sharing the Gelbvieh Good News

16

AGA to Celebrate 50th Anniversary

26

Out in the Field: Balancing Immunity and Fertility in Beef Herds

30

The Wild, Wild West of Grazing Carbon Markets

34

Developing Heifers for Long-Term Success

38

Breeding Better Beef

42

Most Used Gelbvieh & Balancer® Sires and Genetic Trends

46

A Bright Future for the Gelbvieh Breed

54

By Laura Handke

Radio Interview by Howard Hale featuring Tom Strahm

By Lee Jones, DVM, MC, UGA College of Veterinary Medicine

By Laura Handke

By Laura Handke

By Dennis Meyer

By Jake W. Renner, M.S.

The Profit Picture is the commercially-focused publication published in February and September by the American Gelbvieh Association focused on issues relevant to the commercial cow-calf producer.

REQUEST YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTION Sign up to receive your free subscription to The Profit Picture by subscribing online or completing this form and mailing to American Gelbvieh Association, attn: Profit Picture, 1001 S. 70th St., Suite 215, Lincoln, NE 68510.

Comments and feedback welcome to info@gelbvieh.org or 303-465-2333.

2 | SEPTEMBER 2021

Name________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________ City, State, Zip: __________________________________ Subscribe online at www.gelbvieh.org/news/publications/ profit-picture/

Whirlwind AMGV1389801 CED 22 % RANK 1

EPDs

BW -6.4 1

WW 73 40

YW 120 25

MILK 23 20

TM 60 20

CEM 12 3

WHIRLWIND 735E

STAY CREA RFI $COW FPI EPI 15 0.70 -0.192 101.52 86.97 155.65 35 25 5 45 20 20

75% GV

Whirlwind is a calving-ease, high percentage Balancer bull that is making his mark in the Lazy TV Ranch herd. His progeny were the highselling sire group in our 2021 Bull Sale and a heifer was selected as the pick of the herd. He has nearly every economic trait in the top third of the breed. Look for more progeny in our spring production sale or contact us for semen to add these valuable genetics to your herd!

41ST ANNUAL

BULL SALE

SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 2022 AT THE RANCH – SELBY, SD

LAZY TV S e l by, S D

RANCH 605-649-6262 VAUGHN 605-848-0421 GINA 605-850-9390 BRIAN 605-230-0591

LAZY TV RANCH VWTHOR@SBTC.NET BALANCERBULLS.COM 12980 CEDAR RD SELBY, SD 57472

SELLING 130 RED & BLACK BALANCER BULLS | 25 RED & BLACK SIMANGUS BULLS | 45 BLACK ANGUS BULLS

CONTENTS EDITORIAL

IN EVERY ISSUE

Legends of the Fall

8

By Dan McCarty, AGA President

The Fruits of Calculated Mating Strategies

By Megan Slater, AGA Executive Director

10

Getting to Sale Day

12

Milk: Pounds of What?

24

The Summit Takes Texas

51

By Lily Judd, AGJA Director

By Lindsay Upperman, Ph.D.

By Jake W. Renner, M.S.

CONTACTS

1001 S. 70th St., Suite 215 Lincoln, NE 68510 Phone: 303-465-2333 Fax: 303-465-2339 www.gelbvieh.org info@gelbvieh.org Facebook: American Gelbvieh Association Instagram: americangelbvieh

ASSOCIATION STAFF Megan Slater Executive Director megans@gelbvieh.org Tom Strahm Commercial Marketing Director tom@gelbvieh.org 785-547-7999 Barb Standage Office Operations Coordinator barb@gelbvieh.org Lindsay Upperman Performance Programs Coordinator lindsay@gelbvieh.org

4 | SEPTEMBER 2021

Laura Handke Editorial Contractor laura@gelbvieh.org Jake Renner Member and Youth Activities Coordinator jake@gelbvieh.org Malerie Strahm Multimedia Coordinator malerie@gelbvieh.org Katie Harbert Gelbvieh Media Productions Coordinator katie@gelbvieh.org Meg Vanderbur Data Services Coordinator meganv@gelbvieh.org

Contact Us

4

State Round-Ups

9

Fast Facts

20

Events of Interest

57

Breeders Corner

58

Ad Index

64

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Dan McCarty, President (2020) Rifle, CO • 970-481-5217 mccartycattle@hotmail.com

Derek Martin, Treasurer (2020) Bucklin, KS • 620-397-6752 dmartin@kinsleyfeeders.com

Klint Sickler, Vice President (2019) Gladstone, ND • 701-483-5250 klintsickler@hotmail.com

John Carrel, Secretary (2019) Columbus, MT • 406-322-5991 lauriecarrel@live.com

DIRECTORS Dustin Aherin (2020) St. Charles, MO • 785-302-1252 dgaherin@vet.k-state.edu

Andrea Murray (2018) Kingfisher, OK • 405-368-9601 murrayfarm@pldi.net

Todd Bickett, DVM (2018) Chickamauga, GA • 423-667-3799 todd@bickettgenetics.com

William McIntosh (2020) Georgetown, KY •502-867-3132 wammb@aol.com

Leland Clark (2019) Barnard, KS • 785-792-6244 prcc@twinvalley.net

Randy Sienknecht (2018) Gladbrook, IA • 319-290-3763 rmsink1209@msn.com

Mark Covington (2019) Montrose, CO • 970-209-1956 covinginc@hotmail.com

Jeff Swanson (2018) Oxford, NE • 308-290-3763 swansoncattleco@yahoo.com

Jeff Loveless (2017) Spanish Fork, UT • 801-623-8308 olranch@aol.com

Tom Vehige ( 2019) Billings, MO • 417-772-2002 tbarscattle@gmail.com

Lori Maude (2018) Hermosa, SD • 303-809-3789 lori.maude@gmail.com

FEATURE

Demand Driven Premiums

By Laura Handke

A

new demographic of information seeking consumers and export markets have fueled beef value-added marketing programs over the past two decades to provide cattle producers new premium-driven market opportunities direct from their farm or ranch. These noncarcass merit premiums have proven that the market is willing to pay a producer for management practices, age, source, and breed influence information.

“Packers are contracting value-added cattle with feedlots way ahead of time, up to a year before harvest in a lot of cases. Then those feedlots have to go into the marketplace to find the cattle to meet those agreements,” says Doug Stanton, senior vice president of business development at IMI Global. “It puts a producer in a place where they have to plan ahead if they want to capture those premiums.”

No matter which value-added program a producer chooses to participate in, the first step is market research and determining a breakeven price. Followed by establishing a budget to reflect the costs of the value-added marketing program. It’s hard to make money if you don’t know your numbers.

“We have a variety of different programs that we can bundle together so that the producer and the marketplace have different options,” Stanton says of the IMI Global marketing opportunities.

Value-Added Program Options Source and age verification (SAV), followed by NonHormone Treated Cattle (NHTC) and the Verified Natural Beef (VNB) programs make up the foundation of value-added programs. Those three programs are part of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Process Verified Program and have oversight by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to ensure all requirements have been met. IMI Global undergoes an annual audit by the USDA to be able to conduct audits and approve farms and ranches.

In addition to the three core programs, many breed associations are also working closely with IMI Global to help their members find additional breed-related value while capitalizing on the marketing opportunities the core programs offer. The American Gelbvieh Association,

6 | SEPTEMBER 2021

for example, has partnered with IMI Global to create the Balancer® Edge program, which requires a minimum of 75% of the sires used to be registered Gelbvieh and Balancer® bulls, with a minimum of 25% Gelbvieh genetics.

Because the verification process for the Balancer® Edge program also satisfies the SAV program, all cattle enrolled in Balancer® Edge can be marketed into the China Export Verification program, NHTC program for the European Union, VNB and CARE, a sustainability program encompassing animal care, environmental stewardship, and people and community.

With the exception of the SAV, which producers can enroll in by submitting their first calf-last calf born records and an audit completed via phone call. All other programs require an on-site audit with annual renewal.

“What we have done with the Balancer® Edge program,” Stanton says, “is added the Balancer® Edge verification to the source and age verification program. Those producers can still enroll in other programs, but that one verification provides them two verified claims for their cattle. The premiums have been a very good source of return for producers who choose to enroll.”

Demand Driven Premiums Since 2004, when SAV came on-scene in the cattle industry as a result of isolated bovine spongiform encephalopathy cases, premiums for the verification have stabilized.

“We are verifying 30 months of age today, not 20 like we were when we started, and those ages can be verified at the packing plant, so we have seen the SAV premium decline some. Producers are still looking at a $1.50 (cwt) so around $7-8 per head return,” Stanton says. “When you move up to NHTC, we’re seeing around a $30 per head return and the natural market is very strong. It’s a domestic-only market that seems to see higher returns every year. On average, producers can expect around a $40 per head premium.”

Tom Strahm, commercial marketing director for the American Gelbvieh Association agrees that crossbred cattle are also adding a level of genetic advantage in the feedyard and helping producers maximize their return on

investment when they enroll in value-added programs with strong demand.

“Balancer® (Gelbvieh x Angus or Red Angus) cattle provide great economic advantages in the feedyard, compared to straight bred cattle, you see higher average daily gain and improved feed efficiency because of heterosis,” he says. “When you couple that with a valueadded program like NHTC, you not only get that verification that bumps the product into a premium label at the grocery store, but you also have excellent carcass merit.”

For the Kersey, Colorado, Five Rivers Cattle Feeding, LLC Kuner Feedyard, SAV NHTC cattle are always in high demand, no matter the breed.

Specialty Beef Program Manager, Kim Rounds, says, “Our yard is always looking, we could definitely handle more supply and there is definitely a strong demand for them,” she says. “There is significant premium value for these cattle on both sides: the packer and the feeder, and that allows us to pass that value all the way down the chain.”

Rounds shares that when she began working in her role, about three years ago, only one quarter of the Kuner Feedyard housed program cattle. Today, more than half of the pens are filled with program cattle.

“Our value-added program cattle capacity has doubled in size in only three years,” she says. “There’s just so much more interest from consumers in the marketplace. They are asking questions about where their beef is coming from and how the cattle were cared for and treated, and we are seeing that on the feeding side.”

FEATURE

Both Rounds and Stanton agree that while many progressive producers have risen to meet the record keeping and management demands required of the valueadded programs, more are needed.

Marketing Value-Added Cattle In a win-win strategy, a number of breed associations and auction companies have put in place marketing tools to help producers maximize the returns on their program investment.

The American Gelbvieh Association’s Feeder Finder, a complimentary feeder cattle sourcing tool, compliments the association’s Balancer® Edge program well. The email service matches feedlots looking for Gelbvieh and Balancer-influenced cattle with producers who can fulfill a load lot of cattle that fit the criteria.

“We buy a lot of breed association program cattle that are third-party verified. We work with IMI Global, but not all of our suppliers do,” Rounds says of Five Rivers’ sourcing flexibility. “As long as the cattle meet the specs of our contract, they can be approved and purchased.”

Many producers also find success acting as their own marketing representative to contracting directly with the feedlots. Rounds says that the Kuner location receives many of these calls and advises producers to know when and what they have to sell before making the call.

“We have quite a few producers call us and we are happy to visit with them about the specifications of our program and the eligibility of their cattle.” she says. FF

THE PROFIT PICTURE | 7

VIEW FROM THE BOARD Legends of the Fall

By Dan McCarty

L

iving and ranching in western Colorado, September marks the most distinct change of seasons throughout the year. It is almost as if overnight, you can feel a chill in the morning air and realize the leaves on the trees and brush are not quite as green as they were yesterday.

Another telltale sign that September and fall are here is the dramatic increase in cattle trucks running up and down Interstate 70. Shipping time has arrived in the Intermountain West. Along with weaning and shipping, spring calving herds will also be busy preg checking and, because of the extreme dry conditions throughout the west, making tough culling decisions.

conditions, but she had to breed back as well. Did she slip back a cycle that will cause her to calve late? Is her udder holding up? Are her feet and legs holding up? If she is unable to put a checkmark in all the appropriate boxes in a challenging year like this, she is most likely exploring a career change in the near future.

All the measures and data recorded this fall that I have mentioned have a direct impact on the bottom line of any commercial ranching operation. They are additionally the traits that Gelbvieh and Balancer® genetics are known for and excel in—maternal ability, fertility, growth and performance and cow longevity.

Fall cow work on the ranch is very similar to the day that the report card comes home from school—one of the few days of the year that we put actual numbers down on paper and see how things really turned out. The calves might have been healthy and looked good on the summer range, but the real test is the day when they step on the scale to determine their value and the exact amount of the ranch’s annual paycheck.

As genetic providers to the commercial cattle business, Gelbvieh and Balancer breeders continue to focus and improve on economically relevant traits that our customers count on for their long-term success. When fellow cattlemen put their trust in you and your genetics, making financial decisions that impact their livelihoods, the commitment and focus of breeding decisions are not taken lightly.

The steer and heifer calves aren’t the only ones receiving a report card this fall. Cows that fall out of a herd early in life are a major economic drain on the long-term profitability of a commercial cattle operation. This year, the cow not only had to raise that calf in dry, less than ideal

I was once visiting a bull customer that runs in some rough country and retains his heifers and he said it best, “On this outfit, a pretty cow is pretty useless unless I can count on her as a profit center.” FF

8 | SEPTEMBER 2021

Martens Gelbvieh

Martin Cattle Company

Gary Martens 2126 500th St • Walnut, IA 51577

Neola, Iowa

David & Rita Martin 256 Boyce Road Judsonia, AR 72081 C: 501.278.7614 www.martincattleco.com

Private Treaty Sales Available Year Round

Gelbvieh-Angus-Balancer Black & Polled Private Treaty Sales Breed-leading Performance from Quality Genetics

Kevin Gunderson: 402-510-8103

Al Schulz: 402-676-5292

712.764.5007 (H) • 712.249.5744 (C) martensgl@yahoo.com

Annual Bull and Female Sale March 18, 2022 with the Southwest Iowa Gelbvieh Group

COLORADO BREEDERS Grand Valley

Gelbvieh/Balancer Bulls Sell in “Pot of Gold” Patrick McCarty

665 Battlement Creek Trail Parachute, CO 81635 (970) 210-6093 Heather Scott (775) 790-3456 Brandon Scott (970) 589-5483

31 st An

lls

u 0B

10 Jim Roelle 38148 CR 49 #7 Peetz, CO 80747 (C): 970-520-1224 jr.plateau@hotmail.com www.plateaugelbvieh.com

Featuring Black, Polled Gelbvieh & Balancer® genetics with balanced trait selection.

