February 2015 Profit Picture by American Gelbvieh Association

February 2015 | www.GELBVIEH.org

In this Issue: Creating UserFriendly Replacement Heifers Are You Ready for Calving? Perrymann Banking on Balancer® Bull Buying Decisions in the Good Times Buying Late Bred Cows and Their Potential for Additional Revenue

What is the Value in Buying a Bull with GenomicEnhanced EPDs? Improvements in Expected Progeny Difference (EPD) accuracy has historically been driven by phenotypic record collection directly on the trait of interest (e.g. marbling score, calving ease) or on indicator traits (e.g. ultrasound measures, birth weight). By Matt Spangler, Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln CONSEQUENTLY, ACCURACY values for yearling bulls purchased by commercial producers will be low. In most cases only the bull’s pedigree information and own performance records for traits observed before sale day will be included in his EPD calculations. No daughters will have been produced at that time, so only pedigree estimate or interim EPDs will be available for maternal traits, and these EPD have low accuracies. Additional information from another source is needed to improve the accuracy of the EPDs of yearling bulls. Results from genomic tests, often referred to as Molecular Breeding Values (MBV), have proven to be a valuable source of added information for breeds that have capitalized on the technology and included them into EPDs. Genomic tests evolve as quickly as new cell phones and the U.S. beef industry has witnessed considerable evolution in terms of the genomic tests

available in the marketplace. The underlying question commonly asked by producers is “Do genomic tests work?” It is critical to understand that this is a somewhat ambiguous question and not simply answered with a yes or no. The important question to ask is “How well do genomic tests work?”, and the answer to that question is related to how much of the genetic variation the genomic test explains. The benefit, or the increase in EPD accuracy, will be dependent upon the proportion of genetic variation (%GV) explained by a given genomic test. (See accompanying article on page 12) A very powerful genomic test that explains close to half of the genetic differences between animals is, by itself, limited to a BIF accuracy of 0.29. Consequently, MBVs should not be thought of as a separate independent predictor Continued on page 10

American Gelbvieh Association 10900 Dover Street Westminster, CO 80021

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Selling February 17, 2015 • Burwell, Neb. Incredible Quality ... selected from a continual AI program since 1965. You won’t find a better set Guaranteed! Guaranteed Genetics to convert grass to pounds, because after all what we are really selling is grass. Add genetics that will more efficiently convert grass to pounds, ultimately adding more dollars to your bottom line than any other trait. Good ranchers ride good horses and have great hard working cows eating their grass. At Cedar Top Ranch we demand both. Pampered cattle simply don’t have the bred-in ability to do their most important function of converting grass to protein. Cedar Top cows do this better than any other program in the country. Hard working cows make hard working bulls.

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2 | February 2015

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Visit our website: www.cattlemensconnection.com For a complete listing of AI Sires, their stats, DNA, pedigrees and EPDs The Profitpicture | 3

Contents Features What is the Value in Buying a Bull with GenomicEnhanced EPDs?

By Matt Spangler, Ph.D.

In-Depth Look at the Value of Increased Accuracy 12 By Matt Spangler, Ph.D.

Over the Fence with Greg Comstock

By Rebecca Mettler

Creating User-Friendly Replacement Heifers

By Rebecca Mettler

Strategies to Successfully Manage Reproduction

44 48 59

By Jason Vance

Are You Ready for Calving?

By Brenda Black

Read the Signs, Follow the Map

By Myron Edleman

Carrying capacity influences Leased Land Value

By Dan Childs

Bull Buying Decisions in the Good Times

By George Perry

By Dr. Michelle Arnold

Preventing Calf Scours

By Robert Wells

Emergency Calf Management After Dystocia

Perrymann Banking on Balancer®

Important Considerations before Implementing an Estrus Synchronization or Artificial Insemination Program 94

By Aaron Berger

Artificial Insemination Increases Profits

By Rick Rasby

By Steve Munger

What Did it Cost You to Produce a calf in 2014?

By Warren Rusche

By Tory Smith

BIF President and AGA member explains BIF’s Focused Approach to Research

Body Condition Scoring Your Beef Cow Herd

By Richard Randle

Buying Late Bred Cows and Their Potential for Additional Revenue

By Shannon Sand

Selection Tools to Manage Risk for the Commercial Producer 100 By Kelli Retallick

News Crossbreeding. A Profit Building Tool that Can’t be Denied

Did You Know?

Recommendations for Receiving Cattle

Request Your Free Subscription The Profit Picture is the commercially-focused tabloid publication published in October and February by the American Gelbvieh Association, focused on issues important to the commercial cow-calf producer. 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, 10900 Dover Street, Westminster, CO 80021. Comments and feedback welcome to lynnv@gelbvieh.org or 303-4652333. Also, visit www.GELBVIEH.org to subscribe to our new The Profit Picture Enewsletter, to receive montly news updates.

4 | February 2015

Name: ____________________________________________________

Address: __________________________________________________

City, State, Zip: _____________________________________________

Subscribe online at www.gelbvieh.org/communication/ subscriptionssignup.html

The Profitpicture | 5

Contents Editorial Important Decisions as We Expand the Nation’s Cowherd By Rob Arnold

Gelbvieh Cattle and Tools By Myron Edelman

American Gelbvieh Association’s Additions to the Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) Lineup By AGA Staff The Future of Your Herd Depends on a Smart Investment By William McIntosh

Why are we Leaving Profits on the Table? By Callahan Grund

AGA DNA Testing Options By AGA Staff

104

In Every Issue 26 29

American Gelbvieh Association Releases Maternal Edge Female Profile 30 By AGA Staff Where We’ve Been and Where We are going - Cattle Market Outlook By Rebecca Mettler

A Note to the Seedstock Supplier - Keep Up on Customer Service 72 By William McIntosh

39 54

Places to Be

106

Ad Index

108

Breeders Sections Southern Breeders Southeast Breeders Midwest Breeders Upper Midwest Breeders Western Breeders Northeast Breeders Service Center

73 81 82-83 86-87 89 90 92

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

10900 Dover Street F Westminster, CO 80021 Main phone: 303-465-2333 F Fax: 303-465-2339 www.GELBVIEH.org F info@gelbvieh.org Facebook: American Gelbvieh Association

ASSOCIATION STAFF Myron Edelman Executive Director myrone@gelbvieh.org (ex. 480)

Kari White Breed Improvement Data Analyst kario@gelbvieh.org (ex. 483)

Susan Willmon Director of Breed Improvement susanw@gelbvieh.org (ex. 484)

Lynn Valentine Gelbvieh Media Productions Coordinator lynnv@gelbvieh.org (ex. 486)

Dolores Gravley Customer Services doloresg@gelbvieh.org (ex. 481) Patti Showman Customer Services pattis@gelbvieh.org (ex. 478) Carrie Tilghman Junior Activities Coordinator carriet@gelbvieh.org 270-404-0828 Dianne Coffman Director of Administration diannec@gelbvieh.org (ex. 479)

6 | February 2015

Rebecca Mettler Editorial Content Coordinator rebeccam@gelbvieh.org 940-255-5471 Megan Slater Public Relations Coordinator megans@gelbvieh.org (ex. 463) William McIntosh Commercial Marketing Specialist williamm@gelbvieh.org 502-867-3132

Neal Pearson, President (2015) Lake City, SD • 605-448-5653 njpearson@venturecomm.net

Duane Strider, Secretary (2015) Asheboro, NC • 910-428-4568 ccrosscattle@yahoo.com

Dan Warner, V. President (2013) Beaver City, NE • 308-962-6511 dan@warnerbeef.com

Grant Thayer, Treasurer (2014) Ramah, CO • 303-621-2058 grant@jumpingcowgelbvieh.com

DIRECTORS Brian Dunn (2013) St. John, KS • 620-549-6516 dunnfarm@hotmail.com Emily Griffiths (2014) Kendallville, IN • 260-242-1552 ejgriffiths.eg@gmail.com Bob Hart (2014) Kansas City, KS • 816-225-8530 bhart@hartfarm.net Andy LeDoux (2015) Agenda, KS • 785-732-6564 ledouxranch@hotmail.com David Martin (2014) Judsonia, AR • 501-728-4950 martincattleco@windstream.net Dustin Rippe (2015) Hubble, NE • 316-323-4874 dustin.rippe@yahoo.com

Lowell Rogers (2015) Seminary, MS • 601-270-4152 lrdrsmiley@gmail.com Ronnie Rogers (2013) Mendon, MO • 660-375-7266 rogers_valley_farm_feedlot@hotmail.com Scott Starr (2013) Stapleton, NE • 308-587-2293 cedartopranch@gpcom.net Walter Teeter (2014) Mt. Ulla, NC • 704-236-7980 waltert@republicrefrigeration.com Gary Tilghman (2013) Glasgow, KY • 270-678-5695 gtilghma@uky.edu

The Profitpicture | 7

8 | February 2015

The Profitpicture | 9

Feature of genetic merit, but rather as a potentially useful indicator that is correlated to the trait of interest. Combining the genomic information with traditional sources of EPD information increases the accuracy of the resulting GenomicEnhanced EPD (GE-EPD).The combined information has the potential to increase the rate of genetic change by both increasing the accuracy of selection and decreasing the generation interval. Additionally, lower accuracy animals benefit more from the inclusion of genomic information and the benefits decline when the EPD accuracy increases because additional progeny performance records overwhelm the amount of information that can be supplied by current genomic tests.

Value of Increased Information The largest impact of genomics is increasing the rate of genetic change, or described simply

falls within. Every trait and accuracy level has its own possible change value and should be published in sire evaluations in a table. The majority of commercial bull buyers are concerned with calving ease. This is an understandable priority if the bull(s) will be mated to heifers. Of course, the most predictive tool is the calving ease direct (CED) EPD. Assume a yearling bull has a CED EPD of 10 and the accuracy of his EPD is 0.20. The possible change associated with his EPD for CED given an accuracy of 0.2 is 6.2. This means we are 95 percent confident that his true EPD for CED is between -2.4 and 22.4 (the bull’s EPD plus 2 possible change values and minus two possible change values). There is only a 2.5 percent chance his true EPD is below -2.4 and a 2.5 percent chance his true EPD is greater than 22.4. Admittedly that is a wide range, a difference of 24.8 percent in unassisted births. What if we could narrow that range by increasing the bull’s accuracy to 0.3 by having him tested with a genomic test and having that information included into his EPD? Now the possible change value is 5.4 and we can be 95 percent confident that his true EPD is between -0.8 and 20.8. It is clear that we are more confident in his EPD, and the risk that it is far below our desired level has been reduced. What could this mean financially?

The majority of commercial bull buyers are concerned with calving ease. This is an understandable priority if the bull(s) will be mated to heifers. as making better animals faster. This value is captured by the commercial cow-calf sector by having an opportunity to purchase better bulls and reducing the amount of time it takes to create them at the seedstock level. This is due to the increased accuracy of yearling bulls and thus the ability to use them more heavily earlier in life in the seedstock sector. However, for a commercial bull buyer the most immediate benefit of genomics comes in the form of mitigating the risk associated with making a bull purchasing decision. Although EPDs (and economic index values) are the most useful tools for making selection decisions they are imperfect predictors. We quantify our degree of belief in the EPDs by using accuracy figures. A more tangible way of representing accuracy is possible change. Possible change can be thought of as the standard deviation of an EPD and a way to put upward and lower bounds on an EPD given certain level of accuracy. Or in other words, possible change determines a range (confidence interval) that the true EPD

10 | February 2015

When the bull’s accuracy was 0.2 the lower bound of our 95 percent confidence interval was -2.4 and when his accuracy increased it became -0.8. These represent “worst case scenarios”. The difference between these two lower bounds is 1.6 percent in unassisted births. Perhaps this doesn’t seem large but if we assume he will sire 25 calves per year on average over a four year period that equates to 100 calves. Conservatively this could represent a cost savings of $750. The economic benefit for a trait like calving difficulty depends on the herd’s current level of calving difficulty. If this trait is a problem for a herd, the economic value could increase substantially. Let’s consider a growth trait like weaning weight. If we were to consider a yearling bull with a weaning weight EPD of 66 and an accuracy of 0.3 the possible change would be 11.4. If we increase his accuracy to 0.4 via genomic testing, the possible change shrinks to 9.8. Using the same process as the example for calving ease, the difference between the two

“worst case scenarios” is 3.2 lbs. of weaning weight. If we’re conservative and assume that the added weaning weight is worth $2.00 per pound, it equates to $6.40 per calf. If the bull sires 100 calves over his lifetime, this is $640. These are very modest gains in accuracy and only two traits have been used as examples. Every trait is impacted with the addition of genomic data. If a commercial producer can capture value for all traits that impact profitability across the production chain, the sum of the reduced risk begins to add up quickly. Another caveat is that the above examples evaluate only risk and the bull is as equally likely to be better than predicted as he is worse.

Conclusions Genomic testing and the corresponding Genomic-Enhanced EPD have become a reality. Within-breed genomic predictions have proven to add accuracy, particularly to young bulls, for several traits. The crux of adoption will be getting commercial bull buyers to see the value in, and thus pay for, increased EPD accuracy. Commercial producers need to realize that EPDs, and economic index values, are the currency of the realm for beef cattle selection. Genomic technology only makes these tools stronger, it does not replace them. Seedstock producers need to realize that genotyping animals does not replace the need to collect phenotypic data. Phenotypic data is essential in order to ensure that adequate information exists to re-evaluate genomic tests and to guarantee that sires in the seedstock sector continue to gain accuracy. nnn

The Profitpicture | 11

Feature

In-Depth Look at the Value of Increased Accuracy Matt Spangler, Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln Table 1 shows the relationship between the %GV and Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) accuracy. BIF accuracy is the standard for all U.S. beef breeds.

%GV 1 4 9 16 25 36 49

BIF 0.005 0.020 0.046 0.083 0.132 0.200 0.286

Table 1. The relationship between the proportion of genetic variation explained (%GV), and Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) accuracy.

Table 2 illustrates the benefit that the inclusion of genomic information has on the accuracy of a GE-EPD when the MBV explains 40 percent of the genetic variation. The darker portion of the bars shows the EPD accuracy before the inclusion of genomic information and the lighter colored portion shows the increase in accuracy after the inclusion of the MBV into the EPD calculation. As the %GV increases, the increase in EPD accuracy becomes larger Regardless of the %GV assumed here, the benefits of including genomic information into an EPD dissipates when EPD accuracy is between 0.6 and 0.7 and above. On the other hand, when the %GV is 40 an animal with an accuracy of 0 (zero) could exceed 0.2 accuracy with genomic information alone. This would be comparable to having approximately four progeny for a highly heritable trait or seven progeny for a moderately heritable trait (Table 3).

BIF 0.01 0.02 0.05 0.08 0.13 0.2 0.29 0.4 0.56 0.99

Heritability Levels h2 (0.1) h2 (0.3) 1 1 2 1 4 2 8 3 13 5 22 7 38 12 70 22 167 53 3800 1225

h2 (0.5) 1 1 1 2 3 4 7 13 30 700

Table 3. Increase in accuracy from integrating genomic information that explains 40% of the genetic variation into Estimated Breeding Values (EBV).

Table 2 12 | February 2015

. e t a l P o t e r u t s a P m Fro 80% 80% 35% Quality Grade CHOICE

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Yield Grade 1’s and 2’s

At Cranview Gelbvieh, we believe in “Balanced Genetics”. We define this concept in our breeding program as a balanced combination of traits. These traits include attractive phenotypes, proven pedigrees, growth and performance, and the ability to grade on the rail. Check out the data above on our most recent load of finished cattle. Furthermore, we take our selection criteria one step further than most. We performance test our bulls and replacement females and incorporate the latest DNA technology. This attention to detail continues to propel our program forward and helps make our customers money. In the end, our ultimate goal is to produce Gelbvieh and Balancer™ genetics that fulfill the needs of the commercial cattlemen, the demands of the beef industry and the satisfaction of the consumer! BSF Princess W2 • Angus dam that produced the 2014 Reserve Champion Angus Bull in Denver.

CRAN Spice Z253

CRAN Vanessa X061 ET • Sold to Eagle Pass Ranch in the 2012 National Gelbvieh Sale. CRAN Z251 ET • Sold for $22,000 to Eagle Pass Ranch, Beastrom Gelbvieh, and Jumping Cow Gelbvieh in the 2014 National Gelbvieh Sale!

EGL T003 “Tiara”

Over 70+ Bulls and 20 Show and Replacement Heifers out of these great females will sell at our Annual Progress and Performance Sale. Be sure to look for their ET progeny in this year’s sale!

