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DISCOVERING COW POWER
Data Bulletin by Sarah Mumm
Registry Tips N’ Tricks by Megan Underwood, M.S. 04. 10. 12. 16. 24. 18. 20. 06. ADD MORE VALUE WITH YOUR DECISIONS THIS SPRING GELBVIEH: THE SMART, RELIABLE AND PROFITABLE CHOICE
SPRING INTO ACTION, IT’S TIME FOR SUMMER SHOWS AND CONTEST PREPARATION
Junior Connection by Jaylea Pope
IT’S TIME TO TRANSFER
View from the Board by Lori Maude by Megan Underwood, M.S. by Megan Underwood, M.S. by Megan Underwood, M.S. by Megan Underwood, M.S.
MAKE SMART DECISIONS NOW FOR LONG-TERM PROFITABILITY
ACE BREEDING SEASON WITH BREEDING SOUNDNESS EXAMS
PREPARE TO REBUILD THE HERD
COVER PHOTO BY AUDREY POWLES PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR MEGAN UNDERWOOD
TOM STRAHM COMMERCIAL MARKETING DIRECTOR tom@gelbvieh.org
MEGAN UNDERWOOD, M.S. COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR meganunderwood@gelbvieh.org
MALERIE MARKLEY MULTIMEDIA COORDINATOR malerie@gelbvieh.org
TAWNIE DEJONG, M.S. MEMBER & YOUTH ACTIVITIES COORDINATOR tawnie@gelbvieh.org
SARAH MUMM PERFORMANCE PROGRAMS COORDINATOR sarah@gelbvieh.org
MARGO MCKENDREE OFFICE MANAGER margo@gelbvieh.org
SHIANNA BRADLEY OFFICE SERVICES SPECIALIST shianna@gelbvieh.org
LORI MAUDE, PRESIDENT HERMOSA, S.D. • 303.809.3789 lori.maude@gmail.com
DAVID LARSON, VICE PRESIDENT CLEARBROOK, MINN. • 218.766.3323 david.larson.lrl@gmail.com
WILLIAM M C INTOSH, TREASURER
GEORGETOWN, KY. • 502.867.3132 wambb@aol.com
BRENT OVERMILLER, SECRETARY SMITH CENTER, KAN. • 785.282.0485 brento4532@hotmail.com
DIRECTORS
GREG “BUBBA” ANDERSON MARION, N.C. • 828.442.6869 grega1983@live.com
TODD BICKETT, DVM CHICKAMAUGA, GA. • 423.667.3799 todd@bickettgenetics.com
ZACK BUTLER MILTON, TENN. • 615.308.8628 butlercreek1952@aol.com
MARK COVINGTON MONTROSE, COLO. • 970.209.1956 covinginc@hotmail.com
GARY FELGER LOHMAN, MO. • 573.782.3737 garyfelger@hotmail.com
TROY FORBES DE SMET, S.D. • 605.530.4764 forbes_gelbvieh@hotmail.com
GREGG HARTMAN PUEBLO, COLO. • 719.821.4762 grhartman@hotmail.com
JUSTIN TAUBENHEIM AMHERST, NEB. • 308.293.0692 j_tauby5@hotmail.com
TOM VEHIGE
dan@warnerbeef.com
AVIEW FROM THE BOARD
ADD MORE VALUE WITH YOUR DECISIONS THIS SPRING
by Lori Maude, AGA President
s I write this column—late as always—the early bull sale reports from February and March have been really positive. Sale averages are higher than a year ago and more bulls are being sold. It’s amazing the optimism some moisture in a drought area will deliver for cattle producers. And a higher cattle market last fall sure didn’t hurt.
April brings the beginning of spring breeding season and the decisions you make can have a long-term impact on your herd. The breeding decisions you make this spring will be what you have to sell the spring of 2026, so dust off the crystal ball to anticipate what your bull buyers will be looking for. Wouldn’t those breeding decisions be so much easier with that crystal ball?
Every year after our bull sale, I go through the book to see what sold and for how much. I’m sure every breeder does this, but if you don’t I encourage you to take the time; it’s a great practice to get into. If you do this every year for several years you can pick up buyer trends—black vs red, homozygous black vs heterozygous black, calving ease vs growth and performance—you catch my drift.
We have in our mind the kind of cattle we like to raise, but does that line up with the priorities and needs of your potential customers? While I love red Gelbvieh cattle, I figured out quickly that we don’t have a great market locally for red bulls. My bull buyers will still buy a heterozygous black bull, but for some reason they want that black hide; and a homozygous black bull is going to bring even more money from our customer base. That means when I’m picking bulls to use in our A.I. program or as a cleanup bull, homozygous black is a trait that is part of my consideration criteria.
While it is difficult to predict exactly what buyers will want two years from now, there are things you can do every year that can help garner you more money for your bulls. Every year the American Gelbvieh Association staff does an analysis of the sale reports in Gelbvieh World. The analysis uses data from bulls and females sold and compares prices based on status of genomic-enhanced traits, purebred vs Balancer®, service type, and physical traits like coat color and polled status.
The action that garners you the most return on investment: genomic testing. When comparing sales results, cattle that had genomic enhanced EPDs brought $916 more per head on average when compared to cattle without GE-EPDs. Not only are you getting EPDs that are more accurate, you are also verifying the pedigree of that animal you are selling. How many have been burned when you buy a bull only to find out he isn’t what his pedigree says he is? These days I won’t buy a bull or female without GE-EPDs. I also won’t sell one without him or her being genomic tested. There’s too much risk for me and the buyer.
I have heard people complain that the EPDs change too much when they do genomic testing. At this point with the amount of Gelbvieh and Balancer cattle that have been tested, the accuracy has continued to improve. For example, on the birth weight EPD, the bull with GE-EPDs has an accuracy similar to a bull that has 20 progeny records. That is one year’s worth of data on a natural sire. As you begin doing more genomic testing in the cowherd and you mate those with tested sires, you will see less of the big swings. I won’t say you won’t see them, because it is animal genetics, but they should be less dramatic.