Next Bull Sale February 24, 2022.

Livestock Exchange, LLC., Brush, CO.

nu

al

100 YEARLING BULLS SELL!

Gelbvieh & Gelbvieh/Angus Balancer® FEB. 25, 2022 • MONTROSE, CO • 12:00 NOON

www.gelbviehbulls.net

or call Mark at 970.209.1956 • Dave at 970.323.6833

FEMALES AVAILABLE

MINNESOTA & MONTANA BREEDERS Quality livestock that Work for you

SwenSon Gelbvieh Dean & Mary Swenson

17513 Hwy 10 Little Falls, MN 56345 swen@centurylink.net (h) 320.632.5848 • (c) 320.630-5536

Polled • Purebred Red • Black

Performance + Safety = Profit from Pasture to Plate

“Gelbvieh since 1973”

Kathleen Rankin 406-937-4815 1285 Nine Mile Rd. • Oilmont, MT 59466 krankin@northerntel.net www.kickinghorseranch.com Performance cattle for the real world.

Our Annual Production Sale, March 19, 2020

Gelbvieh

Carcass Quality • Calving Ease • Tenderness • Docility

Quarter Horses

Want to Please • Strong Bone • Intelligent • Athletic 50 Goose Creek Rd. • Raynesford, MT 59469 Ranch Phone: 406.738.4220 • BarJRGelbvieh@3rivers.net BarJRGelbvieh.com

NEBRASKA & SOUTH DAKOTA BREEDERS

R

MLM Gelbvieh Marlin Meyer

824 Road 3000 Superior, NE 68978 402-879-4976 mlm68978@yahoo.com www.gelbviehbulls.com

Rippe Gelbvieh

Duane & Brenda, Dustin & Karla Rippe 6775 Road D • Hubbell, NE 68375 (H) 402-324-4176 Duane (C): 402-200-0096 Dustin (C): 316-323-4874 dustin.rippe@yahoo.com www.rippegelbvieh.com

“To produce superior Gelbvieh and Balancer® seedstock based on economically important traits, which provide more profitability for our customers, and ensure the consumer a very satisfactory eating experience.”

BREEDERS CORNER STATE ROUND-UP

ARKANSAS & IOWA BREEDERS

FROM THE CORNER OFFICE The Fruits of Calculated Mating Strategies

By Megan Slater

S

ummer is winding down, and many producers are starting to see the fruits of their labor through weaning calves and preg-checking females. Everyone hopes to see their calves top the scales and every exposed female that has been turned out on grass now pregnant with a calf.

This time of year can really bring the production cycle all together as producers see the rewards of their past mating decisions.

Ideally, those mating decisions have led to improvements in the herd. The majority of genetic improvement in a commercial herd is the direct result of sire selection, making it an important ranch decision. Not only do these decisions result in performance that is seen at weaning, but also affect the herd for several years to come, especially if replacement females are kept. There are, of course, several factors that contribute to a cow producing a live calf that ultimately reaches that desired weaning weight. Aside from nutrition and environment, two influential factors that affect performance of both the cow and the calf she raises are genetics and crossbreeding.

When it comes to the genetics used in a herd, sire selection shouldn’t be taken lightly. Finding a bull that meets the needs of the operation is key to making genetic advancements and improvement in the herd. When producers are looking for their next breeding stock, it’s important to utilize the tools that are available, such as EPDs, including genomically-enhanced EPDs, and indexes to help add confidence in those breeding decisions and take their herd in the right direction.

Unlike raw performance data, EPDs can be used to compare animals from different herds, and even between different breeds. EPDs published by the American Gelbvieh Association are directly comparable to those of Red Angus, Simmental, Limousin and many others. This is made possible through the International Genetic Solutions MultiBreed Genetic Evaluation. This evaluation is a collaboration of several breed associations and is the largest multi-breed genetic evaluation in the world. Across-breed comparable

10 | SEPTEMBER 2021

EPDs help take the guess work out of EPD selection for those producers who implement crossbreeding strategies and utilize more than one breed.

A planned crossbreeding strategy is another way to positively impact the performance of both females and calves. Not only can crossbreeding increase growth and performance of the calves, known as individual heterosis, but it also has a positive impact on females all throughout their productive life through maternal heterosis. Crossbred females reach puberty at a younger age, exhibit an increased calving rate, and can stay in the herd longer.

Combined, these advantages lead a female to produce more pounds of calf in her lifetime.

“THE MA JORITY OF GENETIC IMPROVEMENT IN A COMMERCIAL HERD IS THE DIRECT RESULT OF SIRE SELECTION, MAKING IT AN IMPORTANT RANCH DECISION.” — MEGAN SLATER, AGA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Utilizing a crossbreeding system also allows for the opportunity to capitalize on breed complementarity. This is the assessment of strengths and weaknesses of each breed type and applying those that complement each other. Breed complementarity is one of the best ways to describe the benefits of Balancer® cattle. Balancer animals are 25 to 75 percent Gelbvieh with the balance of Angus or Red Angus. They combine the Gelbvieh growth, muscle, leanness, fertility, longevity and low yield grading ability with the carcass qualities of Angus to make an animal that meets today’s modern industry demands. Cattle producers have been breeding Balancer cattle for many years and lead the American Gelbvieh Association to be the first beef cattle breed association to have registered hybrid seedstock in the early 2000s. Today, this combination continues to be successful on the ranch, in the feedyard and even on the rail. FF

SoKY Select Gelbvieh Sale SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2021 • 1:00 PM CT United Producers • Bowling Green, KY

Selling 40 Gelbvieh & Balancer® Females Selling 10 Gelbvieh & Balancer® Bulls

Young cow/calf pairs like this one sell!

Bred heifers like this one sell!

Stout herd sire prospects ready for turnout sell!

Highly productive, young females like this one sell!

Sale managed by:

Slaughter Sale Management

Like us on Facebook at Slaughter Sale Management

For catalog or information contact:

David Slaughter

Phone: (270) 556-4259•E-mail: hmslghtr@aol.com

JUNIOR CONNECTION Getting to Sale Day

By Lily Judd

G

rowing up on my family’s ranch, Judd Ranch, in east central Kansas, I’ve had a lot of interests. Some you grow out of as you get older, some you grow into and start to become more passionate about. That is how I would describe my interest in our annual bull sale. Sure, some factors are more interesting than others and there’s a wide variety, but the way it all works together really fascinates me.

Allow me to walk you through the process of preparing our bulls for our customers as well as what happens after our annual sale. We run around 800 head of registered Gelbvieh, Balancer®, and Red Angus cattle. Our annual bull sale is held the first weekend in March, where we offer 300 head; our female sale, where we offer around 150 head, is the second weekend in October.

We have two time frames in which our calves are born.

We have spring calving that covers the months of January through early March, as well as fall calving that includes the months of August through mid-October. On sale day, we are able to offer the spring bulls as yearlings and the fall bulls at eighteen months. We do this as some of our customers prefer the older bulls while others are happy with the younger ones.

Within 72 hours of a calf being born, a birth weight is manually taken. Along with getting a weight, we vaccinate, tattoo and ear tag calves. Since the spring calving conditions can be harsher than those in the fall, once the calf hits the ground (at any hour of the day) to around the 72 hour mark they will stay in the calving barn. Once they are tagged and ready to leave the barn, we will haul them to pasture a little farther away from the main house. We also rotate fall calves to a different pasture once they are born.

Fall Bulls In November, we will split fall calving cows into groups according to their age. These cows will go to pastures with bunks.

Calves have access to creep feed and hay during this time, and will continue to be managed like this from November through March. Around spring break time, we will run these calves through the chute to get a 205 day weight, brand and administer more vaccines. Afterward, bulls and heifers will be sorted and turned back out on

12 | SEPTEMBER 2021

grass with their mommas until the middle of June, when we will bring them back in and wean. We’ll get another weight at this time, split them into different pens based on their frame type. Right after weaning, the bulls will start a gain test for 45 days, afterward, they will be ultrasound scanned, pelvic and scrotal measured and turned back out on grass before winter. The bulls will spend the winter months back in their original groups that were sorted after weaning.

Spring Bulls Since the conditions are less harsh, spring bulls are sent straight to grass. We may move them around a little bit, but for the most part they are left alone for most of the summer. In late July we will do the same sorting process and branding as we do in March to the fall bulls. They get to enjoy some added time on grass until they are pulled off their mommas in mid-October.

Just like when the fall bulls are weaned, a weight is taken and they are separated into groups based on their size.

Once again, after the bulls are sorted they will be put on a gain test.

This is also when we sort out about 40 head to potentially take to the National Western or Cattlemen’s Congress in January. We think the pen shows that have been held at these stock shows are very unique and a great opportunity to advertise our bulls.

Through most of December, we are working to collect more data on the bulls. We take this opportunity to scan each and every bull that will be going through the sale and semen check them. Every bull that goes through the sale has passed a breeding soundness exam.

We start clipping by the end of January, as the selection of which bulls are in the sale is pretty well finalized. We clip the bull’s head and neck; this is also when they get their lot tags. The process is typically wrapped up by the middle of February.

Since a majority of the bulls are kept a couple miles north of the homestead, the last few days in February are spent hauling all of the bulls to the main ranch and getting them situated in their assigned pens. Once they are brought to the main place, they are typically washed within the next day or two to get them cleaned up for the sale.

JUNIOR CONNECTION Docility & Proven Performance

My biggest interest, though, is sale day and what happens after.

I have enjoyed getting to know several customers. Hearing their stories from the previous year, why they decided to come back, and my all time favorite—hearing a customer say something like: “Well, I talked my neighbor into coming this year.” In my opinion, there is no better compliment than that.

The majority of our customers are commercial cattlemen. We know what our cattle are capable of, but commercial cattlemen are who put their trust and faith into the cattle they buy. FF

Our focus and dedication starts with docility and ends with performance. We offer Purebred Gelbvieh and Balancer® bulls and heifers private treaty year-round. We continue to do our homework in our breeding program, so you can buy with confidence.

• Fall & Spring-Born Bulls & Heifers • Red Purebreds & Balancers • Bulls Carry First Breeding Season Guarentees For more information on our cattle, give Kevin a call at (660) 635-1433.

• Photos & Videos Available

Red Ridge gelbvieh Kevin Ireland

237 SW 30th Ave. • Trenton, MO 64683

Cell (660) 635-1433 • ksi1987@grundyec.net THE PROFIT PICTURE | 13

FEATURE

Exports Add Value to Every Head of Cattle Produced in the U.S.

By Laura Handke

“

There’s so much going on in the world today,” U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) economist Erin Borror told viewers of a recent University of Nebraska – Lincoln Farm and Ranch Management webinar, “but hopefully, you are familiar with USMEF. The way I have always looked at it (USMEF), for me as a producer, is that we are your boots on the ground around the world, marketing U.S. beef and pork, and understanding what’s driving (international) consumers and policy.”

Today, the U.S. is the largest beef exporter on a monetary basis and only follows Brazil in volume.

Impressive, considering the slowed pace of beef exports to China in comparison to 2020. A fact Borror says is driven by the strong demand for U.S. beef and pork, both domestically and abroad, with exports climbing 10% in 2021, alone.

“If you exclude what happened last year with our plant disruptions,” she says, “and at the same time we’ve been producing more beef and more fed beef than we did not only last year, but also compared to 2019. What we are seeing is not a result of a supply issue; it’s red-hot demand driving this (beef) market.”

U.S. beef exports are expected to remain record-setting strong through 2021, even with major shipping delays and logistical challenges.

14 | SEPTEMBER 2021

“It’s hard to imagine just how big our exports would be this year if we didn’t have these logistical hurdles,” Borror says.

Demand Drivers With a stable U.S. beef and pork consumption demand, exports have been underpinning the growth in U.S. beef and pork production for the past five years, helping each sector to grow production around 15% during that time.

During the same time, exports of pork increased by 39% and beef exports increased by 18%.

“Larger exports have offset larger production,” Borror says. “We’ll set another record this year after a bit of a slow down last year. We’ll dominate Japan again on grain fed, same for Hong Kong and same for Taiwan.”

Helping to drive grain fed exports, aside from COVID-19 rebound and a growing middle class, is the decline in Australian beef exports.

“Australia is showing slaughter the lowest in 36 years at 6.4 million head, down 11% from last year. That’s a decrease of 2 million head from 2019 and if we look ahead, slaughter is not expected to exceed 7 million head and they aren’t projected to hit that until 2023,” Borror says of the positive U.S. beef export window that is projected to last through 2022 and possibly even into 2023. FF

30th Annual

GELBVIEH & BALANCER DITKA

CIVAL WAR

Production Sale ASTRO

GREAT DIVIDE

CHIEF JUSTICE

SALE OFFERING - 110 REGISTERED BULLS AND 50 REGISTERED HEIFERS AVAILABLE PRIVATE TREATY - 400 HIGH QUALITY COMMERCIAL HEIFERS

MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2022

at 1:00 PM

at the Ranch, west of Lake Preston

43968 208th Street • Lake Preston, SD

What to expect from Genetics from Hojer Ranch:

Maternal Excellence | Breed Leading Traits | Docile Disposition | More Pounds, More Profit Performance Tested | Ultrasound Data | Breeding Soundness Tested | Herd Health Program

PERFORMANCE GENETIC S FOR YOUR Find us on

Facebook www.HojerRanch.com hojer@hojerranch.com

TOMORROW

Alan & Pam | Blake & Jenn 43968 208th Street, Lake Preston, SD 57249

Ranch: 605-860-1326 Blake cell: 605-860-0139

UNABLE TO ATTEND?

WATCH AND BID ON DVACTION

Over THE

Fence

Sharing the Gelbvieh Good News Radio Interview by Howard Hale featuring Tom Strahm

L

ast spring, Tom Strahm, AGA commercial marketing director, had a chance to visit with Howard Hale, host of The Cattleman’s Corner podcast network, to share updates on the bull sale season and the breed attributes the cattle have become known for.