MARCH 28, 2015 • 1PM CST • RuGBy, ND

RobeRt and bill aRnold • esmond, nd

PH: 701.720.8823 or 701.624.2051 Rlagelbvieh@aol.com • www.cRanviewgelbvieh.com The Profitpicture | 13

Editorial

Important Decisions as We Expand the Nation’s Cowherd As many producers look back on 2014, it may be remembered as one of the most profitable years in the cattle industry. Cattle and beef prices reached record levels in 2014 and are currently on pace to maintain those levels in 2015. By Rob Arnold HOWEVER, IT IS IMPERATIVE that we don’t allow ourselves to become complacent. I recently read an article in the National Cattlemen magazine entitled “Are Beef Cattle Producers Using the Available Technologies?” In that article, John Patterson, executive director of education with National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, writes, “It is embarrassing that we have known for 80 years heterosis is beneficial to the commercial cow-calf producer, and yet are neglecting it. It seems genetic technologies are some of the most underutilized in this business.” He goes on to say, “Even simple and guaranteed profit enhancing technologies like systematic crossbreeding are often the victim of marketing and misinformation.” I am proud to say that the American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) has always promoted the benefits of crossbreeding. I’m not sure who originally discovered or quantified the value of crossbreeding but I have always heard it was worth a minimum of an extra 50 pounds at weaning added to each calf produced. So if you are a commercial producer with 30 cows and you have a 90 percent birth rate (allowing 10 percent

for opens and death loss), you would produce 1350 more pounds at weaning in a single year. To quantify what that means, if those calves brought $2.50 per pound that would be an extra $3,375 for just implementing a crossbreeding program and taking advantage of heterosis.

Because Angus has the largest market share of cows in the United States, the question becomes, “What should they be bred to?” If you are a commercial producer and you want to take advantage of heterosis, I would strongly encourage you to consider Gelbvieh genetics. Gelbvieh genetics offer industry relevant attributes including growth, performance, maternal, efficiency and carcass. And one of the most often overlooked attributes is the docility of Gelbvieh cattle. It is obvious to me that more and more commercial producers are recognizing these attributes because Gelbvieh genetics continue to expand across the entire U.S. AGA memberships have slightly increased over the past four years and so have our cow numbers, all in a time

Seedstock producers depend on commercial customers to stay in business. Commercial customers depend on seedstock producers to offer them genetic packages that will keep them, not only industry relevant, but in the forefront of the industry.

14 | February 2015

when overall cow numbers have retreated due to environmental conditions across many areas of

the country. According to the latest information, the U.S. cowherd has just started to expand again. As the cowherd expands, there are a lot of different scenarios for cow placements. Some ranches are starting over with new cows; others are replenishing cows that were liquidated due to environmental reasons or younger the generation taking over, etc. In all of these situations, I would encourage every commercial producer to do their research. Find the genetic seedstock supplier(s) that offers what you are looking for and stick with them. Seedstock suppliers come in various sizes and services. If you need a fairly large quantity of bulls each year find the suppliers that can offer you those options. If you have a small herd and you want bulls that are very quiet, seek a smaller operation that probably spends a lot more time in those pens with their animals. The list goes on and on regarding the features a commercial producer might consider. Examples include warranties, data, utilization of artificial insemination and embryo transplant, available delivery services, buyback options on the calves or types of Gelbvieh genetics (Balancer, purebred, or both). Seedstock producers depend on commercial customers to stay in business. Commercial customers depend on seedstock producers to offer them genetic packages that will keep them, not only industry relevant, but in the forefront of the industry. I was told at a seminar once that we live in an information driven environment. That may be so, but communication, relationships and service are still the three pillars that hold this information driven environment together. I encourage everyone to cultivate and foster those relationships as we all depend on each other for long-term success. nnn

The Profitpicture | 15

16 | February 2015

BULLS FOR THE COMMERCIAL CATTLEMAN Mr Watchman 3514A • AMGV1287811

Mr Ten X 425B • AMGV1288007 CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM ST DMI YG CW REA MB FPI EPI

13 -0.8 75 107 18 56 4 8 0.02 -0.16 31 0.27 0.27 81.24 106.66

BA 75% • Homo Black • Homo Polled Sire: Lazy TV Watchman Full brother to DBRG Foundation 2310Z (photo)

BA 50% • Homo Black • Hetro Polled Sire: AAR Ten X 7998 S A

Mr Watchman 490B • AMGV1288470

Mr Watchman 4148B ET • AMGV1289227 CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM ST DMI YG CW REA MB FPI EPI

13 -0.7 76 116 30 68 5 5 0.05 -0.20 37 0.49 0.48 88.60 165.00

BA 50% • Homo Black • Homo Polled Sire: Lazy TV Watchman

BA 75% • Homo Black • Homo Polled Sire: Lazy TV Watchman

Mr Outlook 4112B ET • AMGV1289412

Mr Redemption 420B • AMGV1287955 CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM HP PG30 ST YG CW REA MB FPI

Purebred • Homo Black • Hetro Polled Sire: ELK Outlook 712Y

10 2.1 87 120 29 72 6 9.08 -1.05 6 -0.53 43 0.51 -0.32 72.02

CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM ST YG CW REA MB FPI

13 1.7 77 126 25 64 6 5 -0.40 48 1.11 0.96 99.61

CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM ST DMI YG CW REA MB FPI EPI

12 -0.3 84 119 24 65 2 7 0.01 -0.39 39 0.41 0.24 86.40 130.93

CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM ST YG CW REA MB FPI

16 -2.4 73 113 21 58 9 3 -0.18 33 0.57 0.21 82.21

BA 50% • Red • Diluter Free • Homo Polled Sire: JYJ Redemption Y133

16th Annual Bull Sale • March 14, 2015 SALE LOCATION: Belleville 81 Livestock – Bellville, KS

RIPPE GELBVIEH Hubbell, NE The Profitpicture | 17

Editorial

Gelbvieh Cattle and Tools The success of an organization can be measured by the quality of the product they produce, the means in which that product is delivered and the people charged with carrying out the production and marketing of said products. By Myron Edelman THE AMERICAN GELBVIEH ASSOCIATION (AGA) then can be measured by the cattle on inventory at the AGA, the tools available to describe those cattle for selection and breeding purposes and the people that enhance those

tools and carry the “Gelbvieh message”.

The potential for growth and continued increase in mass is one measurement of the association’s health. A larger number of Gelbvieh influenced cattle indicates functionality. Modern beef production persistently demands genetic contributions from traits that have economic value. Cattle with useful genetic information assists producers

at each stage of the supply chain in making informed mating, feeding and marketing decisions. In order to provide an avenue that results in growth, perhaps we should ask a few questions. What positive attributes do Gelbvieh influenced cattle contribute to the beef business? What are the current and future needs of the beef industry? How can Gelbvieh cattle contribute to satisfying those industry needs? Gelbvieh cattle have long been recognized for the maternal strengths of fertility longevity and early age at puberty. The positive influence on the maternal side of the profit equation that Gelbvieh genetics deliver is well known to cattlemen throughout country. Characteristics that allow mother cows to stay in the herd are built in. The Meat Animal Research Center

Chimney Butte Ranch Annual Gelbvieh Production Sale Friday, March 7, 2014 • 1:00 PM CST Kist Livestock, Mandan, ND

Selling 65 bulls Red and Black

Purebred and Balancer® Tough, Rugged Bulls that will Add Value to Your Calf Crop

Chimney Butte Ranch

Video of sale bulls will be available online at: www.ChimneyButteRanch.com after February 10, 2015

18 | February 2015

Doug & Carol Hille

3320 51st Street, Mandan, ND 58554 701-445-7383 or 701-220-2083 E-mail: chimneybutteranch@westriv.com Website: chimneybutteranch.com

Bull Sale

Saturday, February 21, 2015 || 1:00 PM (CST) Napoleon Livestock Auction || Napoleon, North Dakota

DCHD 134B PB Gelbvieh Bull

CDOC 203B PB 88% Gelbvieh Bull

Double Black, Homo Polled SIRE: BDOC Bailey’s Guy 205X

DCHD 073B PB Gelbvieh Bull Homo Black, Homo Polled Red, Homo Polled SIRE: BDOC Bailey’s Guy 205X

SIRE: BDOC Bailey’s Guy 205X

DCHD 109B PB Gelbvieh Bull

DCHD 015B PB Gelbvieh Bull Red, Double Polled SIRE: CIRS 81NY Homo Black, Homo Polled

DCHD 091B PB Gelbvieh Bull

SIRE: DCH Hille Y342

DCHD 077B PB Gelbvieh Bull

Double Black, Double Polled SIRE: BDOC Bailey’s Guy 205X

Selling 65 Gelbvieh Lots

Double Black, Homo Polled

Dwight and Christina Dockter Bailey, Cheyenne, Cierra and Dalton

50 Purebred Bulls and 15 Purebred Heifers || REGISTER AND BID LIVE ONLINE AT WWW.CATTLEUSA.COM ||

4956 41st St. SE, Medina, ND 58467 701-486-3494 • gbgelb@daktel.com

SALE MANAGEMENT BY: Mitchell Marketing Service

www.mms.bz

Chris Mitchell 334-695-1371 Randy Sienknecht 319-290-3763 2262 C Avenue • Gladbrook, IA 50635

SIRE: BDOC Bailey’s Guy 205X

Find Us On

Facebook

Visit www.golden-buckle-gelbvieh.com for complete sale listing and videos.

The Profitpicture | 19

(MARC) data suggests Gelbvieh has the ability to moderate and control mature cow weight. Moderate sized mother cows reputably rebreed

more successfully, are more economical to maintain and ultimately stay in the herd longer.

Figure 1. Gelbvieh/Balancer Stayability EPD trend chart

Follow the trail

How do we know that Gelbvieh cows still have that capability? What measure do we have that suggest Gelbvieh and Balancer® cows are continuing to progress in a positive direction and even improve on the strengths that make Gelbvieh genetics a cerebral choice to influence maternal strength? The stayability EPD for Gelbvieh and Balancer cattle has been trending in a positive direction for near two decades. Gelbvieh’s positive impact on controlling cowherd cost is the first step in the beef

to Gustin’s Diamond D Gelbvieh for proven, consistent genetics backed by three decades of balanced trait selection.

supply sequence to profitability. Do Gelbvieh and Balancer cattle with exceptional maternal strengths also deliver feeder and fed cattle genetically capable of thriving in a feed yard

AGA provides EPDs and indices to influence both the inputs and revenue sides of the profit equation. environment. Do Gelbvieh influenced cattle have the potential for profit in the feeding and packer sectors of the beef industry? Due to small U.S. cowherd inventory the pressure to deliver more pounds per head is very high. Cattle are asked to grow rapidly and reach a desirable weight to produce a carcass much larger than in recent history. Steer carcass

ANNUAL PRODUCTION SALE

FEBRUARY 19, 2015 Selling 80 Bulls & 25 Select Bred Heifers 1:00 p.m. at the Ranch, 11 miles south of Mandan, ND

DDGR 9B • Balancer

DDGR 22B • Balancer

DDGR 79B • Purebred

DDGR 424B • Purebred

Sire: HXC Conquest 4405P BW: 74 • Adj. WW: 719

Sire: Connealy In Focus BW: 73 • Adj. WW: 743

Sire: KKC Nobility 123Y BW: 96 • Adj. WW: 831

Sire: DCSF Captain 153Z2 BW: 94 • Adj. WW: 736

Reference Sires include: Lazy TV Sam U451 (GV) HFGC Hart 35W34 (GV) DCSF Captain 153Z2 (GV) DDGR High Impact 44X (GV)

Lazy TV Powerhouse X554 (GV) Connealy In Focus 4925 (AN) Ellingson Identity 9104 (AN) HXC Conquest 4405P (AR)

• Our bulls are raised without creep feed •

Dennis, Sherry and Jessica Gustin Steve and Katie Stensgard

Richie and Sarah Heinrich

Dennis: 701-663-7266 or 701-400-3483 Sarah: 701-400-3563 gustindd@wildblue.net • www.gustinsdiamondd.com

CATALOG ONLINE JANUARY 30, 2015 • BREEDING GELBVIEH SINCE 1982 20 | February 2015

Al and Peggy Gustin

weights in the U.S. reached a weekly average of over 890 pounds by the end of last year, according to the USDA, to help compensate for the lower numbers of cattle harvested in 2014. AGA explored the potential of Gelbvieh influenced cattle to accommodate feeders and packers to adapt to the demands for cattle on

those EPDs and indices is the ability to simplify the selection process for each AGA stakeholder. $Cow has a maternal focus to simplify the selection process. It’s built with traits aimed directly at controlling input costs and increasing cow productively. The inputs in the feeder profit index (FPI) EPD are directed at selecting cattle with the potential to fulfill the needs of feeders and packers as those cattle enter the supply chain.

cattle with a trend of increased carcass weight. How do Gelbvieh and Balancer breeders apply selection pressure to traits that have economic impact? What means does the AGA develop and provide breeders, commercial cow/calf producers and industry partners with to capitalize on opportunity for genetically superior cattle? First, AGA is a member of the multi-breed genetic evaluation (MBGE) through International Genetic Solutions (IGS). The pedigree file at IGS is near 16 million head of cattle that contribute genetic information to calculate EPDs. The large number of animals used in data calculations increases the accuracy of the predictions used to describe our Gelbvieh and Balancer animals.

The information available on Gelbvieh cattle allows for the development of tools to simplify and expedite the process for ranchers and farmers to reach genetic targets and ultimately increase cowherd productivity and maximize the value of their cattle. Perhaps the most important message is that Gelbvieh cattle have not waited for the industry needs to change. The trends for modern beef production are built into Gelbvieh cattle and the tools to reveal those strengths are accessible through the American Gelbvieh Association. nnn

AGA provides EPDs and indices to influence both the inputs and revenue sides of the profit equation. The value in the enhancement of

Figure 2. Gelbvieh/Balancer Growth Trends

Breeding Gelbvieh genetics since 1971 AGA Member #1 Offering bulls for sale year round! O N RA

Figure 3. Gelbvieh & Balancer Carcass Weight Trend

C I T Y,

feed and ultimately beef production. The result is that Gelbvieh posted an upward trending weaning weight and yearling weight EPDs. Perhaps more importantly, the moderate framed efficient mother Gelbvieh cows are producing

DOBSON RANCH

Dobson Ranch

Jim Dobson • 405.880.6173 John Dobson • 405.880.6661 Quin Peterson • 918.625.2500 12460 E. River Road Kaw City, OK 74641

The Profitpicture | 21

Over the Fence With Greg Comstock

The American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) was pleased to provide a widely knowledgeable and diverse group of presenters at the Impacting the Beef Business™with Maternal Influence panel discussion during the 2015 American Gelbvieh Association Annual Convention. By Rebecca Mettler

Bull Sale

Mark your calendars for the last Friday in February! February 27, 2015 • 11:00 AM MST. High Plains Livestock Brush, Colorado Selling 40 Top Quality, High Performing Balancer® and Gelbvieh Bulls

These bulls are thick muscled, grow fast, and are made for the commercial cattle operation.

Like us on Facebook at Plateau Gelbvieh

22 | February 2015

GREG COMSTOCK, OWNER and manager of Gro-Op LLC. was one of the presenters. Through Gro-Op LLC., Comstock works with beef seedstock and commercial cow/calf operations in the development of long-range strategies designed to grow their beef enterprises. Prior to his solo endeavor, Comstock was on staff at the Red Angus Association of America (RAAA) working both in the commercial marketing department and overseeing breed promotion. Between 2008 and 2013, Comstock also served as RAAA’s CEO. He was an instrumental partner in the formation of the MultiBreed Genetic Evaluation that AGA is now apart of. He was also involved in moving RAAA towards using selection indexes. Comstock spoke about how the beef industry uses economic selection indexes to enhance selection practices. Several important questions were discussed during the panel. Below is a selection of key points and questions during his presentation.

Q: How long has the beef industry used selection indexes? GC: This year marks the 74th birthday for selection indexes being used in the livestock industry. “Something you may not realize is that beef cattle have used selection indexes for a long time. Traits that we take for granted, like yield grade, is a selection index of carcass weight, fat thickness and ribeye. We’ve been using that for a long time and it works.” Yield grade, yearling weight and the other original selection indexes are biological indexes. The next step was to express indexes in economic terms. AGA examples of such economic relevant selection indexes include $Cow, feeder profit index (FPI) and efficiency profit index (EPI).