The other consideration to add value now and to that calf crop two years from now: use quality A.I. sires. The sales analysis saw a $716 per head advantage for A.I.-sired animals over natural-sired. The advantage is even more profound for embryo transfer animals compared with natural-sired cattle. Take advantage of a well-established technology in the beef industry and implement an A.I. breeding program in your herd.
My family has been using A.I. on our registered and commercial cowherds for more than 20 years. It allows us to use genetics that we may not be able to afford otherwise. The synchronization and A.I. also tightens up the calving window, which gives us a much more uniform calf crop in the end. Our entire cowherd quality continues to improve every year because we can implement some high quality A.I. genetics each year. Also, it allows me to use half as many clean-up bulls in the pasture, assuming my A.I. technician is hitting 50 percent or greater conception rates. Honestly, he rarely runs under 75 percent but an extra bull in the pasture is not a bad thing.
Small changes can truly result in adding more value to the bulls you are selling. Use this spring to take one of those steps. It’s easier than hoping for a crystal ball to appear.F
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TDATA BULLETIN DISCOVERING COW POWER
by Sarah Mumm, AGA Performance Programs Coordinator
he Cow Power Female Genotyping Project is an incredible opportunity for breeders to genotype their females. The goal of this project is to obtain more genotype records on registered females within the AGA herdbook in addition to more mature weights and body condition score records. It will also provide members with more information on their cowherd to make more informed selection decisions. This project is a collaboration between the American Gelbvieh Association (AGA), American Gelbvieh Foundation (AGF), and Neogen.
HOW DO I ENROLL?
To enroll in the project, please contact the AGA office to begin the process. The member will need to meet the requirement of genotyping 90% of their active cow herd. The number of females will be determined based on the number of females on inventory for that calendar year. Only females that are in the member’s current herd inventory and have an AGA registration number qualify for this project. Any females that have already been genomically tested are subtracted from the count. For example: you have 100 active females and 10 of them have been genomically tested previously. The minimum number you would be required to test is 80 females. The cow herd count will be provided to you that includes a list of your active cows, their coat color and horned/polled status, if they have genomic testing, and what your minimum number of females required to test is.
This is done per member account. Associated accounts are done separately. Herd assessments must also already be completed for the current year.
WHAT DOES PARTICIPATION IN THE PROJECT LOOK LIKE?
The Cow Power Project offers members the opportunity to receive the GGP-100K, normally a $48 test, at a research price of $20 per female.
Tissue samples are the required sample type for the project. They must be fresh samples and cannot be a sample retrieval. The member is provided with a separate DNA order form to place their order. DNA orders are not to be placed on the registry. The order form does include the option to select add-on tests at the usual add-on testing price. After the order form is filled out, an electronic copy is sent back to AGA. The samples are then sent directly to the AGA office. Members do not send the samples to the lab.
Samples are verified, quality checked, and batched once they are received in the office. Because this is a research project, we are required to send samples in full 96 well tray batches. For this reason, we may have to wait for more samples from other breeders to come in to fill a tray. We do our best to send orders out at minimum, once a month. After being checked in, if a member has enough samples to fill a tray, the samples are sent promptly to the lab for processing.
This is a research collaboration and therefore, DNA turnaround, data processing, and other timelines associated with the project are not based on current AGA timelines. These timelines are subject to change due to the seasonality of submission, normal data processing, etc.
REPLACEMENT FEMALES, MATURE WEIGHTS, AND BODY CONDITION SCORES
Samples on replacements and yearling females can be submitted at the time of testing for the mature cows at the discounted rate; however, they do not contribute to the amount calculated in the 90%.
Participants who submit both mature weights and body condition scores electronically on at least 90% of their current active cow inventory will receive a one-time $4 per head rebate. If the member has submitted 90% of their genotypes for mature cows, along with mature weight and body condition score, the member will be eligible to continue participating in the project at the reduced rate as long as the project is offered.
The Cow Power Female Genotyping Project will increase the number of genotypes and phenotypic information on females in the AGA herdbook. The collection of this information helps to increase the accuracy and predicting power of EPDs used to describe Gelbvieh and Balancer® cattle. Any inquiries can be made by contacting Sarah Mumm, AGA performance programs coordinator, at the AGA office at sarah@gelbvieh.org or 303-465-2333.F
INFORMATION EXCHANGE
HURRY! COMPLETE YOUR HERD ASSESSMENTS TODAY
Completing annual herd assessments is an important part of being an AGA member. Although the deadline for annual herd assessments has passed, assessments still need to be completed for the herd to be in good standing with the association. All females 13 months of age and older should either be assessed or disposed of as part of the total herd reporting process. One assessment is tied to one registration credit to register the female’s progeny. The credit also allows members to transfer the animal(s) as well as report performance information. Herd assessments received after March 15, 2024, are charged a late penalty according to the following fee schedule:
1-30 days = 5 percent late penalty
31-60 days = 10 percent late penalty
60+ days = 15 percent late penalty
If you have not already completed your 2024 herd assessments, you are encouraged to do so via the AGA Online Registry Service. Please contact the AGA office at 303-465-2333 if you need any assistance in completing this process.
TRANSFERRING ANIMALS
When transferring animals to their new owner, it is important that the animal(s) ends up in the appropriate account on the AGA Online Registry Service. If you are unsure whether a buyer has an AGA number, simply click the blank box next to the buyer field. This will pull up a separate window to enter the buyer’s zip code and then click “Find Profiles”.
Review the list of members and non-members and once the correct account is found, check the box to the left of the member number. If the buyer does not already have a profile within the registry “Click to create new profile” at the very bottom of the page.
For assistance transferring animals, please contact the AGA office at 303-465-2333.
CALL FOR SALE REPORTS
AGA is excited to share your sale success! The association publishes sale reports in Gelbvieh World and on Gelbvieh. org. To share a sale report, email Megan Underwood, AGA communications coordinator, at meganunderwood@gelbvieh. org.