Tom: Yes. You can retain heterosis that way, and you can also create consistency in a program and create uniformity by multi-generational crossbreeding.

Howard: We are with Tom Strahm today, who’s the commercial marketing director for the American Gelbvieh Association (AGA).

Tom: Gelbvieh is a very strong maternal breed and I think that’s why a lot of people think about the Gelbvieh females they’ve maybe had in the past and the maternal superiority that they offer. They reach puberty early, they’re very fertile, they have excellent longevity, and excellent mothering ability—they just raise good calves and then breed back year after year to remain in the herd a long time. A lot of Gelbvieh cows remain in the herd 10 years or even longer and that’s where producers start to realize a lot of profit out of a cow.

Tom, how have bull sales been this season?

Tom: I think the Gelbvieh and Balancer® bull sale season was really strong. Averages were up substantially over last year. Crowds and attendance were good at the sales and we saw really strong buyer interest. I think a lot of folks are looking to purchase Gelbvieh and Balancer bulls to add some crossbreeding in their programs.

Howard: Tom, explain what a Balancer bull is.

Tom: Sure. A Balancer is a registered trademark from the AGA. These black or red cattle are a minimum of 25% Gelbvieh up to 75% Gelbvieh, with the offsetting percentage being either Angus or Red Angus. These cattle are out of two registered parents and we (AGA) calculate all the performance information on them and the EPDs. Howard: It seems like that’s a bull breed that has become quite popular with commercial folks.

Tom: They really have, Howard. And as I said earlier, Balancer bulls are a great way to implement a crossbreeding program in a commercial cowherd. Gelbvieh are the Continental breed of choice and offer very good breed complementarity when used with the British breeds.

When you’re thinking about crossbreeding and obtaining the benefits of heterosis and hybrid vigor, breed complementarity is very important. The strengths of the Gelbvieh breed compliment the strengths of the British breeds very well.

Howard: Interesting. So, if producers are keeping quite a few of those F1 females and then coming right back with another Balancer bull, are those producers able to retain quite a bit of the heterosis?

16 | SEPTEMBER 2021

Howard: You talked about the strengths of the Gelbvieh.

What are those strengths in your view?

Howard: How big are these crossbred cows, normally?

Tom: These Balancer females, I’d call them mostly moderate frame cattle. Years ago, there was some data that came out of the USDA Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Nebraska. Gelbvieh was the most moderate framed of the seven major beef breeds, and I think that’s still true today. You have this tremendous cow and a moderate framed, easy fleshing efficient package can really return a lot of dollars to producers.

Howard: Why are more commercial cattle operations going into some kind of a crossbreeding program?

Tom: I think there’s renewed interest in crossbreeding, especially for the traits that are hard to select for, or hard to measure, as well as some of the more lowly heritable traits.

That’s where you (commercial producers) get the most bang for the buck. With these crossbred (Balancer) females, you see a significant increase in fertility and reproduction and longevity in the herd. Then, additionally, you get the increased performance in calf weaning weights and growth.

Howard: How about the carcass quality of those crossbred cattle?

Tom: Carcass quality is tremendous. These Gelbvieh and Balancer, cattle that are hybrids with British breeds, have great average daily gain and performance. Their feed

efficiency is also improved. Then as far as excellent carcass merit, there’s 300 head of Balancer feeder cattle fed at one location in Nebraska last summer, those cattle graded 98% choice and prime and then very low number of yield grade fours and fives in the mix. So, excellent carcass merit as far as high-quality grade, and then the cattle will have lower numeric yield grade scores and high red meat yield.

We have a commercial-focused program, Balancer Edge, which is source and age verification through IMI Global, that creates additional premiums. To enroll, calves need to be sired by Gelbvieh and Balancer bulls and then go through the normal source and age verification process.

Limite d time semen offer

JKGF Husker’s Estate G658 ET One of the most exciting young red purebred Gelbvieh herd sires to emerge in 2020/21.

This homozygous polled, diluter free red herd sire comes from the great JEMG Lee Ann 650U donor dam and sired by the deceased calving ease bull, MCCA Cornhusker Red 524C.

Producers can also participate in value added programs, like NHTC (nonhormone treated cattle) verified all natural and the CARE program, all through IMI Global.

Howard: Is there any information that you would like to add that I haven’t asked you about?

Tom: You know, Howard, there’s just a lot of opportunity coming up for American beef producers, and I hope that the people who haven’t tried Gelbvieh and Balancer genetics would strongly consider it. They make tremendous females that produce feeder calves that will gain and grade.

The breed does it all and brings everything together in one package.

To listen to the full interview, check out episode #322 of Cattleman’s Corner with Howard Hale. FF

Here’s how he ranks:

Donor Dam

JKGF Lee Ann 650U

• Top 10% - Marbling, Calving Ease Maternal and Feeder Profit Index • Top 15% - Calving Ease Direct and Weaning Weight • Top 20% - Total Maternal • Top 25% - Yearling Weight and Docility

Limited time syndicated semen package available.

Sire

For information or to purchase a semen package, call or text Bob Hart at (816) 225-8530.

MCCA Cornhusker Red 524C Red purebred bulls available this fall private treaty at farm.

Call for more information.

Contact Bob Hart for information • Cell (816) 225-8530 • Email: bhart@hartfarm.net SMALL HERD

POWERFUL GENETICS THE PROFIT PICTURE | 17

Complete Gelbvieh and Balancer Female Dispersal of the Jim & Barb Beastrom herd - Shad & Brandy Ludemann herd

October 2, 2021 12:00 Noon CST Beastrom Ranch Sale Facility Pierre, South Dakota

BEAS 6700D

46% Balancer Cow

BEA 6127D ET 63% Balancer Cow

She and 2 daughters sell

BMB 2057Z

BEAS 7706E

PB 88% Gelbvieh Donor

58% Balancer Cow

BEA 0029X

She and 2 daughters sell

50% Balancer Donor

Beastrom Ranch Jim & Barb Beastrom Wes & Brittney Spencer Shad & Brandy Ludemann

BEAS 4705B

60% Balancer Donor

605-224-5789 605-280-0204 605-280-6949

20453 Cendak Rd, Pierre, SD 57501 www.beastromranch.com

310 Gelbvieh and Balancer Females Sell Spring Bred Cows - Fall Bred Cows Spring Bred Heifers - Spring Open Heifers

BEA 0011X

BEA 6127D ET

BEA 2111J

50% Balancer Donor

63% Balancer Cow

45% Balancer Heifer

She and 8 daughters sell

BEA 1046Y

61% Balancer Donor

She and 6 daughters sell

BEA 1457H

56% Balancer Heifer

BEA 6126D

40% Balancer Cow

BEA 1411H

56% Balancer Heifer

BEA 1431H

58% Balancer Heifer

For sale book contact Beastrom Ranch or MMS Sale book and videos online at www.beastromranch.com or www.mms.bz Wes and Brittney Spencer will continue breeding Gelbvieh and Balancer cattle as Beastrom Ranch’s 3rd generation

FAST FACTS Who We Are

What is a Balancer®?

The American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) is a beef cattle breed association dedicated to recording, promoting, and improving Gelbvieh-influenced cattle. The AGA was started in 1971 and now consists of approximately 1,000 members with a registry database that contains over 1 million animals including approximately 40,000 currently active Gelbvieh, Balancer® and Gelbvieh-influenced cows.

Balancer cattle are registered hybrid seedstock that have documented pedigrees and expected progeny differences (EPDs). The American Gelbvieh Association was the first beef cattle breed to recognize and include a hybrid animal as registered stock.

The Strengths of Gelbvieh The Gelbvieh breed is well known throughout the industry for their maternal strengths and superior growth.

With these attributes, Gelbvieh and Balancer cattle fit well into a crossbreeding system and provide genetics that work for the commercial cattle business.

The high costs associated with the development or purchase of replacement females make sustained production in a herd essential. Gelbvieh females are proven to stay in the herd longer.

Balancer animals are 25% to 75% Gelbvieh with the balance of Angus or Red Angus. Balancer cattle combine the Gelbvieh growth, muscle, leanness, fertility, longevity and low yield grading ability with the carcass qualities of Angus.

Balancer cattle offer a simple and powerful way to maintain hybrid vigor and a profitable blend of British and Continental genetics without a complicated crossbreeding system. These cattle fit well into all aspects of the beef industry including commercial cow-calf operations and on the rail.

How do Gelbvieh and Balancer® crossbred females perform better?

It’s all in the heterosis, or hybrid vigor, described as the increase in performance of the crossbred animal compared to the average of the straight-bred parents. Heterosis impacts traits with low heritability, e.g., reproduction.

Producers with crossbred cows can see a higher percentage of their cowherd breed back on the first cycle due to maternal heterosis.

Individual Heterosis Individual heterosis is the improvement in performance by the individual crossbred animal above the average of its parents. Increased calf livability, weaning weight, yearling weight and carcass traits are examples of individual heterosis in crossbred calves.

AGA STAFF 20 | SEPTEMBER 2021

Megan Slater

Executive Director megans@gelbvieh.org

Tom Strahm

Lindsay Upperman

Commercial Marketing Director Performance Programs Coordinator tom@gelbvieh.org lindsay@gelbvieh.org

Meg Vanderbur

Data Services Coordinator meganv@gelbvieh.org

FAST FACTS Maternal Heterosis Maternal heterosis leads to the combined improvement in traits from the dam that cause increases in the performance of her and her progeny. Examples of maternal heterosis in a beef cow include younger age at puberty, increased calving rate, increased survival of her calf to weaning, longevity and pounds of calf produced in her lifetime.

Trait

Effects of Individual Heterosis Effects of Maternal Heterosis on Crossbred Calves with Crossbred Cows

Calving Rate

+3.2%

+3.5%

Survival to Weaning

+1.4%

+0.8%

Birth Weight

+1.7 lbs.

+1.6 lbs.

Weaning Weight

+16.3 lbs.

+18.0 lbs.

Yearling Weight

+29.1 lbs.

–

Average Daily Gain

+0.08 lb./day

–

Longevity

–

+1.36 years

Watch “The American Rancher” Mark your calendar for Monday, October 4, at 8:00 p.m.

Central Time, to watch the premiere of the AGA’s new episode of “The American Rancher” on RFD-TV (Dish channel 231 and DirecTV channel 345).

AGA’s Commercial Marketing Staff The American Gelbvieh Association has outstanding marketing staff that understands both the beef business and the Gelbvieh breed. They are available to help commercial cattlemen find Gelbvieh or Balancer genetics to fit your program or assist in marketing Gelbvieh-influenced breeding animals or feeder cattle. To contact AGA’s commercial marketing staff simply call the AGA office at 303-465-2333.

AGA’s Professional Design Services

Lifetime Productivity of Crossbred Cows = +0.97 Number of Calves and +600 lbs. Cumulative Weaning Weight

Looking to Buy Bulls this Fall?

Did you know that in addition to providing the advertising opportunities your team has come to rely on to reach your customer base, the AGA team offers the top-notch design services to get your ads noticed both in Gelbvieh publications and beyond? Let Katie and Malerie help you catch the eye of your customers with custom logo art, business card design, letterhead design, brochures, flyers, postcards, calendars and more. To learn more, contact Katie Harbert at katie@gelbvieh.org.

If you’re a producer looking to purchase new genetics for your herd this fall, use Gelbvieh.org as your go-to resource for Gelbvieh and Balancer sale information.

The upcoming events calendar can be found under the Marketing tab on the website. Also, don’t forget to check out the sale catalog page on the AGA website, also found under the marketing tab, to view upcoming sale catalogs posted by AGA members.

Jake Renner

Member & Youth Activities Coordinator jake@gelbvieh.org

Malerie Strahm

Multimedia Coordinator malerie@gelbvieh.org

Katie Harbert

Gelbvieh Media Productions Coordinator katie@gelbvieh.org

Laura Handke

Editorial Contractor laura@gelbvieh.org

Barb Standage

Office Operations Coordinator barb@gelbvieh.org

THE PROFIT PICTURE | 21

SEGA GELBVIEH invites you toattend our upcoming production sales

seGa GelBvieh & Friends Fall FeMale sale – deceMBer 11, 2021 Pound-Makin’ Genetics Bull sale – March 5, 2022 STEVE & GAIL FIOLKOSKI

WITH CATTLEMEN’S CONNECTION

SEMEN AVAILABLE

RAILE GELBVIEH

16509 WCR 86 • Pierce, CO80650 | Gail’s Cell: 970/590-4862 | Steve’s Cell: 970/381-0600 Email: gafiolk@aol.com • www.segagelbvieh.com | Like us on Facebook @segagelbvieh

JRI ESQUIRE 254G230 ET

EGL ENTERPRISE E080

3F EPIC 4631 x MS PRAIRIE ROSE 254Z630ET CED BW WW YW MILK -2.3 77 115 19 14

H2R PROFITBUILDER B403 x PHOENIX T029ET CED BW WW YW MILK .3 81 118 21 6

EPDs

EPDs

NEW IN THE HERD WE RECENTLY AQUIRED COMPLETE DISPERSION OF A REGISTERED RED ANGUS HERD, ENHANCING OUR HERD OF GELBVIEH & BALANCER FEMALES FOR THE FUTURE

ANNUAL PRODUCTION SALE

MARCH 10, 2022

22 | SEPTEMBER 2021

MATT & SARAH RAILE 785-332-8399 DELBERT & MARILYN RAILE 785-332-2756 DMRAILE@GMAIL.COM 755 ROAD U, ST. FRANCIS, KS 67756

FOCUSED

Future

ON THE

BULL AND FEMALE SALE

Offering red and black Purebred, Balancer, Angus, and Red Angus genetics. Fescue-raised yearling and age-advantaged bulls for sale. Select females and show-prospects will also be featured.

Free delivery within 500 miles.

OCT

The sale will be held in Billings, MO. With questions and inquiries, call Justin at (573) 690-3813 or Kyle at (573) 645-8819. Visit our Facebook page for additional updates and featured lots as sale time grows closer.