Q: How is a selection index made? GC: “First we have to research a lot with economic parameters. If we say were are going to apply

economic weight to make these indexes we have to start thinking about what corn costs, what the choice-select spread is. How much does grass cost? How much does it take to get a cow through the winter and what are calves worth?” A tremendous amount of research takes place before the economic parameters are provided to and organization that puts the information through an economic simulation model.

Q: Why should I use that index? I understand why I would select for pre-weaning traits but I sell all of my calves at weaning. How do I benefit from selecting for post weaning traits? GC: “I would argue that even if you sell your calves at weaning it’s very important.”

Commercial cattlemen whose calves top the market do so because of the production history and the reputation of those cattle after they are taken off the ranch. Provide those

One thing an index does is it finds that bull that is one pound low on yearling weight but was great on everything else.

post-weaning traits to build the reputation of your customers’ calves.

Q: What is the payoff for commercial producers who

use selection indexes to determine bull purchases? GC: Commercial customers used to call and ask for a spreadsheet of bull sale offerings. Those producers would set the independent culling levels as according to their herd’s genetic goals. “They would go through every trait that was important to them and set a hard and fast number. The problem with that is that somewhere down the line there was a bull that was one pound below their yearling weight and was way ahead on everything else; stayability, heifer pregnancy, marbling. But they never looked at him because he was one pound less. That bull’s impact on their profitability was way better than the bull that made the list that was just over the line in the growth trait. One thing an index does is it finds that bull that is one pound low on yearling weight but was great on everything else.”

6TH Annual Southwest Iowa Gelbvieh & Balancer Bull & Female Sale

March 20, 2015 • Creston Livestock Auction, Creston, IA

Michael Bauer MJBC Gelbvieh Audubon, IA 712-563-2704 Mjbauer4320@hotmail.com Gary Martens Martens Gelbvieh Walnut, IA 712-764-5007 martensgl@yahoo.com

Call Tom Fry at Creston Livestock Auction (641-344-5082) at least 2 days before sale to qualify bid numbers.

Carl Reiste Rafter R Gelbvieh Adel, IA 515-490-3561 creiste.rafterr@yahoo.com

For online bidding: www.cattleusa.com and click on www.crestonlivestock.com

The Profitpicture | 23

Q: How does selection for $Cow change my herd? GC: “If you use $Cow and use it for an extended period of time, this is what you are breeding for; you are making the biggest change in stayability. It has the highest weighting, that shouldn’t surprise us. If you are using $Cow you are going to take a little mature weight off of your cowherd. You are going to increase calving ease, increase maternal calving ease, heifer pregnancy and 30-month pregnancy. You may not wean heavier calves but if you are weaning more calves you’re still ahead.”

Q: Does using an index force people to single trait select? GC: “By definition the indexes avoid single trait selection. I think it’s safe to say that if you want to define index, it’s long-term breeding objectives that are aligned with your herd’s genetics to increase profitability.” “If you want to make progress in just weaning weight you would make more progress selecting just for weaning weight. But, I would argue that someone who makes that decision isn’t going to move their herd forward and they aren’t going to make their banker happy. If you want to single trait select for anything, single trait select for profit.”

Q: Why is stayability so important and why is it so highly correlated with profit? GC: “Look at all of the reasons that cows leave the herd. They don’t breed back or they are in poor body condition scores, which means they need more feed. Because they are in poor body condition scores, see number one- they don’t breed back. Dystocia; most of us tend to not like cows that we have to reach our arm into and of course if we do that too much, see number one- they don’t breed back. The list continues; poor mothers, bad udders, cows that can’t travel and bad disposition.” “The only honorable way a cow can leave the herd is if she ages out. That should be your goal.”

American Gelbvieh Association Selection Index Definitions: $Cow: Represents the genetic value in dollars of profit of an animal when retained as a replacement female relative to other animals in the herd. A higher number represents more profitable genetics for maternal productivity. $Cow will serve producers in selecting bulls

that will sire daughters with stayability and reproductive efficiency as well as other traits that lead to profitability in a production system, such as milk, calving ease, moderate mature weight and the ability of calves to gain. A female’s genetics also influence the performance of her calves in the feedlot and at slaughter, so traits such as feed efficiency and carcass value are also included in $Cow. Efficiency profit index (EPI): An economic selection index developed to aid producers in selecting for more feed efficient cattle that still have acceptable amounts of gain. The EPI provides slight negative pressure on intake, while keeping gain at a constant value. By selecting on this index, producers will be able to find those animals that gain the same amount as their contemporaries while eating less. Feeder profit index (FPI): An economic selection index designed to aid producers in selecting sires whose progeny will perform in the feedlot and are sold on grade and yield. Well ranking sires for FPI have higher marbling and carcass weight than their contemporaries. As a terminal index, little emphasis is put on maternal traits such as stayability and calving ease. nnn

Selling:

Seedstock bulls out of RWG Traction 7412, CTR Good Night 715T, HAD the Judge ET, with birth weights from 60 to 85 lbs... Bred females. A Beach Jet daughter out of the great Lee Ann 309A cow, a Wardon 24W 408 daughter out of a Mandan dam, bred to TV Watchman along with others that are bred for spring calving...

Contact: Chester Yoder chesteryoder@yahoo.com 330-231-0339 or 330-567-9232 www.yodersprairieacres.com 24 | February 2015

...Also, a few Open yearling females.

Feature Iowa

Creating User-Friendly Replacement Heifers Patsy Houghton, Ph.D., of Heartland Cattle Company near McCook, Nebraska spoke at the Impacting the Beef Businesswith Maternal Influence panel discussion at the 2015 American Gelbvieh Association Annual Convention. By Rebecca Mettler HEARTLAND CATTLE COMPANY is in the business of professional heifer development, as Houghton pioneered the term. The team develops females for customers on a custom and contractual basis. Heartland Cattle Company also conducts commercial research development as well as provides calf weaning services. Houghton discussed the importance of properly developing replacement females so they have the best opportunity to become productive cows and remain in the herd.

females they develop for their customers. Body condition scoring (BCS) and average daily gain are two data collection points that the group has been collecting for years. Body condition should be kept under control in order for a heifer to reach their genetic potential, according to Houghton. “Once you get a heifer fatter than a high five (BCS) and right up to a six she just falls off in terms of fertility,” Houghton said. She argues that in a high roughage, limit fed dry-lot situation she is able to better control daily gain and body condition. Houghton believes that a $3,000 properly developed genetically selected heifer is considered a bargain in today’s market. As a rule of thumb, bred heifers are expected to bring two and one-half times the current calf prices. Providing her customers data on the value of a properly developed and genetically selected heifer is important to her. Houghton compared properly developed heifers verses data from the industry average. Data concluded that a 10 percent difference in the number of calves weaned by first-calf heifers was present. “When those cattle are developed properly we get 97 out of 100 of those heifers to wean a calf, in contrast to only 87 head,” Houghton said.

“You can’t have production without reproduction,” Houghton said. “If we can’t keep that female in the herd and keep her producing, it doesn’t matter what kind of growth is in that female, what kind of milk genetics, or what kind of carcass genetics she has. If she’s going to leave the herd it’s going to be a wasted effort on everybody’s part.”

Again, the user-friendly traits of disposition, calving ease, fertility and immune response make the difference, according to Houghton.

She explained that there is a good debate in the beef industry as it relates to proper heifer development, the various programs and the differences in them.

“See how this builds upon each other,” Houghton said. “See how important stayability is and how it has so much impact.”

“I would submit to you that any of us in the heifer development business, whether you are on ranch or do it on a professional basis, our goal is to make user-friendly cows for our customers,” Houghton said. Houghton keeps extensive records on the

By the time a female reaches her second calf there’s eight percent improvement in the retention of young cows in the herd. The challenge for producers is rebreeding and keeping those second-calf heifers.

It’s imperative for farmers and ranchers to see the value in a properly developed replacement heifer. Managing heifers correctly can positively affect production throughout the females’ lifetime and thus positively increasing the ranch’s bottom line. nnn

Breeders

Neola, Iowa

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

Kevin Gunderson: 402-510-8103

Rafter

Al Schulz: 402-676-5292

Gelbvieh

Reiste Family • Adel, IA Since 1982 Purebred & Balancer Cattle

Annual Southwest Iowa Gelbvieh & Balancer Sale March • Creston Livestock • Creston, IA

515.490.3561 (C) • 515.993.4381 (H) creiste.rafterr@yahoo.com

Kenyon Cattle LLC & Little Sioux Gelbvieh/ Red Angus • Bulls for sale at Seedstock Plus Sales • Females for sale Private Treaty Jack Welle 2645 180th Ave. Milford, Iowa 51351 Home: 712-338-2143 • Cell: 712-251-4641 E-mail: jwelle@evertek.net

Martens Gelbvieh

Gary Martens 2126 500th St • Walnut, IA 51577

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

Annual Bull and Female sale in March with the Southwest Iowa Gelbvieh Group

The Profitpicture | 25

Editorial

American Gelbvieh Association’s Additions to Raile Gelbvieh/Balancer® Bull Sale Burlington Livestock Exchange, Burlington, CO March 12, 2015 • 12:30 PM MDT

Selling 40 Balancer & Purebred Bulls Mostly Black • Some Red DNA tested for coat color and some for homozygous polled, PI negative, Trich Tested, Semen Tested and Ultrasounded Selling several half sibs to the NWSS Champion Junior Bull RAIL King James 3127A and half sibs to NWSS Get of Sire Champion by 3G Yarborough 186Y

Within the past year, American Gelbvieh Association members and stakeholders were provided with three new Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) and three Indexes to assist them when making cattle selection decisions. By AGA Staff THE ADDITIONAL EPDS and Indexes were developed because the AGA’s Impacting the Beef BusinessTM long-range strategic plan calls for the development of reliable tools for Gelbvieh and Balancer® stakeholders. AGA has ongoing commitment to technology research and development as well as member and stakeholder education.

RAIL King James 3127A

Champion Balancer Junior Bull

Balancer Sires: GGGE 3G Yarborogh 186Y (Warlock) DMRS Ya Man 138Y (Net Worth) BABR 114Y ET (SAV Brilliance) TAU Mr. Manitoba 13X

National Champion Get of Sire AI Sires: SAV Final Answer 0035 CTR Good Night DLW Edison 6718X JRI Super Duty 9Y53 Lazy TV Watchman W021

Delbert & Marilyn Call for a catalog Raile & Sons Delbert 785-332-2756 755 Road U St. Francis, KS

cell 785-332-4347 Matt cell 785-332-8399 railegelbvieh.com • email: dmraile@railegelbvieh.com

26 | February 2015

EPDs can be used to predict the average performance of an animal’s offspring compared to other calves in their contemporary group (a contemporary group references calves that were born in the same calving season, in the same year, herd, sex, and were managed similarly). EPDs are measured in the units of the trait, and show the differences in performance between animals. For example, if a bull has a weaning weight EPD of 80, and another bull in the same herd has a weaning weight EPD of 70, then bull A’s

the Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) Lineup calves would be expected to be 10 pounds heavier at weaning than those of Bull B. It is important to remember that this number is just a prediction of performance. Actual performance depends on many factors such as environment, management, etc. This being said, an EPD is by the most reliable indicator of an animal’s genetic merit due to the amount of information incorporated into the calculation. The American Gelbvieh Association uses all available information to predict the animals EPD. This information includes: individual performance, pedigree, progeny and grand progeny performance, plus available genomic information. All of this information is combined into one easy to use number that helps breeders make genetic improvement in their herd. In an EPD listing, an accuracy number is often published below its corresponding EPD. Accuracy is defined as the strength of the relationship between a prediction (EPD) and an animal’s true genetic value. In other words, accuracy is improved by the number of records reported for an animal and with genomic information. For example, a three year old bull with 90 calves would have EPDs of higher accuracy than a virgin yearling bull. Accuracies range from zero to one, with numbers closer to one being more accurate.

EPD Definitions Listed below are the definitions of the EPDs that have been added to the AGA’s EPD suite within the past year. The Profitpicture | 27

Maternal Traits

Carcass Traits

Heifer pregnancy (HP): Predicts the probability that a bull’s daughters will become pregnant as first-calf heifers in a regular breeding season, expressed as a percent. A higher value of this EPD is favorable, meaning that a higher percentage of a sire’s daughters get pregnant as first-calf heifers in a regular breeding season, expressed as a percent. A higher EPD value is favorable, meaning that a higher percentage of a sire’s daughter will get pregnant as firstcalf heifers compared to other sires in his contemporary group.

Dry matter intake (DMI): Represents the average daily dry matter intake per day consumed in pounds. A negative or lesser value is more favorable. For example, Bull A has a DMI EPD of 0.15 and Bull B has a DMI EPD of -0.20, so the progeny of Bull B consume, on average, .35 pound less dry matter per day than progeny from Bull A.

30-month pregnancy (PG30): Predicts the probability that a bull’s daughters will become pregnant and calve at three years of age, given that they calved as first-calf heifers. This EPD is expressed as a percent, again, with a higher number being more favorable, meaning a higher percentage of a sire’s daughters will calve at three years of age, given they have calved as first-calf heifers.

What is an Index? Indexes are tools that allow selection for several EPDs at once, making selections more efficient than selecting on one trait at a time. Indexes weigh traits based on their importance to a producer’s bottom line by using a trait’s economic and genetic value. Indexes are a good way to put selection emphasis on traits that are economically relevant. $Cow: Represents the genetic value in dollars of profit of an animal when retained as a replacement female relative to other animals in the herd. A higher number represents more profitable genetics for maternal productivity. $Cow will serve producers in selecting bulls that will sire daughters

with stayability and reproductive efficiency as well as other traits that lead to profitability in the production system, such as milk, calving ease, moderate mature weight and the ability of calves to gain. A female’s genetics also influence the performance of her calves in the feedlot and at slaughter, so traits such as feed efficiency and carcass value are also included in the $Cow. Efficiency profit index (EPI): An economic selection index developed to aid producers in selecting for more feed efficient cattle that still have acceptable amounts of gain. The EPI provides slight negative pressure on intake, while keeping gain a constant value. By selecting on this index, producers will be able to find those animals that gain the same amount as their contemporaries while eating less. Feeder profit index (FPI): An economic selection index designed to aid producers in selecting sires whose progeny will perform in the feedlot and are sold on grade and yield. Well ranking sires for FPI have higher marbling and carcass weight than their contemporaries. As a terminal index, little emphasis is put on maternal traits such as stayability and calving ease. nnn

Black Gold Genetics Annual Bull Sale March 20, 2015 • 1:00 PM MT Winter Livestock, La Junta, CO

Pre-register for Internet bidding with www.CattleUSA.net

Selling 90 Long Yearling Bulls Gelbvieh, Angus, and Balancer Black and Polled

Sires Represented: Traction Good Night 715T CTR Sandhills Cash Final Answer

The Black Gold Bull Advantage: • Sired by the Top AI Genetics • DNA Tested for Coat Color • Tested Free for Known Genetic Conditions

28 | February 2015

• BVD-PI Tested Negative • First Breeding Season Guaranteed • Delivery Available • Satisfaction Guaranteed

Thunderbird Final Product Hoover Dam Windy 078 Connealy Consensus Brilliance Black Gold Genetics

Mark Crane 23334 County RD 13 Pritchett, CO 81064-9600 719-523-3108 blackgoldcattlecompany@gmail.com

Editorial

The future of your herd depends on a smart investment of the U.S. cowherd in the next five to seven years. This will create great demand for maternal females that excel in fertility, milking ability, longevity and efficiency. In 2014, bred heifers were valued from $2500 to over $3000; a major increase over previous years, and a trend you can expect to see in the coming years.