SAVE THE DATE: 2024 AGJA EASTERN REGIONAL SOUTHERN MAGNOLIA CLASSIC
Save the date! The 2024 AGJA Eastern Regional Southern Magnolia Classic will be hosted May 26-27, 2024, in Batesville, Mississippi. To access the entry form, schedule, and hotel block, please visit the Juniors tab on gelbvieh.org.
SAVE THE DATE: 2024 AGJA WESTERN REGIONAL PRAIRIE TRAIL SHOWDOWN
Save the date! The 2024 AGJA Western Regional Prairie Trail Showdown will be hosted June 1-2, 2024, in Canton, Kansas. For more information on hotels, schedule, and entry forms, please visit the Juniors tab on gelbvieh.org.
Gelbvieh:
The Smart, Reliable and Profitable Choice
by MEGAN UNDERWOOD, M.S.
“The docility on them is just great. With the grandkids always wanting to be with Grandpa to help tag calves, you can’t take a chance on a crazy cow. They mother really well, they milk great and raise big calves. Fertility is really good on them and it’s nothing to have a 13-14 year old cow in the herd,” explained Russ Bloom, Scotia, Nebraska. “When calving
time comes you better be ready to tag calves because you’re going to get a lot of calves.”
Docility is one of the most appreciated Gelbvieh traits among commercial cattle producers who value cattle that will breed back and produce a calf year after year. Gelbvieh cattle exhibit the strong
maternal strengths of added fertility and quiet temperament.
Bloom operates a cow/calf operation with a carrying capacity of 200-250 cows, and farms a few hundred acres where he raises soybeans to save on nitrogen for his corn crop that he uses to feed his cows. He started raising Gelbvieh cattle after he met a breeder and read a flyer talking about
how the breed was established. He keeps his replacement heifers because of their moderate mature size, docility, fertility and longevity. He continues to see value when he sales his steers each year with most of them going to repeat buyers.
“I think we’ve got good longevity on our cowherd as almost every year we’ve got a cow that comes through that’s 18-20 years old, she’s bred and she’s going back for another one,” said Dennis Meyer, Bern, Kansas.
Gelbvieh and Balancer® cattle offer maternal superiority through increased longevity, added fertility, and more pounds of calf weaned per cow exposed. In addition, Gelbvieh and Balancer females offer a reduced mature cow size, more maternal milk, greater calving ease and reach puberty at an earlier age.
Meyer operates a farm to finish operation where they calve out their cows, raise their calves, wean and grow them, and take them to finish by selling their calves on the grid, to local customers and even putting the product on their family’s table. Meyer enjoys the advantages of the Balancer cross between Gelbvieh and Red Angus cattle. He runs Red Angus bulls on his purebred Gelbvieh cows and then purchases purebred Gelbvieh bulls to run on his Red Angus-influenced females. Gelbvieh brings a lot of growth and red meat production to his cross, as well as being very maternal, fertile cows. Red Angus not only brings more maternal influence to the cross, but they increase the quality grade of the calves. The red Balancer® cross has not only improved his cowherd, but it has also increased the carcass value of his calf crop as well.
“Our main focus is to produce the best quality beef possible and to get that done, I felt like we needed to a have a breed that brought the quality carcass and a breed that brought the yield grade into the carcass. By merging the two breeds, it gives us the best quality beef for the consumer,” said Meyer. “With heterosis you get the increased growth and higher milk production, and I really think it
contributes a lot to the longevity of our cowherd as well.”
Maternal efficiency is an important trait in any cow-calf operation and is one the Gelbvieh female excels in. With a more moderate mature cow size, Gelbvieh females consume less while weaning heavier calves. Gelbvieh and Balancer maternal influence in a crossbreeding system offers more pounds of calf weaned per cow exposed. Heavier weaning weights combined with feed bunk efficiency and heavier, faster-gaining feeder cattle can increase profitability.
Shawn Hagberg and his wife, Mallory, own and operate Hagberg Feedyard in Spencer, Nebraska. They’re a family operation that runs about 5,000 head of feeder cattle in their feedlot, feed out their own calves, and have about 250-300 cow/calf pairs. Shawn is no stranger to the breed as his parents started raising registered Gelbvieh cattle in the mid-1980s. While they explored crossbreeding with some other breeds, they quickly realized the traits they were missing from their lack of Gelbviehinfluence and have started using more Gelbvieh genetics in their operation.
“After feeding cattle for many years and the thousands of head that have gone through, I’ve learned a lot from watching their performance, how they grade, and that’s helped me make decisions on what I want to use in my own cowherd. I saw some calves with continental cross in them and it makes a world of difference on grade ability, less yield grade 3s and 4s, and their efficient feed conversion, that’s when I started using Gelbvieh again” said Hagberg.
Marketing his Gelbvieh-influenced fed cattle the last few years has allowed Hagberg to decrease the amount of yield grade 4 and 5 carcasses, and still maintain his high percentage of carcasses grading USDA Prime and USDA Choice, and continues to see a large percentage of carcasses qualifying for the Certified Angus Beef® premium. The Gelbvieh
influence has delivered the value by increasing profitability.
“As I’m purchasing feeder cattle, the first thing I ask an order buyer is, ‘Are they purebred or do they have a little cross to them?’ because I see the advantage of what a little cross does to the animal in their performance and the leanness of yield grade,” explained Hagberg. “I will easily bid one or three dollars more for that animal if it has some crossbreeding because I know the benefits that I will receive for that.”
Gelbvieh and Balancer cattle are well known throughout the beef industry for their maternal strengths and superior growth. With attributes such as more pounds of calf weaned, added fertility, greater cowherd longevity and heavier carcass weights, Gelbvieh and Balancer offer genetics that work for the commercial cattle business.
“I’m very satisfied choosing Gelbvieh as they are the best of both worlds. It’s rare to find a breed that excels in both the cowherd and the feedyard,” said Hagberg.