22

12:00 Cattle Available for Viewing 5:00 Dinner Served 6:00 Sale Begins

DATA BULLETIN Milk: Pounds of What?

By Lindsay Upperman, Ph.D.

N

ames or labels can sometimes be misleading. As producers in the beef industry, many of us have noticed labels on food products that don’t always represent the largest portion of the nutritional components for a given item. Yet, for someone wanting more protein in their diet, they may be more likely to grab a bag of chips that has 5 grams of protein, although we all know there is usually 2-3 times more carbohydrates in a single serving than protein. The milk EPD is one of those things that can sometimes be confusing, which is why it is important when looking at EPDs to remember the units that the EPDs are reported in.

EPDs Milk

Bull A 22

Bull B 5

Weaning Weight (WW)

50

50

Total Maternal (TM)

47

30

Milk is not a measure of pounds of milk, but rather it reflects the maternal ability of an animal’s daughters and is expressed as additional pounds of calf weaned due to maternal effects. In the table above, Bull A’s daughters should produce calves that are 17 pounds heavier at weaning due to milk production. This is the result of differences in the daughters’ milk production and mothering ability. Unlike milk, weaning weight is the pounds due to growth. In this case, both bulls chosen had the same weaning weight EPDs, so neither bull has the advantage here. A combination of these two traits provides the total maternal EPD. The calculation for total maternal is given below: Total Maternal EPD for Bull A = Milk EPD + ½ Weaning Weight EPD =22 + ½(50) = 22 + 25 = 47

24 | SEPTEMBER 2021

Thus, daughters from Bull A will produce calves that are 17 pounds heavier at weaning due to their combined genetics for growth and milk. In this scenario, with weaning weight being the same for both bulls, the difference in total maternal is due to the milk EPD alone.

The following graph depicts the comparison of the same two bulls in the table above for milk, weaning weight, and total maternal EPDs. About 47% of total maternal for Bull A is coming from his milk EPD value of 22. However, for Bull B, the opposite is true, in that 83% of his total maternal EPD is coming from the weaning weight EPD.

One of the challenges for selection based on the milk EPD is finding the optimum level of milk production for the herd. Yet, in this situation, optimum does not necessarily mean maximum. The optimum level of milk production within a herd should fit the feed and forage resources available. Thus, ensuring that the nutrient requirements of the lactating females are met, and rebreeding is not delayed by inadequate nutrition. The genetic potential for milk production varies widely among cattle. A moderate level of milk production is generally most appropriate; however, various levels can be applicable depending on the production and marketing conditions.

DATA BULLETIN Furthermore, there are other factors, such as nutritional and environmental, that will affect the how the genetic potential for milk production is expressed. So even though a female may have a given level of genetic potential for milk production, the level of milk production may never be achieved.

For instance, as milk production increases, a lactating female will pass more energy and nutrients to her suckling calf through the milk. This will certainly be advantageous to the calf, but it also increases the dam’s nutrient requirements. If no additional nutrients are provided, then the lactating females will lose body condition, which may be detrimental to reproductive rates if body condition score drops below a moderate level. Additionally, a higher milking cow, not only requires higher quantities of nutrients, but also higher quality nutrients. A low-quality forage will not be the best nutrient source for a higher

milking female, as these females often cannot consume enough of it to meet their nutritional demands. Although, a proper feeding program can certainly meet the nutrient requirements of a high milk production female, this would then lead to increased expenditures for the extra feed inputs. Ultimately, there is a balancing act when optimizing milk production levels with associated nutrition costs.

As with all traits, selection for various milk production levels should be assessed, including evaluating the allotted resources and marketing goals for a given operation.

There is no single right answer that will fit each and every operation. Selection decisions should focus on finding a balance between milk production and other economically important traits within the beef production system. The opportunities for improving production efficiency are possible through informed cattle selection and culling decisions within your herd. FF

THE PROFIT PICTURE | 25

NEWS AGA to Celebrate 50th Anniversary

T

he American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) will host the AGA National Convention and 50th Anniversary Celebration December 8-10, 2021, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, at the Sheraton Oklahoma City Downtown Hotel.

The AGA was formed on June 28, 1971, in Oklahoma, when the founders concluded the signing of the articles of incorporation. From its beginnings in 1971, spurred by the potential impact found in importing Gelbvieh semen from Germany, the AGA has grown into a progressive beef cattle breed association whose members produce genetics fit for today’s beef industry.

The AGA encourages its members and stakeholders to attend the annual convention where they will have the opportunity to learn more about the happenings of the AGA and be involved in shaping the future of the association at various convention events. These events include committee meetings, which all members are invited to attend, and of course the annual meeting where the election of the AGA Board of Directors as well as other important association decisions are made.

At convention, members and commercial customers also have the opportunity to enhance their knowledge of important topics in the beef industry by listening to industry-leading speakers during the Cattlemen’s Profit Roundup, which will be held in the afternoon of

26 | SEPTEMBER 2021

Thursday, December 9 at the Sheraton Oklahoma City Downtown hotel.

Convention concludes with the awards banquet to celebrate the recipients of the commercial producer of the year and breeder of the year awards as well as honors individuals who have made a lasting impact on the Gelbvieh breed through the AGA Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Oklahoma City, The Modern Frontier, is known for its combination of Native American history and Western culture. The convention hotel, Sheraton Oklahoma City Downtown Hotel, is just steps from Bricktown’s wealth of dining and entertainment opportunities, which makes it a unique and exciting convention site to host AGA’s golden anniversary celebration!

Make plans to join the AGA in Oklahoma, December 8-10, 2021, as we continue to plan for a bigger and better future for the AGA’s next 50 years and beyond.

Convention registration is now open on Gelbvieh.org on the Convention page under the Membership tab.

The AGA is continuing the monitor COVID-19 guidelines surrounding the safety of hosting an event of this size. We will keep the membership and other Gelbvieh and Balancer® stakeholders informed of any changes to the event. FF

“The Northern Maternal Focus” Premier Offering of All Chimney Butte Ranch AI Bred Heifers Chimney Butte Ranch Sale Facility Mandan, North Dakota October 30, 2021 1:00 p.m. (cst)

60 Bred Heifer Lots Sell Selling all AI Bred, Bred Heifers All heifers ultrasounded with fetal sex Selling ET and Natural Born Bred Heifers All Bred Heifers Spring Calving All heifers DNA tested with GE EPDs Sale books upon request - Contact Chimney Butte Ranch or MMS View online sale book and videos online at www.chimneybutteranch.com www.mms.bz

Sires of Premier Bred Heifers Selling

AI Service Sires of Bred Heifers

DCH Hille Dollar D610 PTL Eli 117E DCH Hille F304 DCH Hille F137 DCH Hille E970 DCH Hille F319 CDOC Elvis 304E LRL Artemis D112 PHG Caesar C25

PHG Eminence E02 JOB Danell Choco 53B DCH Hille C169 DCH Hille G423 DCH Triple K Husker G413

sale management by

Chimney Butte Ranch Doug and Carol Hille 3320 51st Street Mandan, ND 58554

Home: 701-445-7383 Cell: 701-220-2083 www.chimneybutteranch.com

Cowman’s Kind FEBRUARY 26, 2022 • 12:30 pm (cst)

BULL AND FEMALE SALE

DCSF 383B8

Post Rock Cattle Company Sale Facility • Barnard, Kansas 50% Balancer Cow Homo Black Homo Polled Featured donor cows like this sell.

We annually sell every sound six year old female.

DCSF 52G8

CED BW WW YW MK 12 -0.8 70 103 22

TM CEM YG CW REA MB FPI EPI 57 6 -0.01 28 0.23 0.35 79.50 122.87

DCSF 333E8

CED BW WW YW MK 11 -0.8 87 142 13

68% Balancer Bull An example of the Distinguished C136 sire group that has been popular for many years. Calving ease, Performance, eye appeal, and carcass merit combined.

TM CEM YG CW REA MB FPI EPI 56 8 0.12 47 0.36 0.51 93.03 158.94

38% Balancer Bull || Homo Black Homo Polled Purchased by Cedar Top Ranch. This bull represents the Game Changer sire group very well, with the extra rib, muscle, and fleshing ability that’s stacked generations deep in the Post Rock bull sale offering.

TOG 919G CED BW WW YW MK 7 0.7 90 125 16

TM CEM YG CW REA MB FPI EPI 55 1 -0.21 44 0.78 0.38 83.86 96.29

DCSF 40G8

CED BW WW YW MK 12 1.2 88 134 24

58% Balancer Bull Homo Black Homo Polled Young gun son that sold in 2020.

Build your cow herd and top the feeder calf market while benefiting from the top 20% calving ease and low birth weight genetics that’s bred into bulls built like this.

TM CEM YG CW REA MB FPI EPI 68 8 0.03 54 0.53 0.40 89.45 119.01

50% Balancer Bull || Homo Black Homo Polled Breed leading featured sires like this that combine the best genetics of the Angus and Gelbvieh breed sell in volume. This Basin Payweight 1682 son has had 9 flush brother sell so far.

3041 E. Hwy. 284, Barnard, KS 67418 Leland Clark: 785.392.0888 Kyle Cavalli: 785-531-1947 Office: 785.792.6244 Fax: 785.792.6250 • Email: prcc@twinvalley.net www.postrockcattle.com

CED BW WW YW MK 13 -1.0 55 80 14

COWMAN’S KIND SALE FEATURES • • • •

Where calving ease, performance and eye-appeal come together.”

TM CEM YG CW REA MB FPI EPI 42 8 -0.06 31 0.44 0.52 74.79 91.20

All bulls have genomic enhanced EPD’s and are sire verified and tested for Homo Black and Homo Polled All bulls have complete ultrasound data and complete performance data 95% of all bulls are Homo Polled and 80% are Homo Black as well All bulls developed in large open lots on a high roughage ration e Month Thought for th

• • • •

Video of entire offering available on line after February 1 First breeding season death and injury guarantee Customer Service and Customer Satisfaction have kept us in the seed stock business for more than 55 years Every sound 6 year old female sells as our annual dispersal to assure you of 1st chance at our best genetics

Build a Brand of Respect, Not Attention...It Last Longer

JHCC

Gelbvieh Balancer

MUDDY W CATTLE

OUT IN THE FIELD

Balancing Immunity and Fertility in Beef Herds

By Lee Jones, DVM, MC, UGA College of Veterinary Medicine

F

or cow-calf producers, fertility is the highest priority for their herds. Of course, weaning a healthy calf is required for reproductive efficiency, too. It doesn’t matter when a cow loses her calf—if she doesn’t wean a live calf, reproduction didn’t happen and there’s nothing to sell.

And while fertility is the top priority for cattle owners, for the cow, fertility is a luxury that only comes after all other metabolic needs are met.

That’s why when veterinarians make herd health recommendations, optimizing fertility is a high priority.

However, these recommendations must also consider ranch and season prevention of infectious disease through biosecurity and disease prevention.

One part of a disease prevention program is the use of vaccines to stimulate immunity or disease resistance for individual cows, as well as the herd. Vaccines protect fertility of the cow herd, enhance colostrum quality by increasing immunoglobin G levels in the cow and colostrum and increase resistance in calves to calfhood diseases. Vaccine selection and timing in the cow herd can help determine what vaccines are used in calves. How producers market calves is an important consideration when designing a vaccination program. While vaccines are important, nutrition and biosecurity are the first two lines of defense in a prevention program.

Vaccines are used to increase resistance to common diseases in cow herds. They do this by stimulating the adaptive or acquired immune system which includes the cell mediated immune system (cells like T lymphocytes) and the humoral immune system that makes antibodies.

Vaccines train the acquired immune system to quickly recognize the disease agents and eliminate them before severe disease occurs. The innate or natural immune system is required to activate the adaptive system. The innate immune system is dependent on adequate nutrition for it to function well. It’s important to understand that vaccines will not work in immunocompromised animals. That includes animals that are sick, parasitized or malnourished. Vaccines only work in healthy animals. In short, the animal makes the vaccine work.

Not all animals respond equally to vaccines. In fact, for some yet unknown reason even some healthy looking

30 | SEPTEMBER 2021

animals don’t respond to vaccines every time. Studies have shown that in some cases as few as half of the animals might respond. It is important to follow the label directions when giving vaccines. There are three important factors in vaccine efficacy—the vaccines, animals receiving and humans giving them.

Vaccines have to be stored, transported, handled and administered correctly. Not all vaccines work the same, so responses will likely be different in each animal and on each farm. Vaccines have antigens (things that stimulate the immune response ) and adjuvants (things that make the response better). Proper handling and administration are essential. Producers are reminded to use the right equipment and follow label recommendation and adhere to Beef Quality Assurance principles for the best response to their vaccination programs.

Nutrition plays a key role in vaccine response and immunity in cattle and all living things. Researchers at University of Georgia (UGA) saw a large vaccine response difference in calves supplemented with a trace mineral injection versus those that didn’t get it. This tells us that calves need to be on a good mineral program as well to make sure vaccines achieve their purpose. Even in humans, serum mineral levels have been shown to effect response to the fly vaccine.

Stress also affects vaccine response. In another study from UGA researchers, calves that went through a sale barn had a lower immune response to vaccines than calves that were weaned on a farm. Ranchers are advised to use low stress handling principles and update facilities to reduce stress in cattle when giving vaccines or completing other herd health procedures.

If animals don’t respond to vaccines, they remain naïve and susceptible to disease exposure and a source of transmission to other animals, so managing cattle to ensure optimum response is critical.

Viral vaccines come in two types: killed viral (KV) and modified live virus (MLV). MLV typically produce a faster, stronger, longer and more vigorous immune response in a single dose than a KV. KV vaccines require a first dose followed weeks later by a booster dose to “remind” the immune system. The second dose is called the anamnestic

OUT IN THE FIELD response (“an” means no and “amnestic” means amnesia or forget). While we often used modified live in calves prior to the 2000s, we were restricted to using KV in cows and couldn’t use the MLV in calves while they were nursing pregnant cows for fear that the that the MLV vaccines virus might be shed from vaccinated calves to pregnant cows.

In 2003, the first MLV vaccine was approved for use in pregnant cows.