Last year we saw the perfect storm of opportunity. By William McIntosh WITH THE SMALLEST cow inventory since the late 1940’s, reduced feed prices, increased domestic beef demand and increased exports made 2014 the single most profitable year to be in the cattle business. We saw feeder cattle break record high after record high throughout the summer and fall. Feeders were able to pay a premium for the calves due to a bumper corn crop that caused corn price to drop significantly over the course of the year, dramatically reducing cost of gains. 2014 was one of the few years that the cow/ calf producer, stocker, and feeder reported profits. It was truly a year that will go down in history. The American consumer consumption increased 7 percent in 2014 despite the higher retail prices. With China’s economy continuing to grow at historic rates the outlook for U.S. beef demand should remain strong this year. Record high feeder calf prices limited heifer retention thus slowing cowherd expansion. According to CattleFax the U.S. cowherd increased by only one-half percent over the last year. All of the factors point to a very profitable 2015 for the cow/calf producer. To be successful in any business; be it the auto industry, technology based businesses or agriculture you must be able take advantage of profitability and wisely reinvest profits into the company. This continues growth and improves your product or service. Webster’s dictionary defines investing as “an expenditure of money with the expectation of achieving a profit.” One of the smartest places to invest in any cow/ calf operation is in genetics. The genetics of the bulls you purchase this spring will be in the herd for the next 15 to 20 years through their daughters and granddaughters. By selecting the absolute best young sires, you can insure the future success of your program not only for you but also for the next generation of your farm or ranch. It’s important to look to the future when making genetic purchasing decisions. Because of the strong demand for beef and an extremely small U.S. cow herd we will continue to see expansion

Cattlemen have known for years that the Gelbvieh genetics offer highly maternal females. Gelbvieh maternal efficiency is more than just word of mouth. Studies support Gelbvieh performance in maternal traits compared to other breeds. But how do these traits benefit commercial producers? There are several maternal traits that Gelbvieh excels at that help you watch your operation’s bottom line. The American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) has worked hard to develop maternal profit indicators to help not only AGA members but also the commercial cow calf producer to identify and select for cattle that excel in maternal traits. The AGA has developed research EPDs for heifer pregnancy, 30 month pregnancy, stayability, and $Cow index. These new research EPDs focus on some the most economically important traits that will affect the success of a cow/calf operation for years to come. Investing in maternal genetics will have a huge and long

lasting impact on your cowherd. Selecting bulls that sire heifers with an increased heifer pregnancy rate of five percent, increase rebreeds at two years of age by 10 percent and produce females that stay in the herd two years longer, will provide an extraordinary return on your investment. Cattle have never been worth more than they are today. On the flip side, there has never been a time when great cattle have outsold average cattle by as much as they do today. There has never been a time when an extra few pounds of weaning weight adds up to as many dollars as today. The price difference between an open feeder heifer and a bred heifer has never been more that it is today. 2015 is the time to reinvest in the best possible maternal genetics you can, to continue to insure your cow/calf operation is successful for years to come. nnn

Total Industry Commitment Carcass Data • Fed cattle at Decatur County Feedyard – Benchmarked against 150,000 head for economic relevant traits.

Feed Efficiency • 15 years of carcass and feed efficiency data gathered. • RFI data gathered on sale bulls on GrowSafe system.

A.I. • Utilizing the very best genetics available through an aggressive A.I. program

Sandy Knoll Farm

Bull available at the Seedstock Plus Spring Bull Sales

February 28, 2015 • Kingsville, MO March 28, 2015 • Cathage, MO

Brian & Leon Dunn St. John, KS 67576 620-549-6516

dunnfarm@hotmail.com The Profitpicture | 29

Editorial

American Gelbvieh Association Releases Maternal Edge Female Profile The American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) is excited to announce the release of the Maternal Edge Female Profile for producers to use on commercial females. By AGA Staff THIS DNA PROFILE, done in conjunction with Geneseek®, is a low-density panel to be used by producers as a sorting tool for Gelbvieh influenced commercial females.

heifers out of a cowherd end up in a feedyard, it is beneficial for more than just maternal traits to be evaluated in a commercial female panel.

Traits included in the panel are calving ease, maternal calving ease, weaning weight, yield grade, marbling, and carcass weight. These traits are measured for the female against the entire Gelbvieh population with Molecular Breeding Values (MBVs). Each female tested with the Maternal Edge Female Profile will receive a score of 1 to 10 for each of the six traits.

Parent verification is also included in the panel, if the option is selected on the

The Maternal Edge Female Profile has heavy emphasis on maternal characteristics but also includes endproduct traits as well. Because the majority of steer calves and a portion of

We are excited to offer this tool to members and commercial producers as a way to choose superior females in their herd and gain a competitive maternal edge in the beef industry

Kentucky & Tennessee

Breeders

Chris & Jordan Hampton Charles & Sue Hampton 839 Davistown Rd. • Celina, TN 38551 102 Merlin Dr. • Georgetown, KY 40234

Breeding Gelbvieh since 1989

30 | February 2015

The panel is priced at $26.00 and can be order by downloading the AGA Commercial DNA Testing form from www.gelbvieh.org and following these simple instructions: Enter information in DNA Sample Form. Total for payment will be automatically updated on the last tab of the order form at the bottom. To allow for faster processing of the DNA sample(s) please save a copy of the completed file. After the file is saved please email to kario@gelbvieh. org. Next, print two copies of the DNA Sample Form and Order Form. Send one copy with payment to the AGA office and send the other copy to with the samples directly to Geneseek. Please include an email address on the DNA Order Form to receive a copy of the results electronically.

“Superior Gelbvieh and Balancer Cattle”

Steve, Ashley, Jordan & Jason McIntosh 502-868-5726 Clifford & Faye McIntosh 502-863-1135

order form and sire and dam have parentage markers on file with the AGA.

931-243-3213 H • 931-510-3213 C hampton@twlakes.net Registered Bulls & Replacement Females

Once test samples are received at Geneseek please allow three to four weeks for results to become available. Results will be sent via an email attachment once tests are complete. If a receiving a hard copy of the results is preferred either reply to the email with the request or contact the AGA office. “We are excited to offer this tool to members and commercial producers as a way to choose superior females in their herd and gain a competitive maternal edge in the beef industry,” says Kari White, American Gelbvieh Association breed improvement data analyst.

Common Questions Q: What percentage of Gelbvieh influence is needed in order to receive accurate results? A: Scores for the AGA Maternal Edge Profile are based on the larger population of AGA MBVs, so any animal with Gelbvieh influenced genetics can be tested with this product.

Q: What is the best time to perform the test? A: The AGA Maternal Edge Profile can be used to make culling decisions on females in your herd. The test can be ran at any time that is convenient to help in selection decisions. The test is viable for mature cows and replacement heifers, even young female calves at or prior to weaning.

Q: How does this help to improve the rate of genetic progress in my herd? A: Genetic testing can be done at any point in an animal’s lifetime, there is no age minimum. Testing early would allow producers to make selection decisions on females with less risk at a young age, thus decreasing the generation interval of animals in the herd and speeding the rate of genetic progress.

For more information about the Maternal Edge Female Profile, visit the DNA Testing page under the Education center tab at www. gelbvieh.org or contact Kari White at kario@ gelbvieh.org. nnn

J&D Kerstiens Gelbvieh Open House with Viewing • April 3, 2015 Private Treaty Sale • April 4, 2015 9 AM till 3 PM EST J&D KERSTIENS GELBVIEH at HUNTINGBURG INDIANA FARM LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED CAROLINA FORTUNE 2564J ET

A.I. SIRES REPRESENTED: LAZY TV SAM U451 • AMGV 1079233 CAROLINA FORTUNE 2564JET • AMGV 687061 TENDEROIN N407 • AMGV 855307 MYTTY IN FOCUS • AMAN 13880818

MYTTY IN FOCUS

J&D Kerstiens Gelbvieh

Jerome Kerstiens 1345 Cobblestone Rd, Jasper, IN 47546 812-482-2688 jdkerstiens@psci.net Farm Manager: Duane Cassidy 812-661-8005 The Profitpicture | 31

Feature

Strategies to Successfully Manage Reproduction Managing reproduction in the beef cow herd is serious business. by Troy Smith

technician to inseminate cows or heifers should be made carefully. Herd owners should then communicate with the inseminator and adapt to the technician’s procedural preferences.

That was the message delivered by Oklahoma State University researcher Craig Gifford during the Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle (ARSBC) symposium Oct. 8-9 in Stillwater, Okla.

If a producer or ranch employee is the designated inseminator, Gifford called it important for that person to know their own limitations, especially

Oklahoma State’s Craig Gifford said producers must remember that managing for successful reproduction is a year-round process. “Approach it with the idea that everything you do wrong can negate everything you do right,” stated Gifford, emphasizing that it is especially true with regard to estrus synchronization and artificial insemination (AI). He emphasized three areas of management that demand attention: inseminator efficiency, herd fertility level and management after AI. Discussing inseminator efficiency, Gifford said the choice of a hired

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“What works for them works for them. Adapt. Don’t try to change them,” advised Gifford.

Approach it with the idea that everything you do wrong can negate everything you do right. if they don’t frequently inseminate large numbers of cattle. Arm fatigue can cause problems. “I’d advise against inseminating more than 20 head per day, unless you’re already accustomed to it,” said Gifford. Producers also must remember that managing for successful reproduction is a year-round process. By managing cattle well throughout the year, particularly with regard to nutrition, producers are managing their animals’ endocrine systems and the multiple hormones that influence fertility. As rules-of-thumb, Gifford recommended managing spring-calving cows to achieve a body condition score (BCS) 5 by the time of calving. BCS 5½ is the target for fall-calving cows, with a BCS of 6 recommended for first-calf heifers (see www.cowbcs.info for additional information on condition scores). “Remember that body condition at calving impacts postpartum interval and subsequent pregnancy rate,” said Gifford, “and be sure to maintain adequate nutrition after calving.”

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Avoiding stress due to inadequate nutrition or other factors is important to establishing and maintaining early pregnancy. Stress, said Gifford, can lead to higher incidence of embryo mortality, particularly during the first 42 days after insemination. Gifford also advised managers to take care when planning and administering vaccination programs. Vaccination sufficiently in advance of administering a synchronization protocol and breeding is advised. Just because cattle are in a chute, said Gifford, does not mean it is a good time to vaccinate cows. He recommended careful attention to label directions for the timing and dosage of vaccine administration. Keep good records, he added, not only for health management, but for all aspects of managing the breeding herd. nnn Editor’s note: This article is being reprinted from Angus Journal coverage of the ARSBC 2014 provided online at http://www.appliedreprostrategies.com/02current-pages/newsroom.html.

32 | February 2015

The Profitpicture | 33

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BIF President and AGA member explains BIF’s focused approach to research My first introduction to the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) came in 1999 when the American Gelbvieh Association nominated Eagle Pass Ranch for the BIF “Seedstock Producer of the Year” award. By Steve Munger When I was notified of this nomination my first question to Donnie Schiefelbein, who was the AGA Executive Director at the time, was “What’s BIF?” We didn’t win, but I did begin following the proceedings of BIF from that time. BIF was founded in 1968 as an organization dedicated to advancing and coordinating all segments of the beef industry. From the start, the BIF sought to connect science and

industry to improve beef cattle genetics. One of the first projects of BIF was to develop a way of standardizing all performance records across beef cattle breeds both nationally and internationally. The result of the project is the modern day Expected

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Even though my first interest at the 2006 BIF

BIF takes pride in having something of interest for all producers and researchers alike.

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impact on my genetic selection for the ranch, and I wanted to learn more. My wife Debi and I attended our first BIF Conference in Mississippi in 2006. I was completely mesmerized by the scientific presentations at the conference and the superior intellect of the presenters. I felt smarter just by being there. I have only missed one BIF Conference since then.

Chris Mitchell 334-695-1371 Randy Sienknecht 319-290-3763 2262 C Avenue • Gladbrook, IA 50635

Progeny Differences (“EPD”) system. BIF holds an annual convention, bringing together industry professionals, producers and researchers to discuss current issues facing the beef industry. Many of the issues lead to new research and research projects to benefit the beef industry as a whole, and members look forward to the following BIF Conferences to see the progress of these research projects. My own interest in BIF began to grow as genomic research looked like it would have an

Conference was genomics, I quickly became even more interested in a new research effort on improving feed efficiency. The presentations on Residual Feed Intake (RFI) were awe inspiring. I had no idea that selection tools were available to improve feed efficiency by 15 percent per generation. My dad was an order buyer and taught me how to do “salebarn math” so I quickly was calculating in my head what a 15 percent reduction in feed costs could do for our ranch and what it could do for the entire beef industry. I knew this was going to be HUGE! We installed our GrowSafe Feed Intake test unit in 2007 and have seen remarkable reductions in our herd’s Feed:Gain ratio. We are also very proud that we are the first seedstock herd in the U.S. to have a cow herd that all finished in the top half of their yearling contemporary groups for RFI. I was encouraged to run for the BIF Board of Directors in 2010. At that time there were several factions of scientists who were all on different paths regarding feed efficiency selection. It was confusing and something I wanted to help simplify. Following my election, I pushed for a feed efficiency forum which was brought to fruition by fellow board members Dr. Bob Weaber and Dr. Mark Enns. Following this

The Profitpicture | 35

forum of all the leading scientists working on feed efficiency, a “White Paper” was published and now the industry has a point of reference for feed efficiency selection. Another focus I have had while on the BIF board is research funding at land grant universities. There is too much important research being left undone because there is insufficient funding to do it. I have never been in a culture that was controlled by government grants and funding and I am convinced the beef industry can do better. I helped initiate a task force to partially privatize beef cattle research funding. Our task force has met several times in recent years to try and come up with a “consumer funded” program. FYI, if we were able to capture just a penny per pound at the retail counter, we could fund beef cattle research to a $240M level or nearly three times the current funding level. There are some very smart people working on this, but it is still a work in progress. I was elected president of BIF this year and it is ironic that the 2015 convention that I will be presiding over is once again in Mississippi at the Beau Rivage Resort in Biloxi, Mississippi on June 9-12. I hope you can come and be mesmerized as I was. There will be a good combination of “cutting edge” scientific presentations as well as producer application forums. BIF takes pride in having something of interest for all producers and researchers alike. See you there! nnn

2015 Beef Improvement Federation Meeting Agenda Attention on Novel Traits: Needed or Novelty

THE 2015 BEEF IMPROVEMENT Federation (BIF) Symposium and Convention is schedule for June 9-12, 2015, in Biloxi, Mississippi. Mississippi State University, the Mississippi State University Extension Service and Mississippi Beef Cattle Improvement Association will host the event at the Beau Rivage Casino and Hotel in Biloxi. This year’s meeting begins Tuesday, June 9, with a young producer symposium, social, Mississippi welcome reception and an evening symposium hosted by the National Association of Animal Breeders (NAAB). Wednesday’s general session will focus on rebuilding the cow herd and will include emphases on sustainability, profitability and how current market incentives affect genetic selection. Technical breakouts Wednesday afternoon will include meetings of three committees: Live Animal, Carcass and End Product; Emerging Technology; and Producer Applications. Female selection will be the subject of Thursday’s general session. Speakers will address balancing novel and proven application for female selection, cow lifetime productivity and adaptability. Afternoon technical sessions will include the Cow Herd Efficiency and Adaptability; Genetic Prediction; and Selection Decisions committees.

Annual awards BIF will bestow its annual awards throughout

36 | February 2015

the three-day event. Commercial Producer of the Year nominees will be recognized at an awards lunch Wednesday. The Seedstock Producer of the Year will be named at an awards dinner at Lincoln Station Wednesday evening. Presentations of the Ambassador, Pioneer and Continuing Service Awards will be at lunch Thursday, along with the president’s address.

Organization business BIF will convene its regional caucuses and annual meeting, feature election of directors for the coming year before lunch Thursday. Board meetings will bookend the convention, with one meeting of the current directors scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday and another for the board elected Thursday afternoon at 5:30 p.m. Thursday evening.

