Sometime in 2021 I received a call from John Hall telling me about an AI program using Braunvieh sires he had begun with a commercial producer in Arkansas to gather and compare data on genetics within our breed. There are many important and meaningful things that are being done by Braunvieh breeders, and I don’t want to discredit any of those worthwhile endeavors, but when John told me what he was doing I quickly decided that this could be the most meaningful thing ever done for the good of the Braunvieh breed. As we discussed the progress he had made and started discussing what still needed to be done, I asked him how he was going to get these additional steps done, he told me “that’s why I am calling you I need your help on this,” which I quickly agreed to do.
As this program has evolved, new partnerships and processes have been implemented to accomplish a meaningful data set for the entire Braunvieh breed. However, the initial vision remains the same, to compare worthy bloodlines from multiple breeders within a contemporary group so all Braunvieh breeders could better choose what genetics are the most legitimate options for them to use in their breeding programs. Birth weight, gestation length, calving ease, disposition, calf vigor, weaning weights, yearling weights, feed efficiency, gain, marbling, rib eye area, are the traits being measured with all phenotypic data entered into the BAA database to quantify and influence our EPD’s accuracy and real usefulness and including genomics to drive results for all of to use.
The BAA has collaborated with us and has allowed us to enter all data into digital beef making this a real joint effort between breeders and the association. Also, without the partnership with our commercial herd, this project could not be possible. Every year they synchronize a large part of their 900 head cow herd to be AI’ed to enrolled sires. Many Braunvieh breeders also contributed clean up bulls which will provide us with more useful data.
In order to get feedyard data a notable Hereford TX feedyard has partnered with us in this project. Also, to collect intake data and to make this a multi breed data set, two breeders with non Braunvieh cattle have collaborated with us to make both of these things happen. West Texas A & M is assisting us with data collection and entry to ensure credible data and much appreciated help.
To date, 4500 cows have been AI’ed over 8 breeding seasons and included 4 total breeds with half or more AI sires being Braunvieh. 9 sets of calves have been born during this time, 6 sets weaned and sent to the feedlot, 4 sets of calves have been efficiency tested, and 3 sets have been harvested.
Thank you to everyone who is participating and for all those of you who are viewing this Semen directory. All proceeds from the development of this directory are being used to defray sire evaluation expenses. All semen you purchase from this directory will help breeders continue to participate in this endeavor to breed and provide truly beneficial genetics to our great Beef industry and beef consumers.
Sincerely,
Mark Nelson
It has always been a goal of mine to further the Braunvieh breed and showcase just how valuable Braunviehs are. By gathering data and running test programs we can continue to prove the benefits of the Braunvieh breed. Having reliable data points and genomics that give us hard evidence of our breed’s value will be the catalyst we need as breeders to continue to raise and sell great cattle. I would like to thank everyone who has participated in this program. It is because of you that we are able to continue to run data year after year. Please know that your involvement continues to add value to our breed.
John Hall
Indicates a bull used in the sire evaluation
Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) are statistics that help us predict the performance ability of a sire or dam for certain traits. EPDs take into account an animal’s performance data, pedigree, and if available, genomic testing information in their calculation.
Calving Ease Direct (CED): is a percentage of unassisted calvings. A higher CED predicts a sire that will have a higher percentage of unassisted calves.
Birth Weight (BW): is measured in pounds. Cattle with higher BW EPDs are predicted to produce heavier calves.
Weaning Weight (WW): is expressed in pounds and bulls with higher WW EPDs predict heavier calves across the scale at weaning.
Yearling Weight (YW): is expressed in pounds and bulls with higher YW EPDs predict heavier calves across the scale as a yearling.
Milk (MK): is measured in pounds of calf weaning weight due to its mother’s milking ability. A higher MK EPD predicts that a bull will sire daughters who raise heavier calves due to their milk production.
Total Maternal (TM): TM= MK EPD + ½ WW EPD. It measures impact on calf weaning weight due to both milk production and the cow’s genetics for growth. Bulls with a higher TM EPD should sire daughters with a bigger impact on their calves’ weaning weight.
Calving Ease Maternal (CEM): Measures the ability of a bull’s daughters to calve unassisted as two year olds. The higher the CEM EPD, the easier calving should be when a bull’s daughters have that first calf.
Stayability (ST): is shown as a percentage of how much more likely a bull’s daughters will stay in your herd to the age of 6. A higher ST EPD bull is more likely to have daughters stay around for a long time.
Docility (DOC): utilizes breeder-submitted docility scores to determine which lines of cattle exhibit more docility. Animals with a higher DOC EPD value are expected to produce more docile calves.
Carcass Weight (CW): Higher CW EPDs mean that a bull is more likely to sire calves with heavier carcass weights.