The effectiveness of all vaccines depends on managing cattle to be in good health and condition at the time of vaccination. The immune system uses a lot of nutrients during response to vaccines. This creates competition with other functions like lactations and fertility. Vaccines, especially MLV, can cause short-term infertility, so it is highly recommended to give it at least 30 days prior to breeding…45-60 days is even better. This is problematic though for cows after calving. It means giving the vaccine three to four weeks after calving which means that cows are in a negative energy balance and may not achieve an optimum response to the vaccine. While some studies have shown a short term negative effect on fertility, others showed no direct impact whatsoever on fertility when using a MLV BoHV before breeding. The effect may be situation dependent. Several studies show benefits when used in heifers. In nearly all studies in this review, there was a slight advantage to overall season pregnancy rate to using the MLV. But again, it needs to be given at least 30-45 days prior to breeding, which makes it a problem in cows after calving.

So the question becomes: If KV may not provide the best protection and using MLV may have risks, what is the best approach to vaccinating cows?

A study from Auburn University challenged cows vaccinated with a combination KV or MLV. First, the heifers were vaccinated with two doses of MLV, then later with either KV or MLV then severely challenged with BVD and BoHV. The cows that had the combination had better protection than ones that only got MLV, so using KV vaccines after starting with MLV may be a viable option.

In another study from 2002, research showed that both KV and MLV in a calf vaccination program provided higher antibody responses than only using one or the other. Using MLV followed by KV or visa versa resulted in a superior response at 42 and 63 days after vaccination for both BVD and BoHV, so using the combination may be the best approach in herd programs.

Since the label recommends not using in calves nursing pregnant cows that haven’t received the vaccine in the last 12 months, what is the best approach? Do MLV shed virus in nursing calves? The short answer is “yes,” but not likely and only under certain conditions, like severe stress.

Research has shown stress can cause the virus to circulate longer in calves so low stress handling and adequate nutrition are essential. If cows have been adequately vaccinated and calves have little likelihood of shedding virus, then KV can be given to cows at pregnancy checking.

This has the added advantage of being safe, effective and enhances colostrum for the next calf.

Another approach may also be to use two to three doses of MLV in heifers prior to breeding and then switching to KV vaccines thereafter. Producers are advised to work with their veterinarians to design an effective vaccination program and manage cows to optimize the vaccination response. FF

THE PROFIT PICTURE | 31

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FEATURE The Wild, Wild West of Grazing Carbon Markets

By Laura Handke

I

n what feels like the wild, wild west of opportunity, carbon markets are dueling it out for a share of the carbon-capture pie. And while competition is typically a good thing for those in the position to capitalize on the demand, the uncertainty surrounding carbon market opportunities has most farmers and ranchers looking for more information.

Lora Wright, director of sustainable animal proteins for Where Food Comes From, Inc., an independent thirdparty verification company, shared in a session at the Cattle Industry Convention Cattlemen’s College the findings of a study aimed at equipping farmers and ranchers with information pertinent to grazing carbon markets.

“I see carbon markets as a potential for producers to get involved, calm the storm and find a pathway to additional incentives for doing what farmers and ranchers do best, which is caring for the land,” Wright told attendees.

While grazing may not currently be accounted for in all carbon market opportunities, a few recognize the benefit grazing provides in the quest for carbon sequestration—and they are willing to pay for it. A condensed list of management schemes companies are willing to pay for include: •

Prescribed/planned grazing (e.g., rotational grazing)

•

Integrated ranch management planning

•

Stocking rate optimization

•

Beneficial fire management

•

Specific range plantings (e.g., grasses, trees, shrubs)

•

Brush management

•

Forest restoration

•

Riparian area management

•

Improved wildlife habitats

•

Avoiding conversion of grasslands to tillable farming

There are currently two types of programs available: ecosystem services and regulatory compliance markets. Of the two, carbon markets represent a type of program that provides payments for ecosystem services based on carbon sequestration management practices while regulatory

34 | SEPTEMBER 2021

compliance markets are used to meet legal requirements related to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and are regulated through the government.

At the time of the study, five carbon market opportunities incorporated grazing management practices: 1. Climate Action Reserve is a carbon offset registry for North America, encouraging methods to reduce GHG emissions and provide financial benefit for those projects. It’s mission is to develop, promote and support innovative, credible market-based climate change solutions that benefit economies, ecosystems and societies.

2. Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC) is a voluntary, national market selling credits for GHG reduction, water quality and water quantity. It is a subsidiary of the Soil Health Institute with a mission to advance ecosystem service markets that incentivize farmers and ranchers to improve soil health systems that benefit society. ESMC is a non-profit, member based organization and a combination of public and private companies and organizations.

3. Grassroots Carbon finds carbon storage buyers, arranges soil sampling, and third-party certification.

IT focuses on regenerative agricultural systems (focused on soil carbon) and provides tools to measure and record ranch information.

4. Regen Network uses blockchain technology to track, verify and reward positive changes to ecological systems. It is an open-source ecosystem services registry for which projects can apply for credits and in turn, transfer and sell them to buyers.

5. Soil and Water Outcomes Fund is actively enrolling farmers and landowners in Illinois, Iowa, and Ohio to incentivize farmers that transition to conservation practices that provide positive environmental outcomes like carbon sequestration and water quality improvement.

Two additional markets, Bayer and Native, were also reviewed and cited as being in the early stages of development.

FEATURE To determine which market opportunity best fits an operation’s management model and long term goals, Wright recommends starting with a basic list of research questions: 1. Am I eligible for the program based on my current practices?

2. Is the market opportunity credible and stable?

3. What data inputs are needed, and who will access and own the data my operation generates?

4. Are there entry costs to participate?

5. What are the contract terms and conditions? Is the contract transferable and what is the minimum term of permanence?

6. What is the payment? When and how will payments be disbursed?

“What we found is that contract length and terms vary greatly,” Wright says. “(Producers) need to make sure that they know what the permanence length is—the study

found from 10 years to 100 years—and what the options are for renewing during permanence. We need to be thinking about succession planning and how a contract today will affect that.”

Value for the five market opportunities included in the study also varied from $25 to $40 per acre, or $8 to $30 per metric ton of CO2 equivalent captured, highlighting that there is no doubt that carbon markets are a balancing act for an operation.

Wright reiterates, “Do your own due diligence, if carbon markets are something your operation is going to explore.

Consider testing smaller land areas rather than enrolling the entire ranch, and before you enroll any acres, make sure that you understand the commitment involved.

“There’s real potential for not only supplemental income,” she shares, “but to share the story of what producers are doing through land and stewardship practices.” FF

THE PROFIT PICTURE | 35

DOBSON RANCH

SO

N RA

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J

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FEATURE

Developing Heifers for Long-Term Success

By Laura Handke

R

esearch conducted in the past decade is helping to shed light on new heifer development strategies, with management beginning early in the life of a heifer calf.

Today, there is much focus on nutritional management strategies that can be applied at strategic times in a heifer’s early life. The importance of timing in attaining puberty is critical, research is proving, and nutrition is an essential component of long-term reproductive performance.

Focus on Calfhood Opportunities

To maximize lifetime productivity, heifers need to become pregnant by 15 months of age, meaning they have to reach puberty by 12-13 months of age. Additionally, heifers need 2-3 cycles to become sexually mature.

Metabolic imprinting is an early adaptation to nutritional stress/stimulus that permanently changes physiology and metabolism. These changes continue to be expressed even in the absence of the stress/stimulus that initiated them.

“Longstanding research shows that heifers bred on their third estrus cycle have greater pregnancy rates than those bred on their first,” says Philipe Moriel, University of Florida, associate professor of beef cattle nutrition and management in a recent Beef Reproductive Task Force webinar.

In a recent study, researchers looked at heifers that reached puberty before breeding season and heifers that reached puberty during breeding season; 100% of heifers had the opportunity to settle, the only difference was when they came into estrus for the first time.

“What we see is a very consistent response from heifers that reach puberty before the breeding season versus those that reach puberty after breeding season has begun,” Moriel says. “We can see the negative effects of later puberty on long-term reproductive performance and calving distribution.”

Not only the number of heifers that settle are of concern, but the effect that a later conception has on calving distribution can be costly. Longevity is also a concern – heifers that calve within the first 21 days of their first calving season have greater pregnancy rates in the next six generations, allowing a producer more time to absorb the costs of developing a heifer and realizing profit from her calves.

And, obviously, heifers that calve earlier typically wean heavier calves.

38 | SEPTEMBER 2021

“Feed efficiency is greatest in calfhood, the younger the calf, the more feed efficient they are. Calves are also more susceptible to environmental effects early in life. Both environment and nutrition experienced early in a heifer’s life can influence her metabolic performance throughout her lifetime,” Moriel says.

Puberty attainment is susceptible to metabolic imprinting and is influenced most between the first two to six months of a calf ’s life.

Recent data shows that when you enhance nutrition between the first two to six months of a heifer’s life, she is able to achieve puberty sooner. Even better, new data has shown enhanced nutritional response and subsequent puberty attainment is possible to a greater extent when the nutrition is provided at earlier periods in the heifers life and even in the gestational phase of her dam.

The study looked at heifers that were assigned to a high average daily gain (ADG) from 3-21 weeks of age and a group of heifers that were assigned a moderate ADG (.5 kilo/1 pound) from 3-21 weeks of age. What they saw was that that those heifers on a higher ADG had better developed reproductive tracts as a percentage of body weight.

“By boosting nutrition in the early stages of life, we are able to help those heifers reach puberty sooner,” Moriel says of the opportunities early high average daily gains provide in heifer development.

Nutritional Strategies Early weaning, between two and three months of age, on the first day of breeding season for their mothers, is a tool that researchers are investigating. This strategy to increase reproductive performance of the cows, especially first calf heifers, is one that is proving to be effective.

“You can significantly increase a cow’s pregnancy rates when you early wean their calf on the first day of the breeding season,” Moriel says, “This strategy also allows you to modulate 100% of the calf ’s intake at a time when calves are very young, achieve the greatest feed efficiency, and are in the critical phase of puberty attainment.”

A 2006 study looked at puberty attainment in beef heifers that were either early weaned at 100 days of age or regularly weaned at 200 days of age. What they found was that when heifers were early weaned at 100 days and immediately put on a high concentrated diet, their puberty attainment was significantly increased. In the study, 100 percent of the heifers in that group reached puberty before the end of the study.

The graph below shows the percentage of heifer calves that reached puberty before the end of the study in relation to the nutrition that they received. It also indicates that early weaning was not a driver in the attainment of early puberty, but rather the application of a high concentration diet immediately after weaning – boosting their intake of energy and protein at an early age – indicated the most significant results in attaining puberty.

FEATURE

those heifer calves that are early weaned and put on a high concentrate diet immediately after weaning. In cows, an injection of bSt increases milk production, however an injection of bSt in growing animals increases average daily gain and concentration of insulin growth factor 1 (IGF-1).

“This strategy has the potential to be very beneficial in a beef system. It is very convenient,” Moriel says.

The third, and most easily applied, strategy is the use of creep feeding.

“Most creep feeding is done later in a heifer’s growth and development, closer to weaning,” says Moriel, “What researchers are looking at is implementing creep feeding much earlier in the heifer calf ’s life.”

One study looked at offering creep feed at 68 days of age when calves are very efficient, providing supplementation for a very short amount of time, just 50 days. So the investment in supplementation is very low, and the timing is strategic because the heifer calves are at a development stage that allows them to be metabolically imprinted.

What they saw was that during the imprinting, the 50 days that the creep feed was offered, those heifers gained more through weaning. They also collected tissue samples throughout the study, which showed that physiological changes, higher concentrations of IGF-1, were present in those heifers that were metabolically imprinted.

Maternal diets can also change the reproductive performance of the heifer calf. A 2012 study showed that heifers born from cows that had an energy restricted diet had smaller ovaries, showing that a change in diet effects reproductive performance.

Another strategy that is currently being reviewed for use in commercial herds, but isn’t available at this time, is the injection of bSt prior to weaning. This proof-ofconcept work is showing promise in modulating growth and attaining early puberty at the same success rate as

Another study looked at two groups of beef cows, one offered no supplementation and the other offered one pound of protein supplement during the last trimester of gestation, both groups were subsequently managed exactly the same. What researchers learned was that heifers born from cows that received the one pound of protein supplementation in the last trimester of gestation were heavier at weaning, attained puberty sooner, had greater pregnancy rates and also had a higher percentage of calving during the first 21 days of their calving season.

What all of these studies show is that there is great opportunity for this type of research and that a relatively small investment in supplementation can pay great dividends in heifer development. FF

THE PROFIT PICTURE | 39

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FEATURE

Breeding Better Beef

By Dennis Meyer

D

ennis and Kelly Meyer, Bern, Kansas, share their experience with the Gelbvieh breed as well as some of the management decisions that have made their ranch successful in this Commercial Producer Spotlight: I like to describe myself as a beef producer, rather than a cattleman, because the cattle are a resource that we manage to produce the best possible quality beef. Our operation begins with planned matings of carefully selected Gelbvieh and Red Angus bulls and cows that we retain from our own calf crops. We raise the calves, wean them, grow them, and then finish them for slaughter using almost 100% home raised feed. We have a crossbreeding program, utilizing purebred Gelbvieh and purebred Red Angus bulls. We feel the Gelbvieh contributes maternal traits, growth, feed efficiency and greater carcass yield. The Red Angus add in more maternal traits, moderate size, and carcass quality.

We do some rotational grazing that gives us more flexibility with our breeding groups, as we can more easily match grass production to the size of our breeding groups. We like to use purebred bulls as opposed to Balancers because we want the heterosis that results from the initial cross to be a benefit for us, rather than that heterosis benefit going to a seedstock producer. I recognize that using Balancer bulls would make breeding management easier, but we believe the heterosis bump is worth the extra management. Our herd is split almost evenly between spring and fall calving because we feel this allows us to utilize our facilities, feed resources, labor and bulls more efficiently.

In addition to our bromegrass pastures, we have some converted crop ground planted to eastern gamagrass and novel endophyte-infected fescue. These two forages fit into a grazing system well, because their peak productivity occurs in different seasons. The fescue greens up early in the spring and goes dormant in July & August, when the gamagrass maximizes its production, and the fescue begins to produce again in September & October when the gamagrass goes dormant. We also utilize crop residue, cover crop and hay to overwinter the herd.