Tours Friday will feature tours of cattle operations and points of interest in Mississippi. Watch for details to come. The Beau Rivage Hotel will serve as the headquarters for the event. A room block for the Beef Improvement Federation has been reserved with room rates available at $149 per room. For reservations, call 1-888-567-6667. The Beef Improvement Federation was formed more than 45 years ago to standardize beef cattle performance programs and evaluation methodology and to create greater awareness, acceptance and usage of these concepts for the genetic improvement of beef cattle. It represents more than 40 state and national beef cattle associations. More information can be found on www. bifconference.com/bif2015/index.html.

u o y k an

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and continuing Johnny’s Legacy

“Kittle Farms was built upon the dreams, aspirations, and hard work of my father, Johnny Kittle. Outside of his family, there is nothing in this world that gave Dad more enjoyment and that he took pride in than his cattle. Following Dad’s untimely passing in 2014, our family made a commitment to build upon the legacy Dad created in the cattle business. The purchase of these top females from Little Windy Hill Farms is a first step toward fulfilling that commitment.” – Dustin J. Kittle Kittle Gelbvieh Farms

Geraldine, Alabama 256-996-4140 kittlefarms@gmail.com

JKGF/LWHF Molly X011 • Top Selling Female ($9,000) at Little Windy Hill Farms' 2014 Sale. Maternal sister to Reflex X4 ET and to Intimidator 617Z ($25,000 high selling bull at the SWVA Bull Test Sale). Molly X011 will be flushed by Kittle Farms in a partnership with Little Windy Hill Farms in early 2014. Post Rock Granite 200P2 heifer by her side. Karasue 299U • Post Rock Granite 200P2 female who matches excellent EPDs with exceptional performance. Will be flushed by Kittle Farms in partnership with Little Windy Hill Farms in early 2014. Future Investment X037 heifer by her side. Fara ET 289S • Johnny Kittle visited Little Windy Hill Farms in 2013 and cited Fara 289S, a female out of Highlight 066K, as the most phenotypically perfect cow he had seen in the Gelbvieh breed. Johnny purchased Kittle Farms' current Herd Sire Direct Impact 568Z, out of Black Impact 3960N and Fara 289S, in Little Windy Hill Farms' 2013 Sale. Kittle Farms is very pleased to add Fara 289S with a Future Investment X037 heifer by her side. Impact's Lady 570Z • First calf heifer out of Black Impact 3960N and N8S ET, one of Little Windy Hill Farms' most productive females and a full sister to Fara 289S. S A V Brilliance 8077 heifer by her side. Eriskay 681A • Balancer heifer out of Post Rock Granite 200P2 and LWHF Eriskay 284U, one of Little Windy Hill Farms' best Angus females. Bred to Black Impact 3960N. Future Lady 645A • One of the first Future Investment X037 heifers to sell. Remarkable EPDs across the board with a Feeder Profit Index score of 74.19 (Top 5%). Bred to Black Impact 3960N.

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The Profitpicture | 37

BIF Schedule of Events June 9th 12:00 - 7:00pm: Registration 1:00 - 4:00pm: Board Meeting 5:00 - 6:00pm: Welcome Reception 6:00 - 9:00pm; USMARC Symposium: 50 Years of Service to the Beef Industry June 10th 6:00am - 6:pm: Registration 8:00 - 12:30pm: General Session I: Focus on the Cowherd 12:30 - 2:30pm: Awards Luncheon

2:30 - 5:30pm: Technical Breakout Sessions 6:00 - 10:00pm: Dinner at Lincoln Station June 11th 6:00am - 6:00pm: Registration 8:00 - 12:30: General Session II: Focus on the Feedlot 12:30 - 2:30: Awards Luncheon 2:30 - 5:30: Technical Breakout Sessions 5:30 - 8:00: Board Meeting June 12th Post Conference Tour 6:45am Depart hotel

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Where We’ve Been and Where We are Going- Cattle Market Outlook In 2014 cow/calf producers were in the driver’s seat from a profit perspective because of the short cattle supply. By: Rebecca Mettler HIGH MARKETS PUT more cash in their pocket than ever before. Taking a look at 2015, signs point to another profitable year for commercial cattle producers. “Talking about the economic challenges and opportunities for cattle markets today, it could go in a lot of different ways but I really start out very basic. Look at cattle numbers and I look at those both ways; glass half full, glass half empty,” said Scott Brown, Ph.D., research assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics with the University of Missouri.

“We haven’t seen an increase in those numbers because of a couple of things. We saw a huge drought in the Southwest. Those people were devastated and forced liquation has been occurring in those locations,” Crosby said. Crosby also pointed to competing commodities as more profitable ventures, until corn went to $3. In the Southeast a lot of permanent pasture has been plowed up and turned into farm ground because it had been more profitable.

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What is the risk to the price outlook? “Is it higher or lower? I have learned a long time ago that the cure for high prices is high prices,” Brown said.

“I think we are too pessimistic in the short term,” Brown said. “Can you make money at that, hopefully you can. Lets take this opportunity to make sure we are planning ahead.”

However, high prices normally cause a supply response but Brown suggests that the supply response is going to reasonably muted.

Brett Crosby of Cowley, Wyoming is partner and cofounder of Custom Ag Solutions, an economic consulting firm. He has been involved in several of USDA Risk Management Agency projects. His company is behind www. beefbasis.com, the largest public cattle database in the United States. The website that has every cattle transaction from every sale barn in the country. The data gathered allows them to develop detailed forecast models and other tools

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Though Brown predicts slightly lower prices in 2015 than the end of 2014 he doesn’t want to raise alarm.

With the smallest cattle inventory in decades, Brown predicts that the supply side isn’t going to overwhelm the industry any time soon. Looking at the fundamentals of economics, he believes that cattle prices aren’t going to go lower in the short-term.

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“I will suggest that we will get some growth in cattle numbers over time but nothing I’m very worried about,” Brown said. The nation’s cowherd will need to retain 18 percent as replacements before an increase in inventory is seen, according to Crosby. “And that’s why we haven’t seen a huge increase in inventory, because in 2007 when the drought started and hit big until 2011, no one was retaining heifers,” Crosby said. Brown suggests that the country would have a very different scenario in regards to cow numbers if it wasn’t for weather. As an economic consultant, Crosby studies the cattle markets very closely. As expected, he evaluated the downturn in the late December 2014 cattle market.

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“The nice thing is that cash didn’t decline near as much as the future market did. What that means is it’s largely due to speculator liquidation as a result of a margin call,” Crosby said. “In my opinion, the fundamentals are still strong.” One such fundament point is beef demand. “The good news is that consumers are still paying for beef,” Crosby said. “Beef prices continue to rise but we have a healthy demand in this country.” Crosby pointed out that forward future prices have lagged because some of the investors think that consumers won’t continue to pay the high beef prices. However, consumers have proved them wrong for the last three years. Because of this, and other factors, Crosby believes the market is sustainable at these prices. However an event, such as lower domestic beef demand, a disease outbreak, trade partner cutting off trade with the U.S. or a severe drought are just a few of the situations that could cause a drop in the cattle prices. “What would happen to those prices? They would go down. Could you survive at those

prices today,” Brown asks. Down the road (not in 2015), five years ahead, Brown sees lower cattle prices. “One of the things I say is that it’s an opportunity to prepare for what might be lower prices down the road,” Brown said. “That’s what I think you need to look at. If you are thinking about expanding cow numbers how does that expansion plan work if you look five years down the road?”

What to do when times are good Brown urges cattle producers to invest today in order to make sure they survive the next cattle cycle. 2014 saw returns on a per cow basis reach and unprecedented $500. “When you put $500 a cow at producers, I think that might be the financial incentive to get some folks starting to expand,” Brown said. Brown credits the 2014 Farm Bill for providing a long-term risk management strategy. This is important because Brown doesn’t think

that the cattle industry will see the end to cattle cycles. “The thing that bothers me of late is that with a cycle we’ve always gone lower,” Brown said. “Some growth and then we end up going lower (cattle numbers) across time.” Brown sees a high quality product as the key to continuing being a leader in the global beef market. He believes that the U.S., hands down, has the highest quality beef in the world. “The very most important thing you can do is focus on efficiency,” Crosby said. Crosby cites a Kansas State University (K-State) study that determined that the producers in the top one-third of their cohort in efficiency were the most likely to survive. “2009 and 2010 were the least profitable years since K-State started tracking the data back in the 60s and there were still people making money in those years,” Crosby said. “If you can make money in those years, if you can focus on being efficient and being in the top one-third, you have the highest probability of weathering a price storm.” nnn

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40 | February 2015

Feature

What did it cost you to produce a calf in 2014? What will it cost you in 2015? 2014 will go down in the record books as one where record profits occurred for many in the business of producing weaned calves. Was your cow-calf business profitable this year? By Aaron Berger, Nebraska Extension Educator WHAT DID IT COST you to produce a pound of weaned calf? What do you project it will cost in 2015? Unit cost of production (UCOP) is a value based on a relationship in production or manufacturing between costs and units of product made or produced. Unit Cost of Production = Costs / Units Produced The relationship between the numerator (Costs) and the denominator (Units Produced) is what drives the UCOP value. The power of the UCOP ratio for cow-calf producers is that everything involved in the production of a pound of calf is represented in the numerator or denominator of the equation. For example, if a producer wants to buy a pickup that will be used in the production of calves, he

The Profitpicture | 41

can estimate how the purchase of that new pickup will affect his UCOP in terms of cost per pound of calf produced. The same

thing goes for the purchase of a new bull. Evaluating the purchase of a bull in light of how many estimated pounds of calf that bull

will produce in relation to his cost can give insight into what a producer might be willing to spend. What did it cost to produce a pound of weaned calf in 2014? What is it projected to cost next year? The old adage “you can’t effectively manage what you don’t measure” is true in relation to managing the cow-calf enterprise. The first step in calculating UCOP is to have production and financial records. These records do not have to be complicated, but they need to be accurate and thorough. If current management and information systems don’t provide the data to run this type of analysis, consider changes that will provide the records needed. Unit Costs of Production takes into account both product produced and input costs. Knowing UCOP allows a manager to look forward utilizing both present and projected input costs with production numbers to make informed decisions. Cowcalf producers who know UCOP numbers for their operation’s enterprises and understand the interaction between input costs and production can implement strategies to effectively manage resources to meet business and personal goals. Table 1 shows estimated costs to produce a weaned calf from a sample central Nebraska ranch. In this example, the cowherd is static with a 16 percent replacement rate. The number of bred heifers entering the herd is equal to the number of cows that are culled or lost due to death loss. All costs including labor, depreciation, and opportunity cost on cowherd value is included in this example. nnn

42 | February 2015

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The Profitpicture | 43

Feature

Artificial insemination increases profits Calf prices have steadily increased for several years. By Robert Wells SINCE SPRING 2014, replacement female prices have remained at record levels as well. It is only reasonable that bull prices would follow the trend. This has led many producers to explore options to owning enough bulls to cover their cows in a defined breeding season.

system was estimated using the forecasting tool at www.beefbasis. com for mid-October.

Additionally, most producers will be able to buy better growth genetics from an AI bull stud than they could afford to purchase with the live animal for natural service. Therefore, the AI-conceived calves are likely to have better average daily gain (ADG) values than those conceived through natural bull service. During fall 2014, bulls with high growth genetics

The gross revenue increase for timed AI followed by natural breeding is $8,210. The cost of the estrus synchronization and timed AI program was $50 per head, for a total of $2,500. This includes the cost of synchronization, semen and an AI technician. No cost was assigned for labor to process the cows three additional times through the chute since these costs are highly variable. Thus, the net increased value of the calf crop due to the estrus synchronization and timed AI program is $5,710. Now add in the savings of not purchasing an additional bull, amortized over a five-year life span ($7,000 to $2,000 salvage value/five years=$1,000) and the annual maintenance cost of the bull ($400). This equates to an annual total increase in revenue to the ranch of $7,110 for a 50-cow herd. Before you buy your next bull, consider if an artificial insemination program is right for your operation. It does require three additional trips through a chute, but the potential increase in revenue is significant. nnn Editors Note: Robert Wells, Ph.D., is a Livestock Consultant with the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation. Reprinted with the permission from The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc.

Estrus synchronization and timed artificial insemination (AI) are an economically viable alternative to owning a bull if the producer has multiple bulls. There are many benefits to synchronization and AI, including a tighter calving season, increased weaning weights from older calves and better genetics. The tighter calving season is a result of estrus synchronization and timed AI, followed by natural breeding for the remainder of a 90-day season. Some scenarios are explored in the tables. Each of these assumes a 50-cow herd with a 94 percent conception rate; calving In March and weaning in October. Compared to natural service for 90 days (Table 1), the synchronization/timed AI program (Table 2) can significantly improve subsequent calving distribution. It is not uncommon to see a 65 percent or higher conception rate in the first 30 days of the calving season when using timed AI followed by natural bull exposure. More calves born early in the calving season will be older and weigh more at weaning. The value of the pounds of beef produced in each breeding 44 | February 2015

(weaning and yearling EPDs in the top 20 percent) have been selling in the $7,000 to $9,000 range. In a multiple bull battery, timed

AI can reduce herd bull requirements by 50 percent, thus saving the purchase cost of a replacement bull.

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46 | February 2015

The Profitpicture | 47

Feature

Emergency calf management after dystocia Dystocia can be defined as a difficult or abnormal calving due to a prolonged, unassisted birth or due to a prolonged and/or severe assisted calf delivery. By Dr. Michelle Arnold, Ruminant Extension Veterinarian, University of Kentucky FACTORS KNOWN TO cause dystocia include pelvic size of the dam, calf size, calf presentation (for example, backwards or head turned back), and maternal factors including weak labor, insufficient dilation of the cervix and uterine twist or torsion. The most common cause is a mismatch in dam pelvic size and calf weight, often seen in heifers delivering large bull calves. Inappropriate timing of human intervention or excessive force applied during delivery may cause additional fetal trauma, stress and even stillbirth. Following dystocia, a calf is 6 times more likely to get sick than a calf born normally, with 69% of all deaths between birth and weaning occurring within 96 hours of birth. The key event in the transition from life inside the uterus to an independent existence is the initiation of breathing so the lungs become inflated and the blood oxygenated. The first breath is the hardest to take-similar to the first hard push of air necessary when inflating a balloon. In order to facilitate this process after a dystocia, immediately after delivery (within 30 seconds), the calf should be placed upright on its sternum (breastbone) to maximize ventilation. Calves should have their upper respiratory tract (nose and mouth) cleared of any fluid or other physical obstruction, either by hand or suction bulb. Calves should never be hung by their rear legs for more than 90 seconds or swung around by their back legs to remove fluids by gravity flow. Instead these procedures have been proven to increase pressure within the chest cavity, making it much more difficult to expand the lungs. Calves should make active respiratory movements within 30 seconds of being delivered. If spontaneous breathing does not begin, it is imperative to establish an airway and stimulate respiration. Many methods have been tried but very little published information is available as to their efficacy. Once the calf is placed on its sternum, vigorous stimulation of the calf by rubbing around the head or body 48 | February 2015

and placing a finger or piece of straw in the nose should initiate a gasping reflex that helps aerate the lungs. Pouring cold water over the calf ’s head or down the ear has also been used with some success to stimulate respiration. Mouthto-mouth or mouth-to-nose resuscitation is commonly tried but very difficult to do effectively. Establishing a tight seal to prevent air

generally do not survive.

In moving from the uterus to the outside environment, baby calves experience a dramatic shift in temperature. Calves delivered normally maintain their body temperature (thermoregulation) by shivering and by mobilizing energy from brown adipose (fat) tissue. Simple, natural physical activity such as standing, walking, and consuming colostrum will also generate body heat. Following dystocia, calves have an impaired response to cold temperatures. Inadequate oxygen can reduce muscle tone and prevent shivering as well as decrease the calf ’s ability to utilize its brown fat. Calves with thermal stress and low vitality are slow to stand and nurse, limiting their ability to warm themselves through this natural physical behavior. These calves should be exposed to an infrared heater to improve rectal temperature, blood oxygen level, and respiratory rate. If electric heating pads are used, they must be closely monitored because they can get hot enough to cause burns, particularly if the calf is unable to move off the pad. Heat lamps must also be monitored to prevent burns.

The key event in the transition from life inside the uterus to an independent existence is the initiation of breathing so the lungs become inflated and the blood oxygenated.

leakage is difficult but, even more importantly, the air blown in has a tendency to go down the esophagus and fill the stomach which makes breathing more difficult for the struggling calf. To avoid these problems, a veterinarian may use a cuffed endotracheal tube to provide positive pressure ventilation effectively. Certain prescription medications such as doxapram may also be used to stimulate respiration although severely affected calves do not seem responsive to it. Veterinarians may also choose to use buffer therapy with injectable sodium bicarbonate to correct metabolic acidosis, a condition that often occurs following dystocia in which the calf ’s blood is more acidic than it should be. In general, cardiac resuscitation is not attempted in calves born without a heartbeat due to very poor chance of survival. Similarly, calves that do not respond to respiratory stimulation techniques and cannot sit up on their own after 10 minutes

Of course the single most important factor in calf survival is that it receives and absorbs adequate colostrum. It is essential that all calves receive 3-4 quarts of colostrum within the first 6 hours of life. Consumption of colostrum by calves in fetal distress has been found to be reduced by up to 74% in the first 12 hours of life. Since a calf is unlikely to voluntarily suckle after dystocia, it is recommended to feed colostrum via stomach tube (“esophageal feeder”) within one hour of birth if there is any doubt as to the calf ’s vitality. Colostrum contains immunoglobulins that form the calf ’s immune system as well as nutrients vital to the newborn such as fat-soluble vitamins and sugars. Dystocia resulting in a weak newborn calf is a major cause of failure of passive transfer (FPT) due to low volume and delayed consumption of colostrum. FPT is known to increase susceptibility to infectious disease,

BACHMAN BRED The Source for RED

CED

1.1

101

Milk

REA

0.27

Marb

FPI

-0.45 63.43

HFGC VICKIE VAIL 173Y34 - Progeny sell out of this foundation REDstock donor.