Ribeye Area (REA): REA is measuring the size of the ribeye in square inches. Higher REA EPDs indicate a bull is expected to produce larger ribeyes in their offspring.
Marbling (MB): is in units of percentage of intramuscular fat within the ribeye. Higher MB EPD bulls should sire higher marbling calves.
Fat Thickness (FT): Inches of backfat (in hundredths of an inch) is the unit of measurement for FT. More negative FT EPDs are indicative of a bull that should sire less backfat in his calves.
Selection Indexes weigh multiple EPDs with an economic value to create a profit driven selection tool.
All Purpose Index (API): Evaluates sires for use on the entire cow herd (bred to both first-calf heifers and mature cows) with the portion of their daughters required to maintain herd size retained and the remaining heifers and steers put on feed and sold in quality-based marketing scenarios. Combines traits of importance for both maternal characteristics, as well as traits of importance in the fed cattle market.
Terminal Index (TI): The TI index focuses solely on traits of importance for marketing feeder cattle into the supply chain and places no emphasis on traits of importance when selecting for replacement females.
Breed Average EPDs for Active Sires
REG: OB99386 | DE-HORNED | DOB: 9/08/2020
Percent Braunvieh: 100%
Owner: Eades DCT Farms & Ranch LLC Bee Branch, AR
Well balanced Fullblood bull with a low 0.78% COI. Outcross genetics along with Silverwood Dragon 4Y and TLC True Grit W311ET on the top side and foundation bulls Nelson and Aron on the bottom side. HeiferPlus semen available at $40. Volume discounts for both registered and commercial breeders.
$30/CONVENTIONAL $40/HEIFER PLUS
For Semen Contact: Robert Eades 501-294-9228
MAE TUITION C52 ET
REG: OB89239 |
Percent Braunvieh: 100%
Owner: J Bar Braunvieh Hedley, Texas
Tuition C52 comes with an outstanding pedigree. He is out of a flush created by Don Hankins using GLB 8143 “Yancey” and the famous N52 cow from Lane & Lane Braunvieh. He will add style, longevity and a great disposition in a moderate package to your next calf crop. Give him a try, you’ll be glad you did!
Percent Braunvieh: 100%
Owner: Circle C Ranch
Estelline, Texas
Mr CEF 811 ET is a moderate framed, thick made bull. He is a phenotypical copy of his grandsire Yukon’s Image, and his mother Miss JF Grace Mae L102 is an intergral part of our donor program. Yukon’s Image heifers have placed 9 out of 18 times in the fullblood breeders cup, and 811’s daughters are following in their footstep. 811 spent his first two breeding seasons in Montana in commerical herds and those producers were extremly happy with his progeny. He will add pounds to your calf crop and a disposition second to none.
$30/CONVENTIONAL
$75/ FEMALE SEXED
For Semen Contact: John Hall 806-930-2560
TNB YUMA 1137 ET
OB76277 | HORNED | DOB: 3/2/2011
Percent Braunvieh: 100%
Owner: Bagley Farms Cohutta, Georgia
Tons of Full Blood Genetics
His pedigree is stacked all the way back!
Our Top Full Blood Herd Sire Heavy Muscled and Calving Easy
High Noon 624J PB101098, 90.9% Braunvieh, Homozygous Polled
• The sun had just come up, but High Noon had already checked his cows, breakfasted on native grass and headed for a drink of water.
• High Noon makes being a rancher easier. He’s compliant and his calves are, too. No worries about being stalked by the herd bull.
• We’ll sleep easy when these cows and heifers calve in the spring… we haven’t assisted a High Noon calf yet.
• His calves are easy to sell. They’re attractive and have appropriate thickness and growth.
• We have confidence in High Noon, his data and his family. 13 of the 14 animals in his 3-generation pedigree worked in our Flint Hills pastures.
• Contact us for semen on BLC High Noon or his sire, BLC EZ Sleep.
BLC EZ Sleep 811G
High Noon is a son of BLC EZ Sleep 811G
• High Noon is Top 2% of the breed for API
• Top 4% of the breed for TI
• Top 4% for CED & top 15% for BW
• Top 10% for CEM, 50% for WW & 35% for YW
• Act. BW 68 lb. out of a 2 year old Toronto daughter
Braunvieh influenced yearling heifers from Randy Olson at Altoona, KS. They show us what a Braunvieh bull can do for a commercial herd.