Gelbvieh and Balancer cattle are the smart, reliable and profitable choice for beef producers as they offer maternal superiority, make the grade and deliver the value. F
MAKE SMART DECISIONS NOW FOR LONG-TERM PROFITABILITY
“We have the smallest cowherd of all time since the 1970s, and we’re producing more beef from this cowherd than we ever have. Now we’ve got to continue to do that, and your responsibility is to be as efficient as possible – financially, sustainably and nutritionally,” explained Dr. Dusty Abney, Cargill Animal Nutrition beef cattle nutritionist. Abney gave his presentation titled “Short-term Decisions with Longterm Consequences” during Cattlemen’s College at the Cattle Industry Convention
by MEGAN UNDERWOOD, M.S.
and NCBA Trade Show on February 2 in Orlando, Florida.
If producers don’t take good care of their cattle even for a short period of time, bad things will happen for a long time. Shortterm decisions have real consequences. Personally, not changing your oil, skipping dental cleanings and not exercising, can all have negative results. In a cowherd, not feeding mineral at all times, inadequate energy and protein supplementation, feeding heifers too well,
and no fly control can also have negative results with long-term consequences. Producers tend to make these decisions as they are pressed for time, minimize bad outcomes when they happen, and don’t fully realize or internalize what the outcomes may be.
“View the money you spend on your operation as the investment that it is, not just an expense,” said Abney.
Producers tend to make many unacceptable excuses for their poor decisions with the most frequent being:
• The cows know what they need and will find it.
• Skipping a few days won’t hurt them.
• University trials aren’t done in the real world.
• You’re just trying to sell us something.
• We can’t afford to feed them that much.
• If we feed a cow in the third trimester, we’ll have to pull the calf.
• We don’t want welfare cows.
• Daddy didn’t feed his cows like that.
Maybe you have said many of these excuses before, but many of them have a much larger consequence on your bottom line than you may think.
A producer’s guiding nutrition principle shouldn’t be, “What can I get away with?”
Cattle that tolerate a nutrition plan for marginal performance don’t optimize production. From time to time doing what you have to is a valid reason, but it should never turn into an excuse or a standard operating procedure. To increase performance, producers must be efficient with their nutrition plans and financial decisions.
“The difference in a cow’s body condition score will follow her calf’s performance throughout it’s entire life,” explained Abney.
Research trails continue to show that increasing the body condition score of mature cows matters to the profitability of a producer’s calf crop. Not only does an increased body condition score impact the performance of a calf, increasing the average body condition score of your cowherd from a four to a five can result in a 10 percent increase of live births.
Fetal programming is crucial to increasing profitability as influences outside the cow such as environmental factors, adequate nutrition, and management decisions, will all affect the
expression of the calf’s genes for its entire life. Short-changing a cow today will result with her offspring returning this favor for years to come. Great heifers are made in the womb, not the dry lot. Make smart nutrition decisions to increase your replacement heifer quality. Heifers that calve early not only stay in the herd longer, they wean more pounds of calf for their lifetime.
If a producer decides to not feed mineral to save on costs, they will see no effects in the short term and these effects may be invisible for quite a while. However, it will eventually cost the producer much more than they ever saved. Decreased reproduction efficiency in both cows and bulls, smaller weaning weight, poor overall immune functions, and increased vaccine failures, are all long-term consequences of a short-term decision.
“All of this matters for every animal every day. We can’t be perfect, but we can recognize and prioritize,” explained Abney. “Don’t let a short-term reason for deviation become a long-term excuse.” F
ACE BREEDING SEASON WITH BREEDING SOUNDNESS EXAMS
by MEGAN UNDERWOOD, M.S.
Breeding season is right around the corner for many beef producers and preparation is the key to breeding season success. While it’s important to have your cows prepared with adequate nutrition and herd health, many producers tend to forget the importance of verifying that their herd bulls are ready for the task. Many producers overlook the value of performing a Breeding Soundness Exam (BSE) on all their bulls each breeding season.
“Raising the Bar with the Complete Breeding Soundness Evaluation to Increase Profitability” was a presentation given by Chance Armstrong, DVM, Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine associate clinical veterinarian, during Cattlemen’s College at the Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show on February 2 in Orlando, Florida. In his presentation, Armstrong highlighted the importance of herd bull fertility and why performing a BSE on each herd bull can increase profitability.
Herd bull fertility is a key component to the success and profitability of commercial cow/calf and seedstock operations. Producers investing in routine BSEs is a great way to assess the breeding potential of their bulls and improve the chances for breeding success. BSEs are not only important for mature bulls, but also young bulls to identify issues that could have occurred during development of herd sires which can later deprive producers of profitability.
Producers should complete a BSE on every bull every year. The exam should be completed 30-60 days prior to the breeding season. The exam is not good for the lifespan of the bull as they change from season to season. Completing the exam is a cheap insurance policy for herd profitability.
Reproductive efficiency is the most economically important factor for success in an operation having a greater impact than growth rate, feed efficiency, and carcass quality. It is estimated that one out of five bulls are sub-fertile in an
unselected population due to physical unsoundness or poor semen quality. The use of a sub-fertile bull can result in 50-60 pounds of weaning weight lost per 21-day breeding cycle. Over a breeding season, a sub-fertile bull could result in a profit loss of over $20,000.
All parts of the BSE are equally important and cumulative. Scrotal circumference, progressive motility and morphology are all easy parts to measure chuteside. However, the physical portion of the exam requires producer knowledge of the bull i.e., he tends to avoid females who are in standing heat, he has trouble mounting females, or maybe cows are continuing to come back into estrus. This breeding history is important to guide the physical exam and check for any potential issues.
It’s common to pay close attention to the body condition scores of females, however, body condition scores are crucial for a bull to be successful in a breeding season. Armstrong recommends that bulls have a body condition score of a six or seven prior to being turned out with cows as they will typically lose two body condition scores per breeding season.
Nutrition management of herd bulls should be different depending on their age. Yearling bulls require a higher crude protein percentage on a dry matter basis than a mature bull. Producers should feed yearling bulls to target 75 percent of their mature weight at 24 months of age. Mature bulls in a good body condition score need a complete moderate quality forage diet, whereas a mature bull with a less than adequate body condition score that needs to gain weight prior to the breeding season should receive a grain supplement. It’s important to remember that moderate growth is better for long term health.