Bachman Bred genetics will be offered at the Inaugural REDstock Joint Production Sale on Saturday, March 14, 2015, in Chillicothe, Missouri. We are pleased to offer Bachman Bred genetics that represent what we are - a RED seedstock producer with economically relevant EPDs that rank in the top tier. Together with Bieber Red Angus, Meyer Family Farms and Brickhouse Farms, we are offering the best of RED at our inaugural REDstock event.

REDstock

Joint Production Sale at Litton Ag Center Chillicothe, Missouri • 1:00 PM (CT)

SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2015 CED

-0.1

115

Milk

REA

0.25

Marb

0.78

FPI

30 COMING TWO-YEAR-OLD BULLS • 29 YEARLING BULLS • 4 BRED COWS 8 PAIRS AND 3N1s • 9 BRED HEIFERS • 6 OPEN HEIFERS • 57 COMMERCIAL FEMALES

92.21

BIEBER REAL MCCOY Y124 - Progeny and service sell out of this Red Angus and Balancer® REDstock sire.

CED

-2.4

Milk

REA

0.31

Marb

0.19

FPI

77.17

MS S088B - She sells. CED

0.5

108

Milk

REA

0.26

Marb

0.17

FPI

77.82

MS VICKIE MCCOY S094B ET - She sells.

BachmanCattleFarms.com Marty Ropp 406-581-7835 Garrett Thomas 936-714-4591 Clint Berry 417-844-1009 www.alliedgeneticresources.com

Scott & Sue Bachman

660-247-1112 • scott_bachman@yahoo.com BachmanCattleFarms.com • 17520 Hwy JJ • Chillicothe, MO 64601

The Profitpicture | 49

increase neonatal sickness and death as well as result in long-term decreases in productivity (such as lower average daily gain) if the calf survives. Other problems may arise due to complicated deliveries. Calves that are wedged in the pelvic canal for prolonged periods may be born with a swollen head and/or tongue. This condition will usually resolve itself within one to two days but feeding the calf with a stomach tube is required since the calf cannot suckle. Dystocias may result in trauma such as fractures of the legs, ribs and spine and luxations of the

hip and spine. The extent of these injuries may not be obvious at birth but will become apparent over the next one to two weeks. The umbilicus (or “navel”) may become infected due to prolonged contact with the ground, predisposing the calf to septicemia or “navel ill”. Mild antiseptics should be used on the cord but avoid strong, caustic agents as these will cause irritation and inflammation of these sensitive tissues. Maintaining a clean, dry umbilicus and ensuring adequate highquality colostrum ingestion are the best ways to prevent disease in newborns.

Consumption of colostrum by calves in fetal distress has been found to be reduced by up to 74% in the first 12 hours of life. in severe bruising, fractured ribs, bleeding in the central nervous system, and other maladies resulting in death irrespective of treatment. Other calves will be born with a heartbeat but not breathing; these calves are good candidates for resuscitation. Establishing a patent airway, initiating breathing, and establishing adequate circulation are the cornerstones to immediate calf survival. However, early and adequate colostrum intake is essential for passive transfer of immunoglobulins, energy, thermoregulation, and long-term survival. nnn Source: University of Kentucky

In summary, success in saving a calf after dystocia will depend largely on the condition of the calf at birth. Some will suffer major trauma during delivery resulting

Pound-Makin’ March 7, 2015 Private Treaty Opening Day GENETICS A Powerful Set of Gelbvieh and Balancer® Bulls

Put Pounds on the Truck! And Quality Carcass On The Rail

Sale catalog online at: www.segagelbvieh.com

Red or Black • All Polled PAP Tested • Ultrasound Tested Bulls available to view at 10:30 a.m.

Lunch at Noon • Bid-off at 1:00 p.m.

Steve & Gail Fiolkoski 16509 WCR 86 • Pierce, CO 80650

Gail’s Cell: 970/590-4862 Steve’s Cell: 970/381-0600 Email: gafiolk@aol.com Find us on Facebook at segagelbvieh.

50 | February 2015

The Profitpicture | 51

News

Crossbreeding. A profit building tool that can’t be denied. LONE OAK CATTLE

Moderate • Fertile • Performance Cattle

Please join us Saturday, March 21, 2015 for our Third Annual Private Treaty Bull Sale. Bring your family and meet ours. Cattle available for viewing after 9:00 AM. Steak lunch and yes, we will have the beans! Bid-off at 1:30 PM.

Stout and Rugged sons of: • CTR Sandman 6523 • BAG Sandman 071X • DCSF Captain 153Z2 • JEMG 590 “Indy” • TLR Cocoa • DCSF Silver 233U1 • EHE 115 (5600 x H Fudge)

2014 Iowa Beef Expo High Selling Female

• SAV Harvestor • SAV Final Answer • Diamond in the Rough • Thomas Up River • Browns Redemption 2014 High Selling Bull at Our Bull Sale I A L Outstanding set of bred heifers and C E RE SP U T young cows. FEA

Ask about our calf buy-back program.

LONE OAK C AT T L E

To request a catalog, please call: Eric & Heather Ehresman 20963 30th St. Mechanicsville, IA 52306 hornsandthorns@netins.net 319-489-2275 • 319-480-1564

High Quality Balancer and Gelbvieh Cattle 52 | February 2015

Put crossbreeding to work for your cowcalf operation with the help of Gelbvieh and Balancer® genetics and watch the benefits add up.

THE BOTTOM LINE, that’s what matters to commercial cowcalf producers. The advantages of crossbreeding positively influence the bottom line, and that’s not a secret. For decades progressive cattlemen have utilized crossbreeding to increase profits and efficiency. To see maternal benefits in their commercial cow herds, producers have been choosing Gelbvieh or Balancer® genetics. The crossbred female is 30 percent more productive over her lifetime. The heterosis, or hybrid vigor, advantage is known as the increase in performance of the crossbred animal compared to the average of the straightbred parents. That increase in performance results in increased profitability to an operation. The influence of heterosis is greatest for traits that have low heritability but ones that have huge economic impact on profitability. Reproduction in beef cattle is a trait with low heritability. Heterosis resulting from crossbreeding has significance for commercial breeding programs as it improves and enhances

reproductive efficiency. Getting more cows bred is the first and biggest profit center in all cow-calf operations. A producer cannot build too much reproduction and longevity into a cow herd. Heterosis from crossbreeding enhances both reproduction and longevity. Do the math in your own herd. It’s proven that with a crossbred cow you get an advantage of: +38 percent cow longevity; +25 percent lifetime productivity; +8 percent calf crop weaned; +5 percent weaning performance and +4 percent in calf yearling performance. Collectively, those advantages don’t come along in any other package. How does heterosis work? There are three main types of 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 compared to straightbred calves. Maternal heterosis is arguably the most important advantage for crossbreeding. It leads to the combined improvement in traits from the dam that cause increase in performance of 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. Paternal heterosis is the improvement in the productive and reproductive characteristics of the bull. Examples of paternal heterosis in a herd sire include; reduced age at puberty, improvements in scrotal circumference, improved sperm concentration, increased pregnancy rate and greater service capacity, as well as many more years of service. nnn

Since 1983

REGISTERED GELBVIEH CATTLE Our foundation is designed and built on 31 years of A.I. breeding.

REDS

BLACKS

BALANCERS 24th Annual

“Pot of Gold”

Gelbvieh, Angus & Balancer Bull Sale February 27, 2015 ®

Olathe, Colorado

Your source for P.A.P. tested, calving ease and low birth weight EPD bulls! • Herdsire Prospects • Genomic Enhanced EPDs • Many Homozygous Black • Most Homozygous Polled • Diluter Free & Homozygous Polled Reds • Review the Data Online

At Bow K Ranch we emphasize moderate size, quality udders, and built-in calving ease.

www.bowkranch.com David & Dawn Bowman • Andrew & Sarah Bowman 55784 Holly Rd. • Olathe, CO 81425 • (970) 323-6833 • If unable to attend, purchase bulls by phone or bid online at www.dvauction.com • Videos of the bulls will be online by mid-February

The Profitpicture | 53

Editorial

Why are we leaving profits on the table? producers. The simple solution is crossbreeding. It amazes me how some commercial producers are bound and determined to breed strictly straightbred commercial cattle that, on average, don’t compete with crossbred cattle. One thing that growing up within the Gelbvieh industry has taught me is that when it comes to crossbred cattle 2 plus 2 can equal 5 in terms of performance. And, with the traits that our cattle possess, we sit in the driver seat for profitability within the commercial sector.

Have you ever lain in bed dreaming of a new tractor, a big barn, and grass for miles? By Callahan Grund I KNOW I certainly have even at the ripe age of 18! But, how can we achieve these goals as ranchers in today’s industry? This past fall I started my college journey at Fort Scott Community College in Fort Scott, Kansas to be on the livestock judging and start my schooling. Sitting in my Animal Sciences class we were talking about genetics and beef cattle breeds, which got me thinking of possible solutions to increase profits for commercial cattle

We see crossbreeding in other agriculture sectors as well. There are plenty of examples of crossbreeding taking the strengths

Arkansas & Oklahoma

Breeders

Martin Cattle Company David & Rita Martin Oklahoma’s Largest Gelbvieh Breeder Chris Markes 580-554-2307 Chris@MarkesFamilyFarms.com Excellent bulls and heifers available. We sell 80 bulls a year all over the country. Come see why! Transportation available.

54 | February 2015

256 Boyce Road Judsonia, AR 72081 H: 501.728.4950 C: 501.278.7614 www.martincattleco.com

Private Treaty Sales Available Year Round

of two different breeds or breed combinations and drastically improving the end outcome.

Imagine farmers not using hybrid corn varieties. Their yields would be slashed in half or twothirds of what they are today and it would be almost impossible to yield 200 bushel corn. Heterosis, or hybrid vigor, is known as the superior performance of the crossbred offspring to the average of the straightbred parents. Crossbreeding gives breeders not only heterosis, but also expands the herd’s gene pool. As seen in the chart, the effects of heterosis in crossbred calves add up to almost 19 percent. Along with these astounding numbers, how do Gelbvieh influenced crossbred cattle sit in the driver’s seat as the most profitable cattle? I think the answer to this question lies in the proven performance data of Balancer® cattle at work in the feedlot and as mature cows. The majority of ranches today either sell calves at weaning or background their calves and sell them as feeder cattle. The proof that cattle buyers and/or feedlots like crossbred calves with Gelbvieh or Balancer genetics is evident throughout the Midwest. We recently saw this success go to work for the Breeden Ranch located in northwest Kansas. They’ve been incorporating Balancer genetics into their herd for five years now and the calves they sold this fall had some HUGE results. A group of 60 steers that were weaned on October the 18th were backgrounded for 38

days and gained a whopping 4.39 pounds per day. They averaged 850 pounds on sale day and topped the market selling for $2.35/lb. It was exciting to see the fruits of their labor and passion for the cattle industry be rewarded with these outstanding numbers.

Gelbvieh/Balancer® Show 1:00 PM ET, Friday, March 6, 2015 ®

However, not only do the crossbred calves outperform their counterparts, but the cows also hold a significant advantage. Crossbred cattle lead the charge in the age of sustainability where we, as producers, are trying to make everything sustainable to feed the

Heterosis, or hybrid vigor, is known as the superior performance of the crossbred offspring to the average of the straightbred parents.

Gelbvieh/Balancer Sale

11:30 AM ET, Saturday, March 7, 2015

Junior Heifer & Steer Show 8:00 AM ET, March 8, 2015

Selling 35 Lots:

Bulls Bred Heifers • Open Heifers Cow/Calf Pairs • Embryo Packages

Champion Gelbvieh Bull 3G Atlas 314A ET Consignor: 3G Ranch, IN Buyer: Danny Hunt, KY

Reserve Champion Gelbvieh Bull Dream Factor 224Z Consignor: Green Hills Gelbvieh, NC Buyer: Adam Helm, KY

Champion Gelbvieh Female Tabby 313A Consignor: Padon Farms, KY Buyer: Maple Valley Farm, OH

Reserve Champion Gelbvieh Female Bar None Ms Decade 259Z Consignor: Gelbvieh Bar None, KY Buyer: Miller Gelbvieh Farm, AR

Champion Balancer Bull 3G Zeus 299Z Consignor: 3G Ranch, IN Buyer: H&B Company, IN

Reserve Champion Balancer Bull GHGF 10Z1 ET Consignor: Green Hills Gelbvieh, NC Buyer: Woodland Gelbvieh, TN

world. In our ever-changing world as we attempt to balance sustainability with an increasing world population and decreasing land mass, as well as keeping ranchers profitability in mind, crossbreeding just makes sense. Gelbvieh and Balancer cattle are the perfect solution to gaining profits and making that dream of a new tractor, barn, or miles of pasture a reality. nnn

Sale co-sponsored by: The Kentucky Gelbvieh Association and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture

Sale Managed by: Champion Balancer Female Carolina Molly 2304Z ET Consignor: C-Cross Cattle Co., NC Buyer: Pleasant Meadows Farm, KY

Reserve Champion Balancer Female WAM 132Z Consignor: McIntosh Farm, KY Buyer: Padon Farms, KY

Slaughter Sale Management David Slaughter 162 Hasting Lane Fredonia, KY 42411 270-556-4259

The Profitpicture | 55

Judd Ranch 37 Gelbvieh, Balancer th

at the ranch, Pomona, Kansas • Saturday, March

P P P

Judd Ranch has been honored as the #1 Dam of Merit Cowherd in the Gelbvieh Breed for 16 of the past 17 years, 1998–2014!

P P P

82 lb. average birth weight: 869 lb. actual weaning weight average on the sale bulls. Maternal cow power behind every sale bull.

100% of the Gelbvieh & Balancer sale bulls feature Judd Ranch honored Dam of Merit Genetics. Average Daily Gain of fall yearling bulls: a whopping 5.42 lbs/day!

Top 12% Calving Ease EPD Strength average on the 271 Gelbvieh & Balancer sale bulls. Judd Ranch bulls are very affordable. Annually 98% plus sell to commercial producers.

Judd Ranch Gelbvieh Herdsires & AI Sires

Outback

JRI Cowboy Cut

JRI Top Recruit

JRI Top Producer

JRI Hot Topic

Final Answer

Cedar Ridge

JRI Pop A Top

Hoover Dam

JRI Extra Exposure

56 | February 2015

& Red Angus Bull Sale 7, at 12:00 noon • 1 hour southwest of Kansas City “The Complete Package”

285 Plus

Calving Ease • Growth • Carcass • Fertility

Gelbvieh, Balancer® & Red Angus Bulls Sell

• 174+ 17-19 month old Bulls • 111+ 12-14 month old Bulls P 92% Sired by Breed Leading AI Sires P 156 Black Polled Bulls P 225 Homozygous Polled Bulls P All Judd Ranch major herdsires are

enrolled in Carcass Testing Programs

P Quality Acceptance Guarantee on all Sight Unseen purchases

Free Trucking in U.S. on purchases of $20,000 +

P Trucking is very affordable because Judd Ranch bulls annually sell into 20+ states

Visit our website • www.juddranch.com

Judd Ranch Inc.

Dave & Cindy Judd Nick, Ginger, Brent & Ashley Judd Ranch Gelbvieh Maternal Strength

423 Hwy. K-68 • Pomona, KS 66076 785/ 566-8371 or 785/566-3770

Judd Ranch Red Angus Maternal Strength

Sale Consultant— CATTLEMEN’S CONNECTION CALL TOLL-FREE: 1-800-743-0026 For Your JRI “Complete Package” Sale Catalog The Profitpicture | 57

Mitchell Marketing Services GELBVIEH SALE MANAGEMENT • SEMEN SALES

OVER 500 BULLS AND 450 FEMALES SELL THIS SPRING. SIGHT UNSEEN PURCHASES GUARANTEED COMPLETE PROGRAM PROMOTIONS

View sale books and videos for MMS managed events at www.mms.bz

SPRING 2015 MMS MANAGED EVENTS JANUARY 26, 2015

FEBRUARY 10, 2015 FEBRUARY 14, 2015

FEBRUARY 21, 2015 MARCH 3, 2015

MARCH 14, 2015

MARCH 21, 2015

MARCH 28, 2015

Golden Rule Sale North Dakota Gelbvieh Association Mandan, ND GBOI Gelbvieh Gold Sale Iowa Beef Expo - DesMoines, IA

MMS SEMEN SALES

YOUR SOURCE FOR BREED-LEADING AI SIRES. • All semen shipped from one location • Visit www.mms.bz to see a complete listing of AI sires available Contact MMS to order elite Gelbvieh and Balancer® semen.