BLC EZ Sleep 811G PB96882, 91.3% Braunvieh
Top 1% CED. Top 2% BW, CEM and API
Top 15% TI. Homozygous Polled
Owned with C Farms & Scott Houghton
Contact Brinks to order semen
BLC High Noon 624J • $40/straw
BLC
BLC EZ Sleep 811G • $35/straw
B
RINK
B RINK
L L IVESTOCK IVESTOCK
Bob & Marilyn Brink
765 80th St., Piedmont, KS 67122 Bob (785) 766-6449 • Marilyn (785) 766-8713
e-mail: kanwaka@powwwer.net • brinkbraunvieh.com
REG: PB96882 | HOMO POLLED | DOB: 3/02/2019
Percent Braunvieh: 91.3%
Owner: Brink Livestock, Piedmont, Kansas C Farms, Vinton, Iowa Scott Houghton, Platteville, Wisconsin
Does your herd need improved calving ease and lower birth weights? EZ Sleep can turn those numbers around in one generation with CED in the top 1% of the breed, and BW, CEM and API in the top 2%. EZ Sleep is an outcross to most popular bloodlines. The bonus – he’s homozygous polled. Use his numbers with confidence as he has 127 offspring and 48 grandsons & granddaughters recorded. He had an actual BW of 66 lb. out of a first time momma. We have seven calf crops on the ground, and most were out of first calf heifers. An EZ son, BLC High Noon 624J is a herd sire in our own operation. We have calved out EZ daughters and they are making beautiful cows. In the 2024 Herd Builder Sale, a bred heifer by EZ Sleep sold for $4,700 and an open heifer for $3,300.
$35/STRAW
For Semen Contact: Bob Brink (785) 766-6449, Marilyn Brink 785-766-8713
BLC HIGH NOON 624J
REG: PB101098 | HOMO POLLED | DOB:
Percent Braunvieh: 90.9%
Owner: Brink Livestock, Piedmont, Kansas
High Noon’s first calves were born in Spring 2023, and one was selected Grand Champion Bull at the 2023 Tulsa State Fair. This fall, a High Noon daughter was Reserve Jr. Calf Champion at the American Royal. Our visitors like these calves, and so do we. High Noon combines the calving ease from his sire, EZ Sleep, with the strength of our “524” cow family on the bottom side of the pedigree. High Noon is in the top 4% of the breed for CED, 10% for CEM, 15% for BW and 35% for YW. Combine these in the indexes and he’s in the top 2% for API and top 4% for TI. High Noon is homozygous polled.
REG: PB90070 | HETERO POLLED | DOB: 9/06/2016
Percent Braunvieh: 92.7%
Owner: C Farms Vinton, IA
Warlock has brought us tremendous calving ease genetics and sires both bulls and females with calm dispositions, great conformation, and top performance. He ranks at the top of the breed for CE, CEM, and API while maintaining breed growth. He stamps his offspring no matter which cow line we’ve used him on which makes him so easy to use. We have many daughters and granddaughters in production and would love to see him go into another herd while he still has some years left. He’s sound in all ways and does a great job settling cows. Contact us with any questions.
BULL FOR SALE
$30/STRAW
For Semen Contact: Todd Clubb (319) 330-3590
JBB JAMMIN J R 108J
REG: PB104859 | HETERO
Owner: J Bar Braunvieh Hedley, Texas
Jammin J R is a moderate framed, big volume bull that will pass those traits along with an outstanding disposition to your next calf crop. He had a successful show career before making the transition to main herd sire for the fall herd at J Bar. His progeny are already making their way to the show ring and to the back drop. We are excited to see what he will bring to the cow herd and the bull battery in the near future.
PB105332 | DOUBLE POLLED | DOB: 1/7/2022
Percent Braunvieh: 88.4%
Owner: J Bar Braunvieh Hedley, Texas
Keiran is a homozygous black, homozygous polled, moderate framed bull that can fill every need in your herd. Dark hided, big boned, heavy muscled steers that should top the market if you choose to sell. Feed efficiency with a negative -1.05 RFI Gro-Safe test and performance with an ADG of 3+ lbs per day with great carcass DNA if you choose to retain ownership and feed them out. Replacement heifers with stayability and longevity to add to your cowherd. Add on his outstanding disposition and you’ve got it made for your next calf crop.
For Semen Contact: John Hall (806) 930-2560 $40/STRAW
Percent Braunvieh: 79.3%
Owner: Bagley Farms, Inc. Cohutta, Georgia
Homozygous Black and Homozygous Polled His Dam is a half sib to the My Maria Cow and one of our Top Donor Cows. Outstanding Black Genetics !
REG: PB91521 | DOUBLE POLLED | DOB: 5/21/2016
Percent Braunvieh: 90.5%
Owner: Wolken’s Cornerstone Cattle Ranch Diller, Nebraska
Talk about a stud! A double polled black purebred bull that is performance driven with a touch of class. If you want a bull that is going to add pounds at weaning and still perform with the very best in the feedlot, then he is a sure bet. When we acquired Payday as a calf, we knew he would be special. At 320 days he scanned a 19” ribeye. His added look and style has made some tremendous show heifers, lead momma cows, and herd bulls over the years. He can throw traditional colored calves, but a majority have been darker hided. With Payday gone, we now want to share the recipe to what has been a success here at WCCR. With a limited inventory be sure to get yours reserved soon!
