Change Makes Improvements

MAKES IMPROVEMENT IN COMMERCIAL RED ANGUS HERD by Jennifer Carrico for American Red Angus Magazine reprinted with permission photos courtesy American Red Angus Magazine CHANGE

hange is inevitable and change is good. Going from dairy cows to beef cows is a drastic change and one that Iowa producer Adam Glienke is glad he made.

Glienke, along with his wife C

Amy, have a commercial Red Angus herd with his parents Brian and Cindy Glienke. Until 2014, the family milked cows, but due to a decline in profits at the dairy, they decided to quit milking and switch to beef cows. At that time, Glienke purchased a small group of certified Red Angus heifers to start his beef herd.

“We had dealt with other breeds when I purchased the Red Angus females. After getting them in production it was clear they were the ones we wanted more of because they had a great disposition and mothering ability,” Glienke said.

In the past five years, the herd has grown to just short of 200 cows. While he and Amy have their cows and his parents have theirs, all the cattle are run together and treated the same.

“It’s a true family operation. We all work together to get everything done,” Glienke said. “Dad and I couldn’t do all the breeding, calving, ultrasounding and everything else without the help of my wife and mom. Amy

above In addition to managing their Red Angus cowherd, the Glienke family farms cash crops and puts up their own feedstuffs. opposite Glienke wants to keep a narrow calving season and bulls are only with the cows for two estrous cycles after AIing. They pregnancy check via ultrasound 90 days post-breeding to determine management groups.

loves working with the cows but has been preoccupied with our 2-year-old, Albie, the last couple years. We are also thankful for a few good friends to help make everything run smoothly.” health of our cattle and have had customers say our calves are the healthiest group they’ve ever fed. That starts at birth and continues with how they are handled until sale time,” Glienke said. of disease immunity through colostrum. Vaccinations are given pre-breeding and at pregnancy checking time. Proper worming also allows cows to perform to their best.

Heifers start calving the last part of January, followed by cows the last part of February. At birth, calves are weighed, given a mineral shot, a 7-way blackleg vaccine and a respiratory vaccine, as well as having navels sprayed with iodine. Weights are taken on the calves at birth and weaning to better understand the genetics and performance of the herd.

A clean environment at birth is very important for good health until weaning. Prior to sending cows to grass, calves are all run through the chute again for vaccinations. Bulls are then banded and implanted. “We take pride in the The health of cows is also important, as they provide a lot Health and nutrition go hand in hand. Silage and haylage are made from some of their 1,800 acres of farmland, which includes corn, soybean and alfalfa in the northwest Iowa counties of Cherokee and Buena Vista.

The Glienkes provide calves with creep feed, which is believed to add 90 to 100 pounds by weaning. Having calves started on feed prior to weaning makes for an easier transition.

“Calves will go straight on feed at weaning and keep eating since they are familiar with having feed as part of their daily diet,” Glienke said. “We usually wean around September 1 to get above The Glienkes are a true family operation with 2-yearold Albie being the third generation.

a full 60 days of preconditioning prior to delivery time.”

The Glienkes have been selling their steer calves on video sales with Superior Livestock for November 1 delivery. Heifers are retained for replacements in the herd.

“We usually keep about 50 to 75 heifers to add to our herd. Since we’ve been growing the size of our herd quickly, we have kept nearly all the heifers as replacements,” he said.

Cows are all artificially inseminated. Registered Red Angus bulls are purchased from purebred breeders in Iowa and Nebraska. At least two bulls are kept in each pasture to cover all cows and help ensure more are bred in case something would happen to one.

Cows are with bulls for two estrous cycles after AI and heifers are given one cycle after AI with the bulls. Ultrasound pregnancy checking is done about 90 days post-breeding to determine management groups. Glienke wants to keep a narrow calving season, thus the shorter time with bulls after AI. Some crossbreeding has been used in the herd to add hybrid vigor and pounds to the calves, but the majority of the breeding of the herd is Red Angus. The high per-

centage of Red Angus bloodlines in the herd improves carcass traits which is important as the majority of commercial calves are fed out. “We need to be sure to continue to provide good beef for consumers,” Glienke said. “Our calf buyer will send us carcass information when they are sent to harvest so we can see how our cattle perform on the rail.”