The lifetime potential for testes size is determined before weaning, thus the nutritional level during the postweaning period has minimal effect on the potential scrotal size of yearling and older bulls. When selecting bulls during weaning, select bulls with a minimum
scrotal circumference of 23 centimeters at 200 days of age as they have a 95 percent probability of achieving a scrotal circumference of 34 centimeters or larger by one year of age, increasing their future fertility. The progressive motility is measured under the microscope with an ideal score of a minimum of 30 percent motile sperm cells. Morphology will also be measured under the microscope which requires 70 percent or more normal sperm to pass the exam.
While there can be some limitations to the breeding soundness exam as it is only a snapshot of time, the value they can create in ensuring a successful breeding season is more than worth it for increasing profitability. Take some time to have BSEs completed on your herd bulls to make the upcoming breeding season more profitable. F
SSPRING INTO ACTION, IT’S TIME FOR SUMMER SHOWS AND CONTEST PREPARATION
by Jaylea Pope, AGJA Director
pring has sprung which means school is almost out and the summer show season is right around the corner! If you are anything like me you might be looking forward to being able to spend more time in the barn and enjoy the warmer weather, but we all know that spring can be very busy so it can be challenging to dedicate your time to your show animals and other activities. The American Gelbvieh Junior Association (AGJA) board of directors recognizes that many of our members are very involved and have other commitments during the spring and summer, with that in mind we have some tips and updates to give our members a chance to maximize their involvement.
As much as we enjoy the cattle show at the AGJA Junior Classic, I have also loved being able to participate in contests throughout the week and apply the skills that I have learned. In addition to the contests during the week, several contests have an early entry deadline so that we can have judges go through the content to provide feedback for our members. An important note, this date has now been moved back to June 10, 2024, to allow juniors to have more time to complete and submit these contest entries for creative writing, ag podcast, video and graphic design. Photography entries may also be mailed in if you are unable to join us in Woodward, Oklahoma, this summer. We encourage members to take advantage of participating in these contests to practice skills that they will be able to use in school, future internships or even careers! While we are all passionate about the beef industry and showing cattle these contests are great ways to share why you are involved in this industry and share your story. More
information about these contests can be found under the Juniors tab on the American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) website.
Now, we certainly can’t forget about the main event at the Junior Classic this summer, the cattle show! As mentioned before, it can be hard to juggle activities and showing livestock and we encourage you to spend your time with what you are most passionate about. When balancing a busy schedule and if you are not able to spend an extended amount of time with your animals’ it could be as simple as a quick showmanship practice every evening when you do chores or waking up early to rinse before you leave for another activity. The small amounts of effort or extra time begin to add up quickly and will soon pay off. One thing that could be valuable for both the junior and the calf is allowing them to stand in the stall for an amount of time and practice your speech, podcast, sales talk, or even a set of reasons for livestock judging. This will help you get more repetition for these contests and get your calf used to people talking and standing for long periods of time. Using your time to knock out two things at once
will help maximize your potentially limited time.
Also, if you are looking for shows to attend before bringing cattle to the AGJA Junior Classic, we encourage you to attend our regional shows that are hosted in the spring. This year, the Eastern Regional will be hosted in Batesville, Mississippi, on May 26-27, 2024, and the Western Regional will be in Canton, Kansas, on June 1-2, 2024. We hope to see you at the regional shows, the AGJA Junior Classic, and participating in our educational contests. If you have any questions do not hesitate to reach out to any AGJA board member or Tawnie DeJong, AGA member and youth activities coordinator. F
Bull Barn
TREGISTRY TIPS N’ TRICKS
IT’S TIME TO TRANSFER
by Megan Underwood, M.S.
he spring sale season has been a huge success for Gelbvieh and Balancer® breeders across the country. As sale season is coming to a close, it’s important to remember the value of transferring new purchases to fellow AGA members and commercial customers so their new purchases are on their accounts, and they can receive their registration certificates in the mail. Performing a proper transfer allows your account within the AGA Online Registry Service to remain current and up to date with an active inventory. The AGA Online Registry Service offers the opportunity to transfer animals to a buyer or several buyers, in a few simple steps within the registry regardless of their affiliation with the AGA.
PLACING AN ANIMAL IN YOUR TRANSFER QUEUE
1. Log into your AGA Online Registry Service account.
2. Locate and select the “Herd” tab. There is another series of tabs that will help organize your animals by sex as well as age to conveniently locate an animal within your inventory. The “All” tab furthest to the left will show every animal, regardless of age, that is active within your herd.
3. Notice the columns of grey boxes to the right of each animal: View, Edit, Transfer, Dispose, Not for Sale.
4. Simply locate the animal(s) being transferred and select “Transfer”.
When doing so, the button will turn from grey to white and read “Queued”. This means the animal has been added to your transfer queue and is awaiting buyer information.
5. Locate and select the red arrow on the left work menu that reads “Work Queues”.
6. From this drop down, select the green arrow that reads “Transfers”.
PLACING THE BUYER INFORMATION ON THE ANIMAL(S)
The following screen will show you each animal that you have selected to be transferred. Each animal’s registration number, birthdate, tattoo and sex are listed within each section to differentiate for those who may be sending animals to multiple buyers within the same process. If you are transferring all animals within the transfer queue to the same buyer locate the section at the top of the screen (Figure A) asking for the buyer information. If you are transferring animals to multiple buyers within the same transfer queue enter the details for each animal individually (Figure B). Only enter information in the
top section if all animals within the queue are going to the same buyer.
Once you have identified your buyer, locate the white box under “% Transferred”. If you are transferring the animal completely to the buyer, enter 100. If you are retaining ownership of the animal in any capacity, you will enter the percentage this buyer possesses: 50%, 33%, etc. Finally, be sure the transfer date matches their purchase date. Once the transfer details have been entered according to the sale, location, and date
AB
select “Validate” under each animal’s detail section. If all details turn GREEN, simply select the preference of the buyer regarding the registration certificate: “Mail to Buyer”, “Email to Buyer”, and “No Certificate Requested”. The option to email a digital certificate to the buyer is
only made possible if the buyer has an email address on file with the AGA. If an error appears, contact the AGA office directly for assistance.