My interest in Gelbvieh cattle began in 1984. I was getting ready to graduate from K-State, and I was looking for a bull to use on my small herd of Hereford-based cows. I came across some research done at the U.S. Meat

42 | SEPTEMBER 2021

Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Nebraska, that evaluated the various beef breeds for their performance in various areas of economic importance. The Gelbvieh breed was ranked at or near the top of almost every category, especially the categories pertaining to maternal traits. As I remember, the only category the Gelbvieh breed didn’t have a top five ranking turned out to be the ranking for mature cow size, so the breed seemed to fit with my goals of having a highly fertile, productive, and efficient cowherd. I attended a local production sale, but was unable to purchase a bull on my limited budget, however I did come away with a 50% Gelbvieh bred cow. I was hoping to get a bull from her, but her first calf turned out to be a heifer-a heifer that outperformed all of my bull calves.

We then AIed the cow to a Gelbvieh bull called Mr. Red, and her second calf for me became my first herd bull.

The performance that bull produced in my calves gave me the confidence to pay more than I was comfortable spending for my next Gelbvieh bull, but I came to realize that genetics are an investment, not a cost, and superior genetics are generally worth the investment, especially if a producer retains his own replacements, as we have always done. I have come to really appreciate the Gelbvieh breed’s Dam of Merit and Dam of Distinction programs to identify superior females within the breed and I rely on these programs to help me screen potential bull purchases.

Our goal has always been to produce the very best quality beef at an affordable cost, but we needed a way to measure the quality of our product with respect to the different genetic bloodlines we were using, so we began using EID tags in our cattle as they went to the packer. The packer provides us with the yield grade, quality grade and weight of each carcass. Using this program, we have been able to identify bloodlines that produce superior carcasses, and maybe more importantly, bloodlines that cannot produce the best carcass. We were actually able to identify a Red Angus bull that consistently sired calves that produced yield grade (YG) 4 and 5 carcasses that mostly graded select, and another bull (Gelbvieh) that consistently sires calves with YG 2 and 3 carcasses that grade choice or better.

This is kind of “counter-intuitive” to popular opinion in the beef industry, but we had the data to back it up, so we had the confidence to eliminate the inferior bloodline from our

FEATURE herd. Our ultimate goal is for every calf we sell to produce a YG 2 carcass that grades Prime.

When selecting bulls, we use EPDs to narrow our choices in any given sale. We initially focus on calving ease, weaning weight, yearling weight, and maternal trait EPDs and then move to the carcass EPDs. We trust the former group of measurements more because we know there is more “real” data that goes into them, because it is easier to obtain. Almost every purebred producer measures birth weight, weaning weight, and yearling weight on every calf, but few get very much carcass data back on their bloodlines. We also watch yearling frame scores and carcass measurements closely.

We market all of our calves (except replacement heifers) as finished calves and we market them on a grid program through Tyson. We used to market our calves as 800-900 pound yearlings in the early 2000’s, but we didn’t

feel like we were getting much of a premium for what we felt like were premium quality calves. When we sold our first cattle on the Tyson grid and received a $110 per head premium, our decision to finish our own calves was well validated. The Gelbvieh Association had developed a marketing grid back in the mid 90’s and the data we got back on the few steers we sold back then showed our calves with all YG 1 and 2, but few Choice carcasses. Now we typically have 92% YG 1, 2, or 3, with 96% Choice or better, and averaging 15% Prime grade. Much of this is due to our crossbreeding program, but our EID data shows that the Gelbvieh breed has made a great deal of carcass improvement in the last 30 years. FF Editor’s Note: Dennis and Kelly Meyer ranch in Bern, Kansas, where they have raised their children: Samuel, Isaac, Micah, Lydia, Jessica and Seth.

THE PROFIT PICTURE | 43

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MOST USED SIRES W

e’ve gathered the most influential Gelbvieh and Balancer® sires from the 2020 calendar year into one list. The list below represents the most used sires based on calves recorded to the American Gelbvieh Association’s Online Registry Service during the 2020 calendar year. This list represents calves out of registered Gelbvieh, Balancer, Southern Balancer™, or Gelbvieh-influenced sires.

RANK

NAME

REGISTRATION #

BIRTH DATE

% GELBVIEH

1

EGL LIFELINE B101

AMGV1298079

01/28/2014

50%

2

CHIEF JUSTICE C205

AMGV1325089

09/05/2015

93.3%

3

LAZY TV SAM U451

AMGV1079233

05/02/2008

99.9%

4

GENERAL PATTON 213B97 ET

AMGV1282553

02/11/2014

99.9%

5

GAME CHANGER D136

AMGV1372783

02/24/2016

37.5%

6

DITKA C85

AMGV1322576

01/26/2015

50%

7

CAROLINA LEVERAGE 3214A

AMGV1281559

09/29/2013

86.7%

8

EARLY ENCOUNTER 536E

AMGV1402047

02/18/2017

43.75%

9

CTR IMPRESSIVE 5767C

AMGV1373649

04/28/2015

46.9%

10

OPTIMIZER 148A24

AMGV1266738

08/15/2013

43.75%

11

PROBITY 254D28

AMGV1351990

02/10/2016

50%

12

INFINITY 47C

AMGV1319015

01/28/2015

56.25%

13

GODFATHER 575C

AMGV1355452

08/29/2015

75%

14

SAND DUNE 4523A

AMGV1276795

04/15/2013

50%

15

HOLE IN ONE 93D

AMGV1357745

04/25/2016

90.2%

16

MR PAYWEIGHT 710E

AMGV1389217

01/26/2017

50%

17

FRANCHISE F806

AMGV1438051

02/17/2018

99.9%

18

BLACK IMPACT 3960N

AMGV844875

02/07/2003

99.9%

19

ALUMNI 7513A ET

AMGV1257046

02/14/2013

84.375%

20

HILLE STOCK OPTIONS D410

AMGV1364748

02/20/2016

93.3%

21

BRANDYWINE CAVALIER 597C

AMGV1339340

05/05/2015

49.2%

22

JRI SECRET INSTINCT 2 ETN

AMGV1391325

01/23/2017

99.9%

23

COPPERFIELD ET

AMGV1323668

02/07/2015

37.5%

24

POST ROCK POWER BUILT 37B8

AMGV1288984

01/26/2014

75%

25

TPG JACKPOT 7551B ET

AMGV1306681

09/07/2014

84.375%

46 | SEPTEMBER 2021

GENETIC TRENDS

T

he graphs below illustrate the genetic trends for the Gelbvieh and Balancer® breed. It’s amazing to see the progress that has been made by the AGA membership dedicated to improving Gelbvieh and Balancer cattle. Lowering birth weight, increasing calving ease, and increasing marbling, along with stayability, heifer pregnancy and 30-month pregnancy are just a few of the important benchmarks we have provided below. The upward trend of such maternal traits solidifies the breed’s reputation for being a maternal powerhouse. Figures within the graphs charted here are representative of the Gelbvieh and Balancer population combined.

GENETIC TREND: BW AND CED

GENETIC TREND: CW & MARB

14

0.35

30

Chart Title0.30

Chart Title Chart Title 0.30

12

35

35

30

30

8

25

25

6

20

20

15

15

10

4 2

5

5

0

0

0.20 20

20

0.15 15

5

5 0.05 0 0.00

CW

BW

CW MARB

MARB

YW

CW

$Cow

FPI

MARB

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2002

2001

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

0.00

2014

0

2013

20.00 2012

20 2011

40.00

2010

40

EPI

GENETIC TREND: HP, PG30 & STAY

16.00 14.00 12.00 10.00 8.00 6.00 4.00 2.00 0.00 20 01 20 02 20 03 20 04 20 05 20 06 20 07 20 08 20 09 20 10 20 11 20 12 20 13 20 14 20 15 20 16 20 17 20 18 20 19 20 20

2009

60.00

2008

60

2007

80.00

2006

80

2005

100.00

2004

0.00

GENETIC TREND: INDEXES

100

2003

0.05

0

120.00

2002

0.10

10

120

2001

0.15

15

10 0.10

GENETIC TREND: WW & YW

WW

0.20

25

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THE PROFIT PICTURE | 47

Hilltop Farms RESERVE CHAMPION BALANCER HEIFER & 4 TH OVERALL BALANCER FEMALE HTFG HILLTOPS HOT TODDY 004H | SIRE: HTFM MR EQUALIZER E711

Congratulations

TO EVELYN GILBREATH ON YOUR SUCCESS AT JUNIOR NATIONALS

RESERVE CHAMPION GELBVIEH SENIOR HEIFER CALF HTFG HILLTOPS HEIDI H2022 SIRE: HTFM MR EQUALIZER E711

COMMITTED TO RAISING QUALITY SEEDSTOCK ELMER 417-529-0081 | BRAD 417-529-7556 | BENNY 417-529-6436 27720 Barton Co Blvd | Asbury, MO 64832 www.hilltop-farms.com | hilltop-farms@hotmail.com

5th Annual | Selling 60 Bulls

Boys from the South Bull Sale Gelbvieh & Balancer® Bulls Saturday, November 27, 2021 • 1:00 Pm ct JameS e. Ward ag ceNter, LebaNoN, tN

Green Hills Gelbvieh • Butler Creek Farm Offering Includes:

Coming 2-year old bulls • 13-16 month old bulls Gelbvieh-influenced commercial females Bred & Open Registered Gelbvieh & Balancer Females

OFFERINGS LIKE THESE WILL SELL

Butler Creek Farm Milton, TN

Michael, Barbi & Ethan 615.286.2799 (H) 615.351.1071 (C)

Zach, Autumn, Henley & Emery 615.308.8628 (C) 260.227.0323 (C)

Walter & Lee Teeter

1380 French Belk Rd. Mt. Ulla, NC 28125 (704) 664-5784 Lee’s Cell (704) 267-4638 Walter’s Cell (704) 236-7980 Justin’s Cell (704) 267-4074

Bull Barn Genetics

For all your AI needs:

Total Industry Commitment Carcass Data

Profit from our Data!

• Fed cattle at Decatur County/Lincoln County Feedyards Benchmarked against 300,000 head for economic relevant traits.

Feed Efficiency • 23 years of carcass and feed efficiency data gathered.

• RFI data gathered on sale bulls through GrowSafe systems.

Genetic Data • Gelbvieh

• Salers

• Angus

• Shorthorn

• Red Angus

• Dairy

• Simmental

• Charolais

• Club Calf

• Hereford

• • • • • •

Sheaths Gloves Cito Thaw Units Tanks A.I. Kits Arm Service

Eldon & Kathy Starr

210 Starr Dr • Stapleton, NE 69163 bullbarn@bullbarn.com • 800-535-6173 www.bullbarn.com

• Ultrasound data collected on bulls and heifers.

• Every bull sells with Genomic Enhanced EPDs.

Look for SKF bulls at these Seedstock Plus Sales Fall Bull & Female Sale October 23, 2021 | Carthage, MO Red Reward Bull & Female Sale November 6, 2021 | Osceola, MO

Sandy Knoll Farm

Brian & Leon Dunn St. John, KS 67576 620-786-4039 (Brian Cell) 620-549-6511

50 years of continual whole herd AI Over 35 years of Performance Testing

For your next herd sire or female purchase, look to Kicking Horse Ranch

Kicking Horse Ranch

1285 Nine Mile Road

Olimont, Montana 59466

Jim & Kathy Bjorkman 406-937-4815

www.kickinghorseranch.com krankin@northerntel.net

Jeanette Rankin 406-937-3728

50 | SEPTEMBER 2021

STAFF EDITORIAL The Summit Takes Texas

By Jake W. Renner, M.S.

T

he 2021 IGS Youth Leadership Conference, The Summit, took place July 26-29, in Amarillo, Texas.

Nearly 50 delegates from more than 17 states associated with the Gelbvieh, Shorthorn and Simmental breeds convened in the Amarillo area eager to experience all the Texas Panhandle had to offer.

Delegates spent the better part of the morning on Tuesday visiting and networking with a variety of industry leaders, professors and research agents for West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas. The department of agricultural sciences has made headlines and history for its PrimeOne cloning project. The department partnered with Viagen Inc. and local scientists to take genetic material from a Prime 1 Yield Grade 1 beef carcass and create cloned calves. A bull calf, Alpha, and three heifers were born in 2012. Now in phase two of the research, the offspring of the clones are born. The nine bull calves and four heifer calves are the first offspring to be born of cloned parents of any species. The offspring of the clones will be harvested, and their carcasses will be evaluated in hopes of improving the production of Prime 1 Yield Grade 1 beef. The remainder of the time spent at West Texas A&M

covered topics such as beef harvest and fabrication, along with a unique quality and palatability session taste testing samples of steak of various quality grades and cuts.

We’re always taught to treat others as we’d like to be treated, and the delegates of the 2021 Summit did just that.

After touring Wrangler Feedyard in Tulia, Texas, and a quick stop at Cadillac Ranch, delegates found themselves at the heart of Snak Pak 4 Kids, Amarillo. Snak Pak 4 Kids is an organization providing meals to those in need all over Texas. We may think of meal programs for the “poor” or the “hungry” but we often forget that sometimes life happens and we’re not in control. Thanks to the generosity of numerous volunteers, donors and supporters like Cactus Feeders’ Cactus Cares program, organizations like Snak Pak 4 Kids change lives every day. Fifty delegates with grateful hearts packed over 2,000 meals in less than an hour.