Glienke tags his calves with the

Red Angus Feeder Calf Certification Program yellow tag once they are weaned and in the feedlot. Being able to sell calves as certified Red Angus guarantees to the buyer that the genetics of the cattle are at least 50% Red Angus and that they will perform in the feedyard. Identifying their Red Angus genetic make-up is also useful when extra heifers are sold as replacements.

“We are always willing to make needed changes to produce they type of cattle sought after by commercial cattlemen and feeders. We want to sell to breeders looking for good commercial Red Angus females and feeders looking for good performing cattle on the rail,” Glienke concluded.

learn more redangus.org

below Red Angus females are Glienke’s cow of choice because of their great disposition and mothering ability.

CLEAR CREEK FARMS INC. #2 Supplying Embryo Transfer Recipients for 30 Years! DAVID & KAREN STEINER LARRY & NANCY HARPER 13159 E 1950TH ROAD, CHRISMAN, ILLINOIS DAVID: 217.822.9649 • KAREN: 217.822.9648

RECIPIENTS AVAILABLE FOR FALL TRANSFERS Ship us your embryos -- we will transplant them into our recipients QUALITY, CALFHOOD VACCINATED COMMERCIAL COWS

CED BW WW YW RADG DMI YH SC DOC CLAW ANGLE HP CEM +9 +1.2 +81 +144 +.33 +1.38 +.6 +1.05 +31 +.34 +.37 +15.4 +13 MILK MW MH $EN CW MARB RE FAT $M $W $F $G $B +24 +89 +.6 -32 +72 +.48 +.64 -.024 +83 +83 +122 +49 +172 BASIN PAYWEIGHT 1682 X PF CC&7 HENRIETTA PRIDE 1044 | DOB: 2/15/2017 REG: AAA +*18748511

CED BW WW YW RADG DMI YH SC DOC CLAW ANGLE HP CEM +5 +.9 +83 +151 +.34 +1.47 +.7 +.91 +32 +.51 +.38 +9.7 +8 MILK MW MH $EN CW MARB RE FAT $M $W $F $G $B +27 +95 +.6 -36 +65 +1.01 +.97 -.006 +62 +88 +115 +78 +193 CONNEALY CONFIDENCE PLUS X M A R ERICA 1617 | DOB: 11/20/2017 REG: AAA *19265123

CED BW WW YW RADG DMI YH SC DOC CLAW ANGLE HP CEM +6 -.2 +78 +142 +.31 +1.41 +.5 +.97 +32 +.56 +.53 +12.7 +11 MILK MW MH $EN CW MARB RE FAT $M $W $F $G $B +30 +100 +.8 -40 +67 +.47 +.93 +.003 +57 +86 +112 +50 +162 BALDRIDGE COLONEL C251 X DEER VALLEY RITA 36142 | DOB: 1/01/2018 REG: AAA +*19209373

CED BW WW YW RADG DMI YH SC DOC CLAW ANGLE HP CEM +9 +1.3 +49 +96 +.25 +.71 +.6 +.25 +27 +.48 +.50 +13.7 +8 MILK MW MH $EN CW MARB RE FAT $M $W $F $G $B +38 -5 -.2 +4 +55 +1.76 +.99 +.034 +84 +69 +108 +110 +219 SYDGEN EXCEED 3223 X FF RITA 3R30 OF 9Q23 5M2 | DOB: 12/24/2017 REG: AAA +*19125869

Eddie & Adam Currier, Proprietors Vince Roberts, General Manager • 318.470.0050 14603 Highway KK - Lebanon , Missouri 65536 www.wallstreetcattle.com 2020 Elite Female Sale October 31, 2020 March 2020