THE AMERICAN RANCHER
FEATURING GELBVIEH & BALANCER
APRIL 8, 2024, 8 P.M. CENTRAL ON RFD-TV
HOW DO I LOCATE MY BUYER’S MEMBER OR NON-MEMBER NUMBER?
In the white box beneath “Buyer”, you will enter the AGA member number of the individual you wish to transfer the animal to. If you do not know their AGA member number or if they are not a member of the association, simply click “Search for Buyer”.
On this screen, you will be prompted to enter the buyer’s zip code and select “Find Profiles”. This will initiate a search for any individual/ranch that has purchased Gelbvieh or Balancer® animals in the past. If the buyer is found within that list, simply click the box to the left of their name. If the buyer does not appear, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click “Click to Create a New Profile”. You
will be prompted to enter their mailing address creating a non-member number for said buyer.
We encourage you to take advantage of the tools that are available to each member of the AGA. If you have any questions, please call the AGA at 303465-2333. We are always happy to help!F
GELBVIEH AND BALANCER ®
CATTLE FEEDING FORUM
FRIDAY JUNE 14, 2024
KINSLEY FEEDERS, LLC
KINSLEY, KANSAS
JOIN US FOR A FEEDLOT TOUR AND CATTLE VIEWING LEARN MORE ABOUT HEALTH, NUTRITION AND GRID PRICING LUNCH PROVIDED | MORE DETAILS COMING SOON!
* OPEN TO ALL CATTLE PRODUCERS *
SPONSORED
rebuild PREPARE TO THE HERD
by MEGAN UNDERWOOD, M.S.
The opportunity as we move forward is to think about how we rebuild. If you’re down on numbers, it’s time to make decisions that are going to be really long lasting. So, we want to be very thoughtful about what those decisions are. What was a challenge, now becomes an opportunity to change our cattle production system if we want to,” explained Dr. Clay Mathis, Texas A&M University professor and animal science department head. Mathis gave his presentation titled, “Rebuilding – A Systems Approach” during Cattlemen’s College at the Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show on January 31 in Orlando, Florida.
As many producers are starting to experience some drought relief there is opportunity for herd rebuilding. A small cowherd, soil moisture and high prices, are all essential parts of the equation that most have experienced thus far. For a successful herd rebuild, producers must start with a plan. Will they rebuild with the same production system in mind? What were their biggest challenges? Have they considered what their unique situation will require to be successful in the next decade?
Mathis encouraged attendees to use a systems approach when they begin to think about rebuilding their herds. A systems approach is simply a mindset or way of thinking that allows a producer to see the operation’s whole picture and how all parts are interconnected. Using a systems approach allows producers to understand the problem and find leverage to overcome the challenge.
Utilizing a tale of three ranches, Mathis explained how a systems approach works in beef production. Each ranch is in a different state and has different operational goals however, they share the commonality of exceptional ranch mangers. The ranch mangers are great rangeland stewards, have sound accounting systems, understand the gift of heterosis and the power of crossbreeding, market all classes of cattle well, are willing to adapt, and are great at identifying what matters most. While each production
system is different, each manager was able to capture heterosis, decrease the amount of labor needed, decrease depreciation on feedstuffs, equipment and cows, and increase cow production.
When creating a systems approach for their operations producers should ask themselves important questions that require big decisions. Is their production system optimizing labor, feed and depreciation relative to productivity? How many cows should they run? Should they be taking advantage of crossbreeding? Are they committed enough to managerial accounting?
“Labor, purchased feed, and depreciation – more than half of all ranch expenses – fall in these three buckets. If we have a high leverage decision that influences profitability, you can bet it’s probably going to impact labor, purchased feed depreciation, or all three of them at the same time. We’re much more likely to be able to make high leverage decisions in these three areas than differences in utility companies and utility providers,” said Mathis.
To optimize labor, feed and depreciation, a producer must understand their unit cost of production. In a commercial cow/ calf operation, this would be the cost per pound weaned or cost per hundredweight (cwt) weaned. In a seedstock operation, the unit cost of production is the cost per head weaned. For example, if it cost $80,000 to raise 50,000 pounds of weaned calves, then the unit cost of production is $80,000 divided by 50,000 pounds weaned thus, the unit cost of production is $1.60 per pound weaned or $160 per cwt weaned.
Overall cow numbers and fixed costs effect ranch profitability. Profit equates to revenue with fixed costs and variable costs deducted. Fixed costs are generally 60 percent of costs in an operation, with variable costs being the remaining 40 percent of costs.
What is one more cow worth in net income? For example, if you have 100 cows with a revenue of $105,000, you
subtract your fixed costs of $60,000 and variable cost of $40,000, to have a net income of $5,000. One cow has a revenue of $1,050, fixed cost of $500, variable cost of $400, and a net revenue of $50. However, adding one more cow will result in $650 revenue in excess of variable cost that can be used to cover fixed costs or is simply profit, as your fixed costs do not increase by adding one more cow. Fixed costs are the referred to as the DIRTI 5: depreciation, interest, repairs, taxes and insurance; plus, the cost of labor.
Additionally, Mathis highlighted the value of crossbreeding and heterosis for ranch profitability as to many producers it’s often a forgotten science. Crossbred females will produce at least a thousand pounds more of calf weaned in their lifetime – that’s the power of hybrid vigor.