Opportunities like The Summit are open to all young leaders interested in taking the next step in their beef journey. Be on the lookout for more information coming about where The Summit is headed in 2023. FF

PROFIT PICTURE|| 51 51 THETHE PROFIT PICTURE

PERFORMANCE • EXCELLENCE • PROFESSIONAL At Kinsley Feeders we pride ourselves on: • • • •

High performance environment Partnership opportunity Cattle and feed financing Risk management

DEREK MARTIN, MANAGER

dmartin@kinsleyfeeders.com | www.kinsleyfeeders.com

Prairie Grove Gelbvieh Complete Gelbvieh & Balancer Dispersal November 6, 2021 12:30 p.m. (cst) Prairie Grove Gelbvieh Sale Facility Danville, Iowa

90 Females Sell HRNK Ms Cyclone 7B 604D

54 Spring Bred Cows 7 Fall Pairs 6 Spring Bred Heifers 25 Spring Open Heifers 3 Herd Sires

80% Gelbvieh Cow

Supreme Champion Female 2021 AGJA Western Regional Sells bred to Deer Valley Growth Fund

CPGG Ms Prairie Elsa 218E

A Lifeline daughter that was shown successfully.

Sells bred to 316 Exclusive

71% Balancer Cow

Sale books upon request, contact Prairie Grove Gelbvieh or MMS View online sale book and videos at www.prairiegrovegelbvieh.com or www.mms.bz

BNC Miss Hojor C524

Many time champion Astro daughter Sells bred to PVF Insight

Prairie Grove Gelbvieh Greg Cameron Cade Cameron Emily Cameron Don Taeger

319-759-5208 319-572-8382 319-759-1109 319-759-7134

17612 130th St, Danville, IA 52623 www.prairiegrovegelbvieh.com

PB 87% Gelbvieh Cow

FEATURE A Bright Future for the Gelbvieh Breed

By Jake W. Renner, M.S.

A

ll too often the reputation of junior breed associations revolves around showing cattle, speeches and sport coats. There is no doubt these factors play a role in what makes being a part of a breed association as a junior memorable, but there is so much more to being a member of the American Gelbvieh Junior Association (AGJA) than just showing cattle.

Little do many know, I didn’t grow up in the beef industry. The youngest of nine, I grew up in a small rural community in south central Kansas. One generation removed from the farm, I had opportunities to see rural America when visiting my uncle or simply driving five miles outside the city limits. What does any of this have to do with joining a breed association?

I was five or six years old at the time; it was seven o’clock in the morning as I sat on the cold metal bleachers at our county fair. The show did not start until eight. Impatiently, I waited, watching the friends of my older siblings in the barn washing calves, combing through their hair, pinning on their backtags and sliding on the slick black leather halters. Remember the old school halter with the scalloped

54 | SEPTEMBER 2021

nose band? As the show started, I was in awe, mouth gaped, fully entranced watching these “kids” control such powerful creatures. As kids, we are often asked what we want to be when we grow up. My response was, “I want to be a county fair beef showman!”

I had a burning passion for agriculture from a young age, but without direct access to livestock I had to get creative and find my place within the agricultural community. Because I did not have cattle, I resorted to my passions for art and an innate ability to connect with others through public speaking and the written word. Exhibiting cattle at local fairs, junior classics, regional and national shows is a wonderful experience that I hope all juniors can participate in. But it is important to remember that this association is meant to be a place where all juniors with a passion for cattle can come to celebrate and honor the Gelbvieh breed through various outlets.

Just like your local 4-H or FFA program, the AGJA offers younger agriculturalists an opportunity to explore their passions related to the beef industry. Through contests held each summer during the annual junior classic, active

FEATURE members have the ability to participate in more than 12 contests that have nothing to do with physically exhibiting cattle. Have a passion for photography? We have a contest for you that offers the ability to publish your work in our annual calendar. Love to get creative on your computer and play with graphic design or arts and crafts? We have a contest for each of those. Among these examples include other outlets for you to share your talents such as video, poster, quiz bowl, skill-a-thon, creative writing, prepared speaking, livestock judging and more. Newly added this year is a contest that has sparked an interest and is very timely in the world of informational technology today. Agricultural podcast is a contest that allows junior members to create their own podcast recording discussing a topic assigned to them in an interview style. Contests like these continue to provide juniors with the skills necessary to continue their success as cattlemen and cattlewomen.

Eventually we hope these young men and women grow up to raise and sell their own stock. Through these contests we provided our members with an avenue to express themselves regardless of their location, access to cattle or ability to travel.

“The AGJA has given me so many opportunities. It is about so much more than stock shows, but also about meeting new people, the other contests (quiz bowl, photography, public speaking, etc.), and improving our industry as a whole.” – Molly McClure, 17; Hugoton, Kansas.

Looking down the road towards the future as leaders within the industry and the next generation of cattlemen

and cattlewomen, inevitably we are all going to need a little help. Thanks to the generosity of longstanding Gelbvieh breeders, organizations and families, the AGJA and American Gelbvieh Foundation provides nearly $10,000 in scholarships each year to active AGJA members.

Scholarships are provided to the young men and women who take an active role in the industry and strive to educate others about the Gelbvieh breed.

Regan Clines, 12; Springfield, Missouri, reflects on what she enjoys most about being a part of the AGJA, “Getting to meet new people from all over. Getting to watch people on all the different ways on how people feed their cattle or even just watching the different way people clip heifers.” She mentioned one of the biggest benefits to her is getting to grow her herd with better genetics and meeting new people that will potentially buy some of her cattle.

Regardless your affiliation with the show ring or seedstock cattle, the AGJA has a place for you.

The vision of the AGJA is to unify, educate and develop leaders of the beef industry. This is done by instilling a sense of responsibility, dedication, pride and professionalism. We develop and enhance the leadership and education of our members, stressing the importance of ethical practices in marketing a sound philosophy for the future of the beef industry.

As the junior coordinator for the AGJA, I challenge each of you to invite one (or more) junior age members to consider their talents and how those can be used to promote and educate others about the Gelbvieh breed. FF

THE PROFIT PICTURE | 55

It's time to book your Fall Sale Dates!

Visit GelbviehAuction.com, BalancerAuction.com, or call Rance Long 918.510.3464 or Jeff Stansberry 615.479.1852 for details.

EVENTS OF INTEREST September 2021

November 2021

February 2022

Sept. 24 McCarty Cattle Company The Female Sale Online Auction

Nov. 6

TJB Gelbvieh Maternal Magic X Bull Sale, Chickamauga, Ga.

Feb. 17

Gustin’s Diamond D Gelbvieh 2022 Production Sale, Medina, N.D.

October 2021

Nov. 6

B/F Cattle Co Maternal Integrity Gelbvieh & Balancer Bull Sale, Butler, Mo.

Feb. 26

Locust Hill Cattle Company Inaugural Bull Sale

Feb. 26

Post Rock Cattle Company Cowman’s Kind Bull and Female Sale

Oct. 2

Beastrom Ranch Complete Gelbvieh and Balancer Female Dispersal, Pierre, S.D.

Oct. 4

Gelbvieh & Balancer® on The American Rancher

Oct. 9

Judd Ranch 31st Annual Cow Power Female Sale, Pomona, Kan.

Oct. 9

SoKY Select Gelbvieh Sale, Bowling Green, Ky.

Oct. 22 T Bar S Cattle Co. Focused on the Future Bull & Female Sale, Billings, Mo. Oct. 23 C-Cross Cattle Company Female & Bull Sale, Snow Camp, N.C. Oct. 23 Flying H Genetics 29th Grown on Grass Herd Bull Sale, Butler, Mo. Oct. 23 Hillsdown Gelbvieh Complete Dispersal Sale, Olds Cow Palace, Olds, Alberta Oct. 23 Seedstock Plus Fall Bull & Female Sale, Joplin Regional Stockyards, Carthage, Mo. Oct. 30 Chimney Butte Ranch Northern Maternal Focus Sale, Mandan, N.D.

Nov. 6

Nov. 6

Prairie Grove Gelbvieh Complete Gelbvieh & Balancer Dispersal, Danville, Iowa Seedstock Plus Red Reward Fall Edition Bull & Female Sale, Wheeler Livestock Auction, Osceola, Mo.

Nov. 19 Gelbvieh Association in Nebraska 3rd Annual Select Sale, Arapahoe, Neb. Nov. 19 Warner Beef Genetics Genetic Opportunities Female Sale, Arapahoe, Neb. Nov. 23 Martin’s Golden Image Cattle Elite Heifer Online Sale Nov. 27 Boys from the South Bull Sale, Lebanon, Tenn.

Nov. 30 Warner Beef Genetics Commercial Edition Female Sale, Arapahoe, Neb.

December 2021 Dec. 3

Knoll Crest Farm Total Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va.

Dec. 8-10 AGA National Convention, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Dec. 11 SEGA Gelbvieh and Friends Female Sale, Pierce, Colo.

Dec. 12 DTK Cattle Co Online Female Sale

March 2022 March 1 Warner Beef Genetics Genetic Investment Bull Sale, Arapahoe, Neb. March 4 Davidson Gelbvieh and Lonesome Dove Ranch 33rd Annual Bull Sale March 5 Lazy TV Ranch 41st Annual Bull Sale, Selby, S.D. March 5 SEGA Gelbvieh PoundMakin’ Genetics Bull Sale, Pierce, Colo.

March 7 Hojer Ranch 30th Annual Gelbvieh & Balancer Producton Sale, Lake Preston, S.D. March 10 Raile Gelbvieh Annual Production Sale March 18 Southwest Iowa Bull & Female Sale Visit the online version of Upcoming Events at Gelbvieh.org for additional dates of upcoming sales and more information on each event.

Editor’s Note: If you have a sale or event information for this listing, please email the information to laura@gelbvieh.org.

This includes tours, expos, field days and other Gelbvieh events.

THE PROFIT PICTURE | 57

BREEDERS CORNER INDIANA

ALABAMA COLORADO

3 G Ranch

Gelbvieh Cattle For Sale Carl, Rebecca & Emily Griffiths

1577 N 600 E • Kendallville, Ind. 46755

Dave & Dawn Bowman

260/897-2160 • ggge3g@embarqmail.com

55784 Holly Rd. • Olathe, CO 81425

Your call or visit is Always Welcome

(970) 323-6833 www.bowkranch.com

ARIZONA The Prosser Family

FEMALES PRIVATE TREATY Replacement Heifers Spring Calving Heifers and Cows Red/Blacks Jim Roelle 38330 CR 49 Peetz, CO 80747

(C): 970-520-1224 jr.plateau@hotmail.com www.plateaugelbvieh.com

IOWA

GS

Ridge Top Ranch

Gelbvieh-Angus-Balancer

Neola, Iowa

Black & Polled Private Treaty Sales

Breed-leading Performance from Quality Genetics

Kevin: 402-510-8103 Al: 402-676-5292

LONE OAK

928-289-2619 • 928-380-5149 cell Winslow, AZ

C AT T L E

www.bartbar.com • info@bartbar.com

Eric Ehresman 20963 30th St.

RFI Tested Balancer®, Gelbvieh & Angus Bulls Sell Annually in April at the Ranch

hornsandthorns@netins.net

(319) 480-1564

Mechanicsville, Iowa 52306

Martens Gelbvieh

Gary Martens 2126 500th St • Walnut, Iowa 51577 712.764.5007 (H) • 712.249.5744 (C) martensgl@yahoo.com

ARKANSAS

H ODGES R ANCH

Annual Bull and Female Sale March 18, 2022 with the Southwest Iowa Gelbvieh Group

Neal

(870) 426-4469 or (870) 704-9450

15702 Hodges Rd., Omaha, Ark. 72662 Hodgesranch@live.com

ILLINOIS

Quality Gelbvieh & Balancer Genetics Available Private Treaty Sales

Martin Cattle Company David & Rita Martin

256 Boyce Road Judsonia, Ar 72081 C: 501.278.7614 www.martincattleco.com

Private Treaty Sales Available Year Round

58 | SEPTEMBER 2021

HH H

T riple H F arms

Roy & Nancy Holste 3113 260th Street Clarinda, Iowa 51632 712-303-0263 • 712-303-1947 tripleh1@unitedwb.coop

Bulls and Heifers for sale Private Treaty

J & K GELBVIEH FARM, INC. Jerry & Karen Wilson 335 Gelbvieh Lane, Ava, IL 62907 618-521-8620 • jkgf88@frontier.com

REGISTERED GELBVIEH AND BALANCER®

To purchase a Breeder Block, contact Katie Harbert at katie@gelbvieh.org or 303-465-2333.

BREEDERS CORNER POST ROCK CATTLE COMPANY

KANSAS

3041 E. Hwy. 284, Barnard, KS 67418 Bill Clark: 785.792.6244 Leland Clark: 785.392.0888 Office: 785.792.6244 Leland Clark: 785.792.6208 Fax: 785.792.6250 Email: prcc@twinvalley.net

Bar Arrow Cattle Company NOWACK

Stuar t Jar vis

Cattle Company Owensville, MO

26 E. Limestone Rd. • Phillipsburg, Kan. 67661 e-mail: bararrow@ruraltel.net • 785-543-5177

Registered Gelbvieh & Balancer Cattle

Jared, Caisie, Brooke & Cameron 573.280.4633

Gilbert & Debra 573.646.3477

Bulls and Females for Sale by private treaty year round.

S

Gel

bvie

Red Ridge gelbvieh

h

“Where workin’ cattle and eye appeal come full circle”

Purebred A.I. Seedstock Bulls and Heifers Available.

Al & Mary Knapp Cell: (913) 219-6613

18291 158th Street H: (913) 724-4105 Basehor, Kan. 66007 www.triplekgelbvieh.com e-mail: knappa@swbell.net

John & Carla Shearer 2815 Navajo Rd. • Canton, Kan. 67428 circle_s@hometelco.net 620.628.4621

620.654.6507 (John Cell) • 620.654.6731 (Johnny Cell)

MINNESOTA

Annual Production Sale 1st Saturday in April

Swenson Gelbvieh

Dean Swenson

17513 Hwy 10 Little Falls, MN 56345 swen@centurylink.net

Kevin Ireland Docility 237 SW 30th Ave. & Trenton, MO 64683 Proven Cell (660) 635-1433 Performance ksi1987@grundyec.net

Rogers Valley Farm Gelbvieh Breed for Tomorrow’s Cattle Today!

