FAST FACTS

Who We Are

The American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) is dedicated to recording and promoting Gelbvieh, Balancer and Gelbvieh-influenced cattle, while providing members and their customers programs and services to advance the breed. The AGA consists of approximately 1,100 members with a registry database that contains over 1 million animals including approximately 40,000 currently active Gelbvieh, Balancer® and Gelbvieh-influenced cows.

The Strengths Of Gelbvieh

The Gelbvieh breed is well known throughout the industry for their maternal strengths and superior growth. With attributes such as more pounds of calf weaned, added fertility, greater cow herd longevity and heavier carcass weights, just to name a few, Gelbvieh and Balancer offer genetics that work for the commercial cattle business.

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

U.S. Meat Animal Research Center data shows Gelbvieh females have the most moderate mature cow size of the seven major beef breeds. This reduced mature cow size allows for puberty to be reached at an earlier age, which leads to calving earlier in the season and producing a heavier calf at a younger age.

Gelbvieh and Balancer cattle excel in traits such as growth, stayability, and productivity. Using Gelbvieh and Balancer genetics in a crossbreeding program can help increase profitability of an operation. See additional pounds and added profit through more efficiency and greater longevity of cows as well as heavier, faster gaining feeder cattle.

WHAT IS A BALANCER ® ?

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

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.

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.

LOOKING TO BUY BULLS THIS SPRING?

If you’re a producer looking to purchase new genetics for your herd this spring, use Gelbvieh.org as your goto 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.

WATCH “THE AMERICAN RANCHER”

Mark your calendar for Monday, February 20, 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).

Focus On Programs For Commercial Producers

Feeder Finder

Feeder Finder is a free email service offered by AGA to promote and assist in marketing load lots of Gelbvieh and Balancer-influenced feeder cattle. Producers who have cattle to sell are encouraged to fill out the online form or contact AGA staff to submit information about their cattle.

BALANCER® EDGE

Balancer® Edge is a source and age verification program for feeder cattle sired by Gelbvieh and Balancer bulls. Offered by the AGA in partnership with IMI Global, this program gives producers the opportunity to participate in a breed-identified feeder calf marketing program with the option to customize. Balancer® Edge customers can choose additional value-added programs, which open the doors to additional markets and the opportunity to generate even more value for their feeder calves.

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 programs or assist in marketing Gelbvieh-influenced breeding animals or feeder cattle. To learn more about our commercial marketing services, contact Tom Strahm, AGA commercial marketing director, at 785-547-7999 or tom@gelbvieh.org.

Gelbvieh Media Productions Professional Design Services

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 Malerie help you catch the eye of your customers with custom logo art, business card design, letterhead design, brochures, flyers, postcards, calendars, websites and more. To learn more, contact Malerie Markley at malerie@gelbvieh.org.