JKGF FUTURE INVESTMENT X037 Purebred 88% Gelbvieh Homozygous Black Place your order today.

DCSF HIGHLY FOCUSED 308Y8

Power on the Prairie Bull and Female Sale Prairie Hills Gelbvieh Gladstone, ND Golden Buckle Gelbvieh Production Sale Napoleon, ND Genetic Investment Production Sale Warner Beef Genetics Arapahoe, NE Genetic Power Bull Sale J Bar M Gelbvieh, J & K Farms and Hilltop Farms Springfield, MO Cowman’s Kind Bull & Female Sale Post Rock Cattle Company Barnard, KS Cranview Gelbvieh Production Sale Rugby, ND

50% Balancer® Homozygous Black, Homozygous Polled True heifer bull and high carcass bull.

JKGF REFLEX X4 Purebred Gelbvieh Homozygous Black

JEMG STEAKHOUSE Y527

Purebred Gelbvieh Homozygous Polled

Give MMS a call today to schedule your next sale. We offer complete management to help create a better market for Gelbvieh and Balancer® cattle.

MITCHELL MARKETING SERVICE Chris Mitchell 334-695-1371 • Randy Sienknecht 319-290-3763 2262 C Avenue, Gladbrook, IA 50635 www.mms.bz

58 | February 2015

DCSF POST ROCK GRANITE 200P2 Purebred Gelbvieh Homozygous Black, Homozygous Polled

Feature

Preventing Calf Scours Calf scours, the diarrhea seen during the first 30 days of a calf’s life, is caused by a variety of bacteria, viruses and parasites. By Jason Vance, University of Missouri Extension BUT THE EXACT cause is less important than prompt treatment, says a University of Missouri professor of food-animal medicine. The primary reason calves get sick is dehydration, says John Middleton. With an inflammation of the gut, they lose fluids and electrolytes. “Once they start to get a liquid stool, we need to keep up with hydration and electrolytes. That prevents them from getting severely ill,” Middleton says. “The most severely ill ones need to be taken to a veterinary clinic and treated with IV fluids, while calves that are standing and can still suckle can be treated with oral fluids and electrolytes.” Most of the pathogens that cause scours are transmitted through fecal-oral contact. Middleton says that breaking that fecal-oral cycle is important to prevent scours, and environmental hygiene is a big part of that. “Remove the calf from the contaminated environment as soon as possible after birth,” Middleton says. “What we’d like to do is have them calve and moved out to clean pasture.” Middleton says age mapping within the groups is important. The pathogens tend to have a specific incubation period, so keeping calves within two weeks of each other lessens the chance of older calves infecting younger calves. There still will be some exposure, so it’s important to make sure the calves’ immune systems are equipped for that by ensuring that calves consume an adequate volume of colostrum from their mothers. Scours within three to five days of birth can be caused by enterotoxigenic E. coli that binds to their intestines. This increases secretion of sodium, pulling water into the bowel and causing diarrhea. After the first five days, enterotoxigenic E. coli doesn’t bind

Colorado, Kansas & Nebraska Breeders

to the walls of the intestine.

But several viruses can cause scours after that fiveday window. Although the specific virus can sometimes be determined by the age calves start showing signs, Middleton says you don’t need to know what’s causing scours to treat it. There are no specific treatments for viruses.

Jim Roelle 38148 CR 49 #7 Peetz, CO 80747 (H): 970-334-2221 • (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 27, 2015. High Plains Livestock, Brush, CO.

“Really, what we’re doing is treating the calf ’s symptoms, much like if we were to get food poisoning,” Middleton says. “We’d hydrate ourselves with an electrolyte solution, but there’s usually no specific treatment for the diarrhea that might be associated with food poisoning. It is much the same case when a calf gets the scours. We’re trying to keep it hydrated so its body can deal with the invading organism and clear it on its own.”

Delbert & Marilyn Raile & Sons

Preventing scours will depend on how producers manage their cattle, how much land is available, weather conditions and how many head are managed per acre. Middleton says the more cattle managed in the same amount of space, the greater the likelihood of fecaloral pathogen transmission.

railegelbvieh.com email: dmraile@railegelbvieh.com

Moving feed sites around rather than feeding in the same place can help decrease fecal-oral contact by reducing environmental contamination with potential diarrhea pathogens, Middleton says. He also suggests producers unroll large round hay bales to increase the feeding area. nnn Source: University of Missouri Extension

755 Road U St. Francis, KS

Delbert cell Cody cell

785-332-2756 785-332-4347 785-332-2219 785-332-6089

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 rippe02@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.”

The Profitpicture | 59

Feature

24th Annual

Are You Ready for Calving?

Bull Sale

Friday, February 27th

Denham Marketing Facility, Olathe, Colorado

95 Bulls Sell! Purebred Gelbvieh and Balancers ® Blacks and Reds • Over 30 years of breeding purebred Gelbvieh and Balancer herdsires and range bulls. • Bulls are raised in high-mountain and open rangeland conditions. • All bulls are P.A.P., PI-BVD, Trich, and fertility tested. • Well-balanced EPDs with better than average birth and calving ease numbers. Genomic Enhanced EPDs on most bulls. • High emphasis on maternal traits, early growth, and disposition.

Outstanding purebred Gelbvieh & Balancer herdsire prospects by Traction, Sam, Black Impact & Watchman.

Catalog online at www.gelbviehbulls.net DAVE BOWMAN • 970-323-6833 MARK COVINGTON • 970-209-1956

If unable to attend, purchase by phone or bid online at www.dvauction.com Videos of the bulls will be online by mid-February.

60 | February 2015

It is already time to start thinking about and planning for calving season. By: Richard Randle, Nebraska Extension Beef Veterinarian Planning ahead and being prepared can help increase the chances of success. You can begin by asking yourself two simple questions. Are my cows ready for calving? Am I ready for calving? Ideally, we would like our cows to give birth to healthy, vigorous calves with little calving difficulty and successfully rebreed. A major factor to this happening is the nutritional status of the cows at calving. Calving takes work and cows that are undernourished have a greater chance of problems such as prolonged calving, increased calving difficulty, weak calves, colostrum issues, and prolapses. Evaluating the nutritional status of your cows using Body Condition Scores (BCS) 60 to 80 days prior to the calving season provides a means to offset these problems. Cows with a BCS 5 and heifers with a BCS 6 on a 1 to 9 scale at calving are much less likely to suffer these problems and have a much greater chance of re-breeding. For more information on BCS scoring please see Body Condition Scoring Your Beef Cow Herd. Getting yourself ready for

calving season starts with evaluating calving areas to make sure that all are clean, dry, strong, safe, and functioning correctly. Consider assembling an obstetrical kit with needed supplies so everything is in one place. Supplies should include disposable obstetrical sleeves, disinfectant, lubricant, obstetrical chains, and obstetrical handles. Lastly, before calving season starts, review and develop a protocol. See Assisting the Beef Cow at Calving Time (http://go.unl.edu/qd7k) for information. You should plan what to do, when to do it, who to call for help, and how to know when you need help. Review these plans with all family members or helpers. Make sure everyone is familiar with what to expect during a normal calving and how to determine if there is a problem. Visit with your veterinarian about the protocol and incorporate his/her suggestions. Having a plan and being prepared will help make the calving season a success. Cows with a BCS 5 and heifers with a BCS 6 on a 1 to 9 scale at calving are much less likely to suffer these problems and have a much greater chance of rebreeding. For more information on BCS please see Body Condition Scoring Your Beef Cow Herd. (page 62) nnn Source: University of NebraskaLincoln

The Profitpicture | 61

Feature

Body Condition Scoring Your Beef Cow Herd Body condition scores (BCS) describe the relative fatness or body condition of a cow herd through the use of a nine-point scale. Resource: Dr. Rick Rasby, University of Nebraska - Lincoln A BODY CONDITION score five (BCS 5) cow is in average flesh and represents a logical target for most cow herds. A BCS 1 cow is extremely thin while a BCS 9 cow is extremely fat and obese.

Body condition score (BCS) of beef cows at the time of calving has the greatest impact on subsequent rebreeding performance (Table 1). The postpartum interval is the length of time from calving to first estrus (heat) after calving. For a cow to maintain a 365 day calving interval, she must rebreed by 82 days after calving (283 day gestation + 82 day postpartum interval = 365 days). On the average, cows that calve in a BCS 3 or 4 have difficulty exhibiting their first heat by 80 days after calving. Whereas cows that calve in BCS 5 or 6 tend to exhibit heat by 55 days after calving and; therefore, have a better opportunity to maintain a 365 day calving interval. Although cows that calve in a BCS of 7 have a short postpartum interval, it is not economical to feed cows to a condition score of 7.

Table 1. Body Condition Score Pre-calving and impact on days from calving to estrus (post-partum interval, PPI). Houghton et.al., 1990. Effects of body composition, pre- and postpartum energy level and early weaning on reproductive performance of beef cows and preweaning calf gain.

62 | February 2015

Thin cows at calving (BCS 4 or thinner) produce less colostrum, give birth to less vigorous calves that are slower to stand and these calves have lower

immunoglobulin levels (Figure 1), thus impairing their ability to overcome early calf-hood disease challenges. This illustrates the importance of targeting mature cows to calve in a BCS of at least 5. Because 1st-calfheifers have only reached about 85% of their mature weight after calving and require additional nutrients to support growth, they need to be Table 2. IgG in Beef Calves 24 hours after birth whose fed so they dams are in different body condition. Odde, K.G. 1997. are a BCS of 6 Reproductive efficiency, precalving nutrition, and improving calf survival. Proc. Bovine Connection, pg. at calving. 860-092.

The Look and Feel of Body Condition Scoring Body condition scoring can be done using only visual indicators or a combination of visual and palpation of key bone structures for fat cover. Palpation can be done during routine processing of cows through a chute. The key areas for evaluation are the backbone, ribs, hips, pinbones, tailhead, and brisket. Palpating cows for fatness along the backbone, ribs, and tailhead will help refine your skill to visually access body condition. If body condition scoring is new to you, just focus on separating cows into thin, moderate, and fat groups without worrying about the numerical score. With experience, you will connect the ‘’look and feel’’ of your cows to a body condition score that you can consistently determine. Body condition scores should be recorded so that links to productivity and herd management (particularly nutritional management) can be examined. Several years of such information could reveal, for example, needed management changes for a given age group (i.e., thin three-year-olds) of cows or might identify a sire group of females that simply didn’t fit your resources.

Thank You! To all the bidders and buyers who made the sale of our animals a GREAT success! 8th Annual You-Pick-Em All Polled

All Black

• Thank you to Gale Rippe Farms, Galax, VA for purchasing the top two high selling Balancer bulls – Granite 200P2 son • BA75 – Granite 200P2 son • BA50 • Thank you to Jeanne Stosser, Blacksburg, VA for purchasing the top selling Purebred Gelbvieh bull – Stout Granite 200P2 son • Thank you Clifford Joines, Galax, VA for purchasing the second high selling Purebred bull – Future Investment X037 son • Thank you Kittle Gelbvieh Farms, Geraldine, AL for your purchase of the high selling Cow/ calf pair – X011 a Lazy TV Beech Jet daughter out of PMG Molly 15M with a Granite 200P2 heifer by her side • Thank you Steve Fanning, Bland, VA for purchasing the high selling open hiefe – a daughter of X011 out of Granite 200P2 SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL OF OUR BUYERS in our 2014 You Pick-em Sale!

Sale • Thank you to Wallace Brown of Circle B Gelbvieh, Nicholasville, KY for your purchase of LWHF Fara 628A – A homo black, homo polled heifer sired by Future Investment X037 and out of JKGDF Fara 289S

2015 Gelbvieh & Balancer National Sale • Thank you Bill Wilkinson, Model, CO for your purchase of LWHF 106A • Thank you to Trevor Carlisle, Redmond, UT for purchasing LWHF 105A • Thank you to C-Cross Cattle Co., Bisco, NC for your purchase of half interest and half possesion of LWHF Black Crown

W L

QUALITY GELBVIEH CATTLE

LITTLE WINDY HILL

Farms Doug & Sue Hughes 6916 Peppers Ferry Road Max Meadows, VA 24360

H 276/637-3916 • C 276/620-4271

email: lwhf@wiredog.com

The Profitpicture | 63

Late Summer Early Fall This is an important time to condition score cows in drought years or in systems where females are managed almost entirely on vegetative or dormant grazed forage. If cows are thin, early weaning should be considered. Non-lactating cows may pick-up condition by grazing forage alone or by feeding a small amount of supplement along with the grazed forage. If young cows are thin and grass in the pasture is decreasing in nutrient quality, strategically wean calves.

Weaning Time Pay particular attention to young cows weaning their first calves, as they are most likely to be thin at this time. For young cows, you may need to consider early weaning calves and giving cows access to higher quality forage.

45 Days after Weaning When visually scoring body condition, you must “look through the hair coat”. Sometimes this is difficult due to a long winter hair coat. It is good training to re-evaluate your body condition scores when cattle are wet. You may be surprised at the impact hair coats can have on visual scores. Long, thick winter hair coats are obviously highly desirable (at least in the Northern plains), thus actual palpation for fatness of cows may be the best choice to produce consistent body condition scoring. Drawings of cows in BCS 1 to 9 can give an indication of how these cows would look if they were without hair. Other factors in addition to hair coat that can affect visual body condition scores are age of cow, rumen fill, and stage of pregnancy. The goal of body condition scoring is to evaluate fatness independent of these factors. At first, one or more of the above factors may mislead you, but careful study of your herd through the production year will sharpen your focus so that body condition can be scored independent of the above factors. The same techniques are used to condition score cattle that have Bos Indicus genetics. Depending on the percentage of Bos Indicus genetics, the skin appears to be wrinkled or folded. Determine degree of condition at the same locations and assign a score based on the 1 to 9 scale.

When to Condition Score Cows The greatest single factor influencing rebreeding performance of beef cows is body condition at calving, especially for spring-calving females. However, if producers wait until calving to manage body condition of their cows, they will find it very difficult and expensive to increase the body condition of a lactating cow. Although evaluation of body condition can be looked at as an ongoing process, there are several key times when body condition scoring should be considered: 64 | February 2015

This will give you a good idea how fast cows are “bouncing back” after weaning. Thin cows should be gaining back condition if cow type is matched with the feed resources.

90 Days before Calving This is the last opportunity to get condition back on cows economically. This would be the time to separate thin cows from cows in good condition.

Calving Time If cows are thin, producers may want to change the pre-calving feeding program. Because of the nutritional demands of lactation, it is difficult to get cows to condition economically after calving.

Beginning of Breeding Season Thin cows at this time may indicate a poor match of calving season to feed sources. Maybe calving occurs too early in the spring. The period from weaning to 90 days pre-calving is the best time to get serious about body condition scoring and planning the nutrition/management program because the manager’s strategy can have great impact. The period from calving to re-breeding may help explain the productivity (or lack thereof!) but it is likely too late to have much impact on herd productivity and profitability at this point. If cows are thin management options include early weaning when the youngest calf is 45 days old or 48 hour calf separation. Both of these management techniques will help initiate estrous cycles in beef cows. nnn Editor’s Note: Reprinted with permission from Dr. Rick Rasby, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Feature

Perrymann Banking on Balancer The American Gelbvieh Association says Gelbvieh is “the perfect fit on Angus-based cows.” By Brenda Black He’s found the recipe of Gelbvieh and Red Angus renders gentle, highly productive stock. Their performance, he’s willing to hang in the balance, as well as hang his hat on their ongoing success. Photos by Robert and Gail Perrymann ROBERT PERRYMANN, A commercial cow-calf breeder from Urich, Missouri, agrees.