A Breed Leader in Tenderness & Marbling

www.rogersvfg.com P.O. Box 51 Mendon, Mo. 64660 660-375-7266 (C) Ronald Rogers

(h) 320.632.5848 • (c) 320.630-5536

Polled • Purebred • Red • Black

MISSOURI Timothy Mulroy • 785-640-6401 Mayetta, Kan. • tim@blackgoldinc.biz

email: rogers_valley_farm_feedlot@hotmail.com

RUMFELT

Gelbvieh Bre

CONTACT:

BRAD, Amy OR KARLEY RUMFELT Committed to raising quality seedstock Registered Gelbvieh and Balancer® Cattle Elmer, Brenda, Brad & Benny McWilliams Asbury, Mo. 64832 • 417-842-3225 • 417-529-0081(cell)

417-664-6936 brumfelt7556@gmail.com PHILLIPSBURG, MO.

THE PROFIT PICTURE | 59

BREEDERS CORNER NORTH CAROLINA

Billings, MO Focused on the Future Bull and Female Sale held each October.

Tom, Stacy, Justin, Kyle & Grace Vehige (573) 690-3813 | tbarscattle@gmail.com Follow @tbars1993 on Facebook and Instagram!

Consistent Genetics Adding Pounds & Profit

Myron & Valerie Bahm

39414 SW 75th Rd. Odell, Neb. 68415 (402) 766-3627

417-576-0687(c)

email: whiteoakfarms@live.com

Registered Gelbvieh & Balancer

®

MONTANA

Gelbvieh Bulls Black

Kyle & Lori Kuker Shubert, NE

Balancer Females Red

402-883-2366 402-245-7512 sqblkfarms.com Facebook.com/sqblkfarms sqblkfarms@gmail.com

Quality Livestock that Work for You Quarter Horses Want to Please Strong Bone Intelligent Athletic

1496 Goose Creek Rd. • Raynesford, MT 59469 Ranch Phone: 406.738.4220 • BarJRGelbvieh@3rivers.net BarJRGelbvieh.com

DUANE & WENDY STRIDER, OWNERS

(336) 964-6277

ccrosscattle@yahoo.com • ccrosscattle.com

Squeakin’ By-LK Farms

402-883-7246

Gelbvieh Carcass Quality Calving Ease Tenderness Docility

Quality Gelbvieh, Angus & Balancer Cattle

Mark & Patty Goes

21640 Lawrence 2192 Aurora, MO 65605

CCRO CAROLINA EXCLUSIVE 1230Y

CCRO CAROLINA LEVERAGE 3214A

THE HERD THAT CONSISTENTLY PRODUCES CATTLE WITH PERFORMANCE, CARCASS AND EYE APPEAL.

ANNUAL BULL & FEMALE SALE 2ND SATURDAY IN NOV. Private Treaty Sales Available Year Round.

Producing Black, Polled Genetics for Today & Tomorrow.

Jeff Swanson • 308/991-0727 10908 724 Road • Oxford, Neb. 68967 www.swansoncattleco.com

Annual Sale—Last Saturday in February

GELBVIEH

BALANCER

Walter & Lee Teeter 1380 French Belk Rd. • Mt. Ulla, N.C. 28125 (704) 664-5784

NEBRASKA

NORTH D AKOTA

Scott Wolf Travis Wolf 308.537.3588 308.529.3733 Gothenburg, Neb. • wolfgelbvieh@gmail.com www.facebook/wolfgelbvieh.com

NEVADA GELBVIEHV BALANCERV ANGUS

Private Treaty Bull & Heifer Sales • Orchard, Neb. Val Livingston • www.88ranch.com • 402-655-2288 6700 County Rd. 19 S. Minot, N.D. 58701

Cedar Top Ranch Scott & Raberta Starr 212 Starr Drive • Stapleton, NE 69163 (H): 308-587-2293 • (C): 308-530-3900 cedartopranch@gpcom.net Eldon Starr: 1-800-535-6173 or Rich Johnson: 402-368-2209

60 | SEPTEMBER 2021

Dick & Jean Williams

(701) 624-2051 (H) (701) 720-8823 (C)

P.O. Box 156 Orovada, NV 89425 775•272•3442

“Pounds Make Profit in Your Pocket” Bulls & Heifers Private Treaty

Rob Arnold

Email: RLAGelbvieh@aol.com

Registered Gelbvieh & Balancers®

BREEDERS CORNER u

VIRGINIA

u

Dennis & Sherry Gustin Family

Richie & Sarah Heinrich 701-320-6484 (cell) email: gustindd@wildblue.net www.gustinsdiamondd.com

Al and Peggy Gustin Mandan, N.D. • 701-663-7266

REGISTERED POLLED GELBVIEH C.H. Morris & Sons, LLC

Roger Morris • C.W. Moss 928 Morris Road Appomattox, VA 24522 434.574.6592 Roger Morris C.W. Moss 434.315.4294 434.391.4458

OKLAHOMA

www.knollcrestfarm.com knollcrest@knollcrestfarm.com

LeGRAND

Office James D. Bennett Paul S. Bennett Jim G. Bennett Brian R. Bennett Dalton G. Bennett

Keith, Janice, Dustin & Britney

Ed & Alberta LeGrand

809 S. Redlands Rd. • Stillwater, Okla. 74074

605-852-2131

405-747-6950 • alane@c21global.com

kvolek@venturecomm.net

Homo. Black, Homo. Polled • Breeding Stock Available

Koehn Cattle Co. 73243 Carter Rd., Goltry, Okla.

580-541-2633 koehncattlecompany@gmail.com

TENNESSEE

Gelbvieh Genetics at Work

376-3567 376-7299 941-8245 664-7935 664-8309 664-7946

PO Box 117 • Red House, VA • 23963

Patrick Koehn

(434) (434) (434) (434) (434) (434)

W L H

LITTLE WINDY HIll.L

F

Doug & Sue Hughes

QUALITY GELBVIEH CATTLE

Farms

6916 Peppers Ferry Road Max Meadows, VA 24360 C 276/620-4271 lwhf@wiredog.com

CAVE CREEK CATTLE JEFF PROCTOR

CHARLOTTE, TN | 931.801.5787 WWW.CAVECREEKCATTLE.COM CAVECREEKCATTLE@GMAIL.COM

SOUTH DAKOTA

lori.maude@gmail.com

Lori Maude 303.809.3789 (C) Ranch 605.255.4448 Hermosa, S.D.

Annual Bull Sale 3rd Saturday in December.

LAZY TV S e l by, S D

12980 Cedar Rd. Vaughn & Wendy 605-848-0421 Gina 605-850-9390

vwthor@sbtc.net www.Balancerbulls.com

Quality Gelbvieh & Balancer® Cattle

ClinCh Mountain Gelbvieh

John & Liz Loy 7611 Dyer Rd. (865) 687-1968 Luttrell, TN 37779 (865) 235-8869 (C) j.b.loy@att.net

Bulls & Heifers for Sale

“Superior Gelbvieh and Balancer Cattle”

Chris & Jordan Hampton • Charles & Sue Hampton 839 Davistown Rd. Celina, Tenn. 38551 931-243-3213 H 931-510-3213 C hamptoncattlecompany@gmail.com

9/9

WYOMING

Nine Bar Nine Gelbvieh Wesley Brown

3794 Rd. 215 • Cheyenne, WY 82009 307-351-6453 • ninebar9@hotmail.com Purebred Bulls, Heifers & Select Embryos Performance BRED in, Not FED in!

Visit our online Breeders Corner at Gelbvieh.org.

Registered Bulls & Replacement Females

THE PROFIT PICTURE | 61

BREEDERS CORNER Ronn Cunningham

SERVICE CENTER

AUCTIONEER P.O. Box 146 • Rose, Okla.

74364 918-629-9382 cellular

All your A.I. needs!!

Bull Barn Genetics 35 Years in business

• Gelbvieh • Sheaths • Gloves • Angus • Red Angus • Cito Thaw Units • Simmental • Tanks • Club Calf • A.I. Kits • Arm Service • Salers • Shorthorn Eldon & Kathy Starr • Dairy 210 Starr Dr • Stapleton, Neb. 69163 • Charolais bullbarn@bullbarn.com • Hereford 800-535-6173 • www.bullbarn.com

Cattlemen’s Connection Specializing in

• Gelbvieh Semen Sales • Consulting • Order Buying (all purchases guaranteed)

Roger & Peg Gatz (785) 742-3163

Call Toll-Free: 1-800-743-0026

Visit our website: www.cattlemensconnection.com

To purchase a Breeder Block, contact Katie Harbert at katie@gelbvieh.org or 303-465-2333.

DECEMBER 8-10, 2021 s h e r at o n O k l a h o m a c i t y d o w n t o w n h o t e l

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN V I S I T G E L B V I E H .O R G F O R D E TA I L S

62 | SEPTEMBER 2021

Dan McCarty • Auctioneer • • Professional Ring Service • 970-481-5217

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3 G Ranch...................................................58 AGA Convention.......................................62 American Rancher....................................44 B/F Cattle Co....................................... 36, 59 Bar Arrow Cattle Company.....................59 Bar JR Gelbvieh..................................... 9, 60 Bar T Bar Ranches.....................................58 Beastrom Ranch........................................18 Bow K Ranch.............................................58 Boys from the South..................................49 Bull Barn Genetics.............................. 50, 62 C-Cross Cattle Company.................... 5, 60 C.H. Morris & Sons, LLC.........................61 Canadian Gelbvieh Association..............62 Cattlemen’s Connection............................62 Cave Creek Cattle......................................61 Cedar Top Ranch............................... BC, 60 Chimney Butte Ranch........................ 27, 60 Circle S Ranch............................................59 CJ&L Livestock................................... 22, 61 Clinch Mountain Gelbvieh.......................61 Cranview Gelbvieh....................................60 Dan McCarty, Auctioneer........................62 Diamond L Farms.....................................61 Doak Lambert, Auctioneer......................62 Dobson Ranch...........................................36 Elanco.........................................................32 Gelbvieh Association in Nebraska..........37 Gelbvieh Auction ......................................56 Grand Valley Gelbvieh/Balancer...............9 Green Hills Gelbvieh.................................60 GS Ridge Top Ranch............................ 9, 58

64 2021 64 ||SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER 2021

Gustin’s Diamond D Gelbvieh.......... 61, 63 Hampton Cattle Company.......................61 Hart Farm Gelbvieh........................... 17, 59 Hillsdown Gelbvieh...................................36 Hilltop Farms...................................... 48, 59 Hodges Ranch............................................58 Hojer Ranch.................................... 9, 15, 61 J & K Gelbvieh Farm, Inc.........................58 John Huston Cattle Co..............................29 Judd Ranch...................................................1 Kicking Horse Ranch..................... 9, 50, 60 Kinsley Feeders..........................................52 Knoll Crest Farm.......................................61 Koehn Cattle Co........................................61 Lazy TV Ranch..................................... 3, 61 Little Windy Hill Farms............................61 Lone Oak Cattle.........................................58 M&P Gelbvieh...........................................60 Martens Gelbvieh................................. 9, 58 Martin Cattle Company....................... 9, 58 McCarty Cattle Company........................40 McMahan Cove Gelbvieh.........................58 Mitchell Marketing Services....................62 MLM Gelbvieh...................................... 9, 60 Mulroy Farms, LLC...................................59 Nine Bar Nine Gelbvieh............................61 Nowack Cattle Company..........................59 Plateau Gelbvieh................................... 9, 58 Plus One Cattle Co....................................59 Post Rock Cattle Company............... 28, 59 Pot of Gold Sale...........................................9 Prairie Breeze Ranch.................................59

Prairie Grove Gelbvieh.............................53 Prairie Hills Gelbvieh................................61 ProHart Seedstock.....................................58 Raile Gelbvieh............................................22 Red Ridge Gelbvieh............................ 13, 59 Rippe Gelbvieh.............................................9 Rogers Valley Farm Gelbvieh...................59 Ronn Cunningham, Auctioneer..............62 Rumfelt Gelbvieh.......................................59 Sandy Knoll Farm......................................50 Sawtooth Gelbvieh Cattle & Hay.............60 Seedstock Plus............................................44 SEGA Gelbvieh..........................................22 SoKy Select Sale.........................................11 Squeakin’ By-LK Farms............................60 Swanson Cattle Company................. 33, 60 SweetPro.....................................................41 Swenson Gelbvieh................................ 9, 59 T Bar S Cattle Co................................ 23, 60 Taubenheim Gelbvieh...............................60 The 88 Ranch..............................................60 Thull Gelbvieh Farm.................................61 TJB Gelbvieh .......................................... IFC Triple H Farms...........................................58 Triple K Gelbvieh.......................................59 Volek Ranch...............................................61 Warner Beef Genetics............................IBC White Oak Farms......................................60 Wilkinson Gelbvieh..................................58 Wolf Gelbvieh............................................60

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Warner Beef works diligently everyday all year long to bring the most complete service of genetic source for our customers. Industry leading traits in sound structured packages built for longevity. Backed by a full service guarantee and a personal touch with every customer.

FRIDAY, NOV. 19, 2021

SELLING 100+ ELITE GELBVIEH & BALANCER FEMALES. TOP PROSPECTS FROM THE COW FAMILIES THAT PRODUCED BREED GREATS ALUMNI, JACKPOT, FRONTRUNNER, E TRADE AND GLORY.

TUESDAY, NOV. 30, 2021

SELLING 400+ COMMERICAL BRED FEMALES. RED ANGUS, BALANCER AND F1 BALDY FEMALES AI BRED TO INDUSTRY LEADING SIRES. SELLING IN GROUPS TO SERVE THE CUSTOMER. PRIVATE TREATY BULL AND YEARLING HEIFER SALES ALSO AVAILABLE.

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DAN AND KATE WARNER 42198 ROAD 721 ARAPAHOE, NE 68922

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DAN WARNER 308-962-6511 MONTE WARNER 308-268-6020 DARREN WARNER 308-268-2031

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Genetics YOUR SOURCE FOR AI NEEDS

BULL BARN GENETICS Eldon & Kathy Starr 210 Starr Dr • Stapleton, NE 69163 bullbarn@bullbarn.com • 800-535-6173 www.bullbarn.com

CEDAR TOP RANCH Scott & Raberta Starr 212 Starr Drive • Stapleton, NE 69163 308-530-3900 (Scott) • 308-530-2720 (Austin) cedartopranch@yahoo.com • Facebook: Cedar Top Ranch

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