“If you know what your goals are, think them through, think really deeply about the challenge you face with your unique situation, and think deeply about the interconnectedness so you can build your production system to hopefully be more resilient in the future because we have this unique opportunity right now,” explained Mathis. “Many will be adding new genetics into their herd. The question of do I come back with stockers or cows? What might be a different way to do what I’ve been doing? What would be better built from a systems standpoint for the future?” F
Thorstenson’s Lazy TV Ranch 43rd Annual Production Sale Report
LOCATION:
At the Ranch, Selby, South Dakota
SALE DATE:
Saturday, March 2, 2024
AUCTIONEERS:
Seth and Lynn Weishaar OWNERS
Vaughn and Wendy Thorstenson, Brian and DeDee Begeman, Levi and Gina Goetz
SALE AVERAGES
$5,892 132 Yearling Balancer® Bulls
$5,517 29 Yearling SimAngus Bulls
$6,024 21 Yearling Angus Bulls
$5,848 182 Yearling Bulls
Reported by WENDY THORSTENSON
$2,470 25 Yearling Balancer and SimAngus Heifers
Beautiful weather, optimistic cattlemen, and a solid offering drew in the largest sale crowd Lazy TV Ranch has ever hosted for their 43rd Annual Production Sale at the ranch west of Selby, South Dakota. Bidding was active in-house and online selling cattle into 10 states.
Lot 109 Lazy TV Homespun L280 — Red Balancer sired by Lazy TV Homemade G420 sold for $18,000 to Diamond D Gelbvieh, Mandan, North Dakota.
Lot 1 Lazy TV Promised Land L270 — Homo-Black Balancer sired by Ellingson Badlands sold to Rippe Gelbvieh, Hubbell, Nebraska, for $17,000.
Lot 2 Lazy TV Bombshell L303 — Homo-Black Balancer out of Bombshell
The red Balancer pen commanded a lot of attention.
204H sold for $17,000 to repeat customer John Haefner, Mound City, South Dakota.
Lot 159 Lazy TV Payout L157 — HomoBlack Balancer x SimAngus hybrid out of Lazy TV Payout sold to John Haefner, Mound City, South Dakota, for $15,000.
Lot 116 Lazy TV Homemade L295 — Red Balancer sired by Lazy TV Homemade G420 sold to longtime customer Hicks Ranch, Martin, South Dakota, for $12,500.
Lot 31 Lazy TV Old West L132 — Homo-Black Balancer sired by Varilek Historic sold to Stuecken Brothers, Freeburg, Missouri, for $12,500.
Longtime customer Jay Poindexter of P Spear Ranch, Ree Heights, South Dakota, and Ryan Spilde, Highmore, South Dakota, chose several highquality black Balancer bulls.
Art Ceroll of Ceroll Gelbvieh, Sisseton, South Dakota, purchased Lot 10, Lazy TV Bullseye for $11,000.
Kade and Keith Bonenberger, Belvidere, South Dakota, selected SimAngus and Balancer bulls.
Three generations of Ritters (Royce, Cody, and Kasen) of Akaska, South Dakota, selected six quality red Balancer bulls.
Nebraska Cattlemen’s Classic Sale Report
Reported by KERRY SPENCE & TOM MURPHY
The Gelbvieh and Balancer® breed was the highest selling at the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Classic – The Classic. The sale was held on February 22, 2024, in Kearney, Nebraska. The Gelbvieh and Balancer sale had the highest selling heifers among all other breeds and there was only one other bull who sold for more. The Champion Gelbvieh/Balancer Bull went on to supreme row and was selected as Reserve Supreme Champion Bull. Bulls averaged $6,934, and heifers averaged $7,231.
The Grand Champion Bull, SEPT KKKG Lincoln Lawyer L304, from September Farms, Franklin, Nebraska, and Triple K Gelbvieh, Basehor, Kansas, sold for $8,000, to Jared Walahoski, Overton, Nebraska.
The Reserve Champion Bull, XXB Shooter 706L, from Boehler Gelbviehs, Orleans, Nebraska, sold for $8,000, to Brad Mills, Stratton, Colorado.
The Grand Champion Heifer, SEPT Gingersnap Martin K290, from
September Farms, Franklin, Nebraska, sold two-thirds interest for $12,500, to Teagan Butterfield, Atkinson, Nebraska.
The Reserve Grand Champion Heifer, XXB Tessa 417/358L, from Boehler Gelbviehs, Orleans, Nebraska, sold for $13,500, to Paige Walahoski, Overton, Nebraska.
Grand Champion Bull
Grand Champion Female
Reserve Champion Bull
Reserve Champion Female
Reserve Supreme Bull
Gustin’s Diamond D Gelbvieh
Annual Production Sale Report
LOCATION: Medina, North Dakota
SALE DATE: February 15, 2024
AUCTIONEER: Jay Elfeldt
AGRI-MEDIA REP: Andrew Swanson for Kirby Goettsch
There was a large crowd on hand on a brisk winter day for the Gustin’s Diamond D Gelbvieh Production Sale. Both bulls and females were in strong demand from start to finish with cattle selling into eight states and Canada.
SALE AVERAGES:
79 Bulls averaged $6,189
31 Bred Heifers averaged $4,056
TOP SELLING BULLS:
Lot 52. $22,000, DDGR Challenger 82L, March 24, 2023, DDGR Baller 429G x CCRO Carolina Leverage 3214A, Prairie Hills Gelbvieh, Gladstone, North Dakota.
Reported by SARAH HEINRICH
Lot 4. $12,000, DDGR Tradition 7L, March 4, 2023, PHG Eminence E02 x JKGF Chief F810, Ledgerwood Gelbvieh, Clarkston, Washington.
Lot 31. $10,500, DDGR Armor 48L, March 16, 2023, RWG Grand Plan 9420 ET x BNC At Ease A357, Moe Gelbvieh, Walcott, North Dakota.
Lot 24. $10,000, DDGR Nitro 37L, March 14, 2023: FHG Flying H Mr. 457E/H. Made 143J ET x SOR Schuler Rebel 0029X, Henry Peeters, Chatfield, Minnesota.
Lot 48. $10,000, DDGR Duke 305L, March 22, 2023: JKGF Chief F810 x THUL B401, Jason and Angie Doll, New Salem, North Dakota.
Lot 55. $10,000, DDGR Freightliner 89L, March 25, 2023, DDGR Authority 122J x FMH 2020 Mr At Ease 510C, Brentt and Todd Eslinger, Elgin, North Dakota.