$50/STRAW
For Semen Contact: Mark Wolken 601-953-7573 Tyler Wolken 402-806-6751
MR RCB RR L393
RCB RR L393
REG: PB108839 | HETERO POLLED | DOB:
Percent Braunvieh: 86.1%
Owner: Rock Creek Braunvieh Fairbury, Nebraska
Homozygous Black Purebred. “Sherman” is a name that describes him. He’s a tank. Deep and thick out of Lone Ranger and an outstanding Bonanza daughter.
REG: PB93722 | HETERO POLLED | DOB: 4/30/2017
Percent Braunvieh: 92.9%
Owner: Alexander Braunvieh Brashear, Texas
Montoya progeny recorded four out of five prime carcasses at the JHL Ranch. Montoya excelled in every trait at Green Springs Test. Paternal sib to Polarsteel, with their sire the shortest gestation sire ever at the 7 Ranch. Maternal brother to Havelock, with their fertile Dam being one of the best ever at the 7 Ranch posting a 149 MPPA.
$25/STRAW
For Semen Contact: Dwight Alexander (903) 439-8209 & Mark Nelson (402) 705-3907
RDF POLAR BEAR 1232K
RDF POLAR BEAR 1232K
REG: PB105969 | HOMO POLLED | DOB: 2/27/2022
Percent Braunvieh: 92.5%
Owner: R & D Farms Franklin, Kentucky Superior Braunvieh Farm, Kings Mountain, North Carolina
High % Homo polled bull with a huge spread from birth to weaning with a BW of 68 lbs, WW of 714 lbs from a first calf heifer and no creep feed, YW of 1,130 lbs. Polar Bear is deep bodied, structurally correct with a great disposition. With sire, PJDC Teddy Bear, and Flagstaff 604D on his maternal side, Polar Bear will give you calving ease with growth and performance. Top 20% CED, Top 25% BW, Top 30% API.
Percent Braunvieh: 91.7%
Owner: Bagley Farms Cohutta, Georgia
Top Selling Bull in the 2021 National Sale Homozygous Black and Homozygous Polled Outstanding Outcross Genetics
2/21/2021
NEW HORIZON 8032
Wow, what a herd bull! New Horizon combines a power packed pedigree with a high end phenotype. At WCCR, we are fond of his dam, Abbigail 2059. We have retained nearly every female from her. New Horizon has been used heavily for the consistency and marketability of his offspring. The females are turning out to be great cows that are structurally sound and having beautiful udders. Several of our top show heifers have been by New Horizon. Not only that, the progeny in the feedlot have been grading extremely well. Whatever your goal is as a cattle producer, we encourage you to try this bull and see how he could take your program to new horizons.
REG: PB108394 | DOUBLE POLLED | DOB: 6/21/2023
Percent Braunvieh: 95.4%
Owner: Wolken’s Cornerstone Cattle Ranch Diller, Nebraska
A working class bull that is making a name for himself. As a calf we knew Grindstone would be something special. Out of the great Dixie Darlin cow, he inherited her balance, front end eye appeal and presence. His sire Hardcopy stamps his calves with substance, bone and growth. A combination that has led him to several junior and open show titles. This young bull is just getting started and is ready to step up anyone’s game. Sharpen your bull arsenal and add some Grindstone to the mix!
$40/STRAW
For Semen Contact: Mark Wolken 601-953-7573 Tyler Wolken 402-806-6751
WDL’S POLLED NAPOLEON
REG: PB90113 | HOMO POLLED | DOB: 4/6/2016
Owner: Eades DCT Farms & Ranch LLC Bee Branch, Arkansas
Homozygous Polled calving ease sire. Listed in the Active Sire Trait Leaders List for CED/BW/CEM/DOC. Napoleon’s offspring are docile and easy to handle. Napoleon is beginning to show up in the pedigrees in the show ring. HeiferPlus enhanced semen available for $30
REG: Z104007 | POLLED | DOB: 12/3/2021
Percent Braunvieh: 41.5%
Owner: Cambree Pittman Canadian, Texas
A high-performance sire with exceptional growth potential and excellent meat quality traits. Known for his easygoing temperament and strong maternal lineage, he delivers superior offspring with robust conformation, rapid weight gain, and enhanced carcass characteristics. Ideal heifer bull or great for a small acreage operation, this bull combines the hardiness and efficiency of the Braunvieh breed with the benefits of compact size and high-caliber genetics.
$30/STRAW
For Semen Contact: Clydene Pittman 806-217-0575 John Hall 806-930-2560