Lot 62. $10,000, DDGR Knockout 108L, March 31, 2023 DRT Lonesome Bay
Area 376H x PHG Da Vinci D52, Kraft Gelbvieh, Turtle Lake, North Dakota.
TOP SELLING BRED HEIFER:
Lot 110. $6,500, DDGR Sabrina 362K, RWG Grand Plan 9420 ET x VRT Lazy TV Sam U451 due with a bull calf by JOB Top Shelf 38K, Cedar Top Ranch, Stapleton, Nebraska.
EVENTS OF INTEREST
APRIL 2024
APRIL 6 Circle S Ranch 17th Annual “Going to Grass” Production Sale, Canton, Kan.
APRIL 13 Knoll Crest Farm Spring Bull and Female Sale, Red House, Va.
APRIL 27 Butler Creek Farm “Power in the Blood” Fall Born Female, Embryo & Semen Sale, Milton, Tenn.
MAY 2024
MAY 3 Seedstock Plus Online Female Sale, DVAuction. com
MAY 26-27
AGJA Southern Magnolia Classic Eastern Regional, Batesville, Miss.
JUNE 2024
J UNE 1-2
AGJA Prairie Trail Showdown Western Regional, Canton, Kan.
JUNE 30 – JULY 5
2024 AGJA Way Out West Classic, Woodward, Okla.
DECEMBER 2024
DEC. 6 Knoll Crest Farm Total Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va.
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 meganunderwood@gelbvieh.org. This includes tours, expos, field days and other Gelbvieh events.
Jarvis
E. Limestone Rd. • Phillipsburg, Kan. 67661 e-mail: bararrow@ruraltel.net • 785-543-8120
MINNESOTA
BREEDERS CORNER
59466 krankin@northerntel.net 406-460-0535 www.kickinghorseranch.com
NEBRASKA
GELBVIEH BALANCER ANGUS V V Private Treaty Bull & Heifer Sales • Orchard, Neb. Val Livingston • www.88ranch.com • 402-655-2288
Scott & Raberta Starr 212 Starr Drive • Stapleton, NE 69163 (H): 308-587-2293 • (C): 308-530-3900 cedartopranch@gpcom.net
FLYING H GENETICS
Guaranteed Bulls and Females Kyle Helms 308-962-6940
Herd Bull & Female Sales in March & November
Helms 307-840-0920 Follow us on Facebook & at www.flyinghgenetics.com
& Patty Goes 39414 SW 75th Rd. Odell, Neb. 68415 (402) 766-3627
Eppley 402-6210-359 23685 Sartoria Road - Amherst, NE 68812 308-233-4704 or 308-293-0692
Taubenheim Gelbvieh
Mike, Justin, & Tanner Taubenheim www.taubenheimgelbvieh.com Production Sale First Monday in February
308.537.3588 308.529.3733 Gothenburg, Neb. • wolfgelbvieh@gmail.com www.facebook/wolfgelbvieh.com Eldon Starr: 1-800-535-6173 or Rich Johnson: 402-368-2209 Cedar Top Ranch
Kyle & Lori Kuker Shubert, NE Gelbvieh Bulls Black Balancer Females Red 402-883-7246 402-883-2366 402-245-7512 sqblkfarms.com Facebook.com/sqblkfarms sqblkfarms@gmail.com To purchase a Breeder Block, contact Malerie Markley at malerie@gelbvieh.org or 303-465-2333.
Rob Arnold
lori.maude@gmail.com Annual Bull Sale
6700 County Rd. 19 S. Minot, N.D. 58701 (701) 624-2051 (H) (701) 720-8823 (C)
Email: RLAGelbvieh@aol.com
Registered Gelbvieh & Balancers®
Dennis & Sherry Gustin Family Al and Peggy Gustin Mandan, N.D. • 701-663-7266
Richie & Sarah Heinrich 701-320-6484 (cell) email: gustindd@wildblue.net www.gustinsdiamondd.com
OKLAHOMA
VIRGINIA
koehncattlecompany@gmail.com
Cell: 605-620-0023
Cell: 605-860-1237
Email: rthull@msn.com Duane, Rhonda, Kristyne, Jordan, Brooke Thull Oldham, South Dakota Purebred bulls and heifers for sale by private treaty
Janice, Dustin & Britney
605-852-2131 kvolek@venturecomm.net
ADVERTISING INDEX
COW FEMALE GENOTYPING PROJECT
THANKS TO GENEROUS SUPPORT FROM THE AMERICAN GELBVIEH FOUNDATION, TESTS ARE NOW BEING OFFERED AT A NEW LOW PRICE OF $20/HEAD!
Discover the Cow Power in your herd
Members will receive a special research price of $20 on a GGP 100k genomic test to DNA test at least 90% of their current active cow inventory.
The Cow Power Female Genotyping Project is a collaborative effort with the American Gelbvieh Association, American Gelbvieh Foundation, and Neogen to increase the number of genotypes and phenotypic information on females in the AGA herdbook. Collection of this information helps to increase the accuracy and predicting power of EPDs used to describe Gelbvieh and Balancer® cattle.
Participants that submit mature weights and body condition scores electronically on at least 90% of their current active cow inventory will receive an additional, one-time $4 rebate per head.
Requirements:
DNA samples must be collected with an Allflex Tissue Sampling Unit. Blood and hair samples are not eligible for this project.
*This is a research project and DNA turnaround time, data processing, and other timelines within this project are not reflective of current AGA turnaround times.
For more information or to enroll in the project, contact the AGA office at 303-465-2333 or email dna@gelbvieh.org.
Scott & Raberta Starr 212 Starr Drive • Stapleton, NE 69163
308-530-3900 (Scott) • 308-530-2720 (Austin) cedartopranch@yahoo.com • Facebook: Cedar Top Ranch
Eldon & Kathy Starr 210 Starr Dr • Stapleton, NE 69163 bullbarn@bullbarn.com • 800-535-6173 www.bullbarn.com