Balancer hybrids offer hybrid vigor with a mix of both British and Continental genetics. The one-two combo

provides the Angus advantages of calving ease, moderate mature size, marbling and convenience traits with Gelbvieh’s growth, muscle leanness, fertility and heavy weaning weights. “Crossbreeding has been around a long time,” Perrymann says. He jokingly adds, “Folks found out way back when how good of a deal it was when the neighbor’s black bull got in with their Hereford cows and the calves turned out pretty good.” As for color combinations, Perrymann states

MLM GELBVIEH & GREAT RIVER RANCH OPEN HOUSE PRIVATE TREATY KICK-OFF SALE Monday, March 2, 2015 • At the Ranch Selling

35 Bulls • Gelbvieh & Balancer® Red & Black • 100% Polled

Balancer Image Maker son

Ultrasound Tested • DNA Tested and have GE EPDs Fertility Tested • Satisfaction Guaranteed Viewing at 11:00, Lunch at 12:00, Final Bids at 1:00

Sires Represented: Gelbvieh Sires – Ransome, Top Gun and Black Impact Balancer Sires – Secret Brand, Watchman, Tenderloin, Mr Krugerrand, Edison and Red Power Angus Sires – Image Maker and Pine Coulee Emblazon W103 Red Angus Sire – JYJ Redemption

Purebred Black Impact son

MLM GELBVIEH Marlin Meyer

824 Road 3000 • Superior, NE 68978 402.879.4976 mlm68978@yahoo.com

GREAT RIVER RANCH Norman Pensoneau

P.O. Box 349 • Chester, IL 62233 618.826.4846

Visit www.gelbviehbulls.com for more information

Directions: The Open House will be held at the ranch at Superior, NE. From the 14/136 junction north of Superior, go 6 miles west on 136, then 1-1/4 miles north.

The Profitpicture | 65

REDstock

Joint Production Sale 160+ LOTS SELL

Please join us for the inaugural event featuring elite red genetics. All RED genetics including: Red Angus, Red Baldy, Red Balancer® and Red Gelbvieh. Registered and Commercial. 12-18 month old bulls, pairs, bred females and open heifers.

The Power of RED

CED

1.1

101

Milk

REA

0.27

Marb

FPI

-0.45 63.43

HFGC VICKIE VAIL 173Y34 - Progeny sell out of this foundation REDstock donor.

CED

0.4

Milk

REA

0.23

Marb

FPI

-0.03 67.15

MS S092B - She sells.

CED

-0.1

115

Milk

REA

0.25

Marb

0.78

CED

-2.4

Milk

REA

Marb

0.31

0.19

FPI

77.17

MS S088B - She sells.

FPI

92.21

BIEBER REAL MCCOY Y124 - Progeny and service sell out of this Red Angus and Balancer® REDstock sire.

CED

0.1

JR33 TR254U82 - She sells.

CED

3.1

Milk

REA

0.41

Marb

FPI

-0.24 59.54

BEA 3047N - Progeny sell out of this foundation REDstock donor.

Milk

REA

0.29

Marb

FPI

-0.21 54.27

CED

0.5

108

REA

Marb

0.26

0.17

FPI

77.82

MS VICKIE MCCOY S094B ET - She sells.

BROADCAST LIVE ONLINE

Marty Ropp 406-581-7835 Garrett Thomas 936-714-4591 Clint Berry 417-844-1009 www.alliedgeneticresources.com

THE SOURCE FOR ONLINE SEEDSTOCK SALES

ALLIEDonlinesales.com Powered by

30 COMING TWO-YEAR-OLD BULLS • 29 YEARLING BULLS • 4 BRED COWS • 8 PAIRS AND 3N1s • 9 BRED HEIFERS • 6 OPEN HEIFERS • 57 COMMERCIAL FEMALES

Joint Production Sale at Litton Ag Center, Chillicothe, Missouri

SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2015 ®

Scott Bachman 660-247-1112

66 | February 2015

Dwight Harper 660-542-4033

Randy Meyer 660-788-2066 Steve Meyer 660-998-3044

Craig Bieber 605-216-8169 Office 605-439-3628

Genetic POWER Gelbvieh and Balancer® Bull Sale J Bar M Gelbvieh

•

J & K Farms

•

JEMG A751

Hilltop Farms

SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2015 • 1:00 PM CST

SPRINGFIELD LIVESTOCK MARKETING CENTER, SPRINGFIELD, MO JEMG A715

HTFB A343

BLACK, HOMOZYGOUS POLLED Purebred Gelbvieh Bull Sire: JEMG Steakhouse Y527 Dam: DCSF Post Rock Rhonda 76S2

JKGF A180

HOMOZYGOUS BLACK, HOMOZYGOUS POLLED 63% Balancer® Bull Sire: DCSF Post Rock Granite 200P2 Dam: JEMG Y565

HTFG A679

RED, DOUBLE POLLED Purebred 88% Gelbvieh Bull Sire: HFGC Hart 27Y21 Dam: JRI Ms Mix It Up 84W3

RED, DOUBLE POLLED 75% Gelbvieh Bull Sire: JRI Enhancer 53U21 Dam: GJHG Miss Drew Husker 16KP

HOMOZYGOUS BLACK, HOMOZYGOUS POLLED Purebred Gelbvieh Bull Sire: DLW Mr Kingston 106P Dam: JKGF Susie X18

JKGF A495

DOUBLE BLACK, DOUBLE POLLED Purebred Gelbvieh Bull Sire: JKGF Reflex X4 Dam: JKGF Missy W195

•

Calving Ease, Performance and Carcass bulls targeted for both the Purebred and Commercial Cattleman

•

100% of bulls selling are sired by leading AI sires

•

All bulls sell with a First Breeding Season Guarantee

Selling 120 Gelbvieh and Balancer® Bulls FALL 16-18 MONTH OLD BLACK AND RED BULLS • SPRING YEARLING BLACK AND RED BULLS Many bulls selling are homozygous black and/or homozygous polled.

Sale broadcast live online at www.dvauction.com Videos available of all sale bulls at www.mms.bz

J BAR M GELBVIEH

Jon E. & Edna Miller 28760 Norway Rd, Stark City, MO 64866 417-632-4925 home • 417-437-5250 cell Please no Sunday calls!

Broadcasting Real-Time Auctions

J & K FARMS Jerry & Karen Wilson 335 Gelbvieh Lane, Ava, IL 62907 618-426-3885 • 618-521-8620

Elmer, Brenda, Brad & Benny McWilliams Asbury, MO 417-642-5871 • 417-529-0081

www.mms.bz SALE MANAGEMENT BY: Mitchell Marketing Service Chris Mitchell 334-695-1371 Randy Sienknecht 319-290-3763 2262 C Avenue • Gladbrook, IA 50635

The Profitpicture | 67

his choice clearly, “I prefer red cattle – for the same reason why I drive a Ford -- cause I think they’re better. Just the hype hasn’t been put into them. The Red Angus breed has always been commercial based, and they believe in total herd reporting.” Though he sticks with the Red Angus/ Gelbvieh crosses, he’s quick to tip his hat to the full blood Gelbviehs as well. “I have Gelbvieh heifers that won’t be a year until October and they are already cycling.” Perrymann adds, “I like their temperament and milking ability. That’s what drew us to them. They have a lot of rib and depth. The Gelbvieh have shorter gestation periods and they breed back easy.” The accolades from this West Central Missouri cattleman come strictly from personal experience he’s gained. “My grandparents had cows, but my sack was empty when I started,” he says. “I just bought cows when I came back from the service in 1978.” Perrymann flew into farming, so to speak. One day he was air defense in the 9th Infantry, assigned to an artillery unit. In short order, he was buying bulls. From takeoff, he banked on Gelbvieh. He bought a “Sleeper” bull from David Barger and then used Judd Ranch genetics. On the Red Angus side, he counted on Dale Lacy sires. After he parked the plane and then his rig from his 25-year career in truck driving, Perrymann went full time into the cattle business. Last year, he called on Doug Crooks to breed 68 head with top AI sires from both sides of the equation. On his Gelbvieh heifers, he used Conquest, a locally, grown on grass Red Angus bull bred and developed by Brett and Libby Foster of BF Cattle Co., Butler, MO. Perrymann selected Feddes Big Sky R9, the proven #1 ranked calving ease bull in the Red Angus breed to round out the RA bull pen. He turned to Pop A Top 197T83 from Judd Ranch, plus Cowboy Cut 213S67, as his Gelbvieh sires. “I put Gelbvieh bulls on the Red Angus cows and if they are Gelbvieh sired, they are bred to a Red Angus bull,” Perrymann says. “I now have two embryo sons by Pop A Top – they are identical calves. So I can AI to Pop A Top and clean up with Pop A Top.” Today, Robert and his wife Gail run 120 head of females on 80 acres of their own and another 500 acres of rental ground. They retain around 25 heifers each year after backgrounding weanlings, then making the final cut, following

68 | February 2015

the Missouri Show-Me Select Heifer program’s protocol. The Perrymanns also have cows on shares at some of the rented properties. At the home place, they have constructed a state-ofthe-art handling facility designed by Bill Hoover of Boonvelle, Mo., which makes it possible for husband and wife to run the whole show. Though Gail has taught school for 22 years, she still lends a helping hand on a steady basis on the farm. In the summer, she’ll mount a tractor and run the rake in the hayfield. “It couldn’t be done without her,” says Perrymann. That’s not the only feat they master together. The couple is in their fourth year as owners of a small catering business. “Kickin’ Chicken”

Though he sticks with the Red Angus/Gelbvieh crosses, he’s quick to tip his hat to the full blood Gelbviehs as well. served up about 5,000 pounds of finger-lickin’ goodness last year. “We’re on pace to do that much again, this year,” says the Henry County Cattleman’s president, who wears an “Eat BEEF” cap while he’s frying fowl at nearly 40 events annually. To even the score a bit, he plans to volunteer at the Missouri State Fair Beef House this year and wear both cap and apron that touts his preferred protein. At other times, you’ll find Perrymann serving as greeter at the Clinton Northeast Baptist Church or working on the Henry County Fair Board or Extension Council. During “Cowboys at the Capitol” days, he’ll take a turn to talk to legislators about matters that impact beef producers in Missouri. And you might catch

him and Gail playing host to area FFA students who visit their farm several times a year. “We’ve been having some high school kids come out the last two years when we AI,” Perrymann explains. “The Ag class visits when we pelvic measure and put CIDRS in and they come back 30 days later when we breed them; and then back again when Dr. Koch ultrasounds. It really makes them think. The kids can see that calf in there. At 60 to 75 days the vet can sex them. The students can see the heart beat and the sex organs – a lot of them have never seen that.” In Perrymann fashion, he offers the students not only a chance to witness the benefits of contemporary cattle breeding technology, but he doles out some sage old advice for their young, impressionable lives. “I always tell them there are two important things to remember: One: always marry up. And two: there’s always somebody smarter.” When he finishes his contagious laughter and gets back to the business of beef, Perrymann predicts nothing but a bright future. And he’s banking on Gelbvieh Balancers to go the distance. “The thing I most love about being in this business is the genetics and the technology and the demand for a good quality product. We’re raising as good a product now as there’s ever been.” nnn Editor’s Note: This article was republished with permission from The Midwest Cattleman magazine and author Brenda Black.

THORSTENSON GELBVIEH & ANGUS

Market Topping Genetics “My Gelbvieh sired steers and heifers average $1,983 per head on December 6th and I sold every calf on the place!” – Allan Steward

“Our Lazy TV Balancer sired steers topped a 10,000 head sale (total dollars per head) at Philip, SD, two years in a row.” – Merle and Adrienne Hicks

Join our list of satisfied customers who are maximizing profitability. His exciting progeny sell March 7!

“Over the past three years our weaning weights have increased over 60 pounds and the only difference other than weather would be Lazy TV Ranch bulls.” – Justin Thompson

Selling 200 Bulls March 7, 2015

At the Ranch – 1:00 PM CT

Gelbvieh, Balancer & Angus “Thorstensons stand behind their bulls. Their guarantee keeps us coming back!” – Scott and Dewayne Zambo

Woodhill Daybreak U280-X20

AMAN 16706194 BW: -2.3 WW: +57 YW: +112 Milk: +24 REA: +.69 Mb: +0.52

Thorstenson Gelbvieh & Angus

12980 Cedar Rd., Selby, SD 57472 Vaughn & Wendy 605/649-6262

Brian & DeDee 605/649-9927

Fax: 605/649-7361 • E-mail: vwthor@sbtc.net

Lazy TV Ranch • Like us on Facebook

www.BalancerBulls.com The Profitpicture | 69

A great set of performance tested bulls that are worth waiting for

Middle Creek Farms

Selling Big Stout Bulls April 1, 2015 • Midland Bull Test • Columbus, MT Midland Bull Test • the Granddaddy of Performance Tests

MCFG 113B • AMGV1288754 • MBT Lot#1067

Sire: AAR Ten X 7008 S A MGS: Ayres New Upgrade 297 25% Balancer® ADG: 3.91 • Homo Polled Homo Black Top 1% for MB & FPI Top 5% for CEM & YG

CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM ST DMI YG CW REA MB FPI EPI

14 -1.5 70 123 24 59 11 2 0.03 -0.35 41 0.59 1.27 107.30 153.97

15% 15% 10%

5% 15% 20% 1% 1% 20%

MCFG 090B • AMGV1288750 • MBT Lot#1075

Sire: PLA Big Dog 101Y MGS: JOB Danell Montana Infusion Purebred ADG: 2.83 • Homo Polled Hetro Black Top 2% for YG

CCEDE BW WW YW MK TM CEM ST DMI YG CW REA MB FPI EPI

10 1.2 80 111 30 70 5 12 0.01 -0.52 36 0.37 -0.27 70.03 98.58

Sire: AAR Ten X 7008 S A MGS: MRCO New Direction 905 50% Balancer® ADG: 4.75 • Homo Polled Homo Black Top 1% for CEM & FPI Top 2% for MK, YG & MB

20% 2%

20%

CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM ST DMI YG CW REA MB FPI EPI

14 -2.4 66 114 38 71 13 0 -0.05 -0.44 34 0.56 0.79 95.60 163.51

15% 10% 20% 2% 4% 1% 20% 2%

2% 1% 15%

MCFG 129B • AMGV1288759 • MBT Lot#1076

15% 15%

PUREBRED AND BALANCER® ALL DNA AND EFFICIENCY TESTED

70 | February 2015

MCFG 027B • AMGV1288726 • MBT Lot#1065

Sire: GRU King George 817Y MGS: CRT Good Night 715T 75% Balancer® ADG: 3.88 • Homo Polled Homo Black Top 3% for YG • Top 4% for MB

CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM ST YG CW REA MB FPI

16 0.3 69 102 23 58 10 6 -0.38 30 0.23 -0.01 71.70

15% 3%

Middle Creek Farms Ken and Dale Flikkema

2 Mint Trail • Bozeman, MT 59718 (406) 586-6207 (Office) (406) 580-6207 (Cell) email: mcfarmsmt@gmail.com

The Profitpicture | 71

Editorial

A Note to the Seedstock Supplier- Keep Up on Customer Service Saturday, March 28, 2015 • 1:00 PM ET Chenault Ag Center • Mt. Sterling, KY

Selling 35

Gelbvieh & Balancer Bulls

Fall Bred Heifers sell!

27 Sixteen To Eighteen Month Old Bulls 8 Thirteen Month Old Bulls Most are Confirmed Homozygous Polled Red, Black & Homozygous Black Bulls Complete Performance Information and EPDs All Have Passed a Breeding Soundness Exam

Selling 45 Gelbvieh & Balancer Females

Cow/Calf Pairs sell!

Homozygous Polled, Homozygous Black bulls like this one sell!

Donor Prospects Spring Cow/Calf Pairs Fall 3-in-1 Pairs Bred Heifers Show Heifer Prospects

Semen auction to benefit thie Jimmy Christopher Scholarship Fund. Please bring your semen tank and support the Juniors. Some of the breed’s top A.I. sires will be offered. Sale managed by

Slaughter Sale Management

Donors sell!

For catalog or information contact:

David Slaughter

Homozygous Polled, Red bulls like this one sell!

72 | February 2015

162 Hastings Lane Fredonia, KY 42411 Phone: (270) 556-4259 E-mail: hmslghtr@aol.com

Great customer service is crucial to the success of any business. You can do a great job of advertising and marketing to bring in as many new customers as you want, but unless you can get some of those customers to come back, your business won’t be profitable for long. By: William McIntosh GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE is all about developing a mutually beneficial relationship between you and your customers. And about sending them away happy enough to pass along positive feedback about your program along to others. Those who hear may then be likely to buy from you in the future. If you’re a great marketer, you can sell to anyone once. But is be your approach to customer service that determines whether

or not you’ll be able to sell to that person again. Forming strong relationships with your customers is the first step in great customer service. We are in the cattle business but more importantly the cattle business is a people business, and people do business with people they like. The first and most important thing to remember when building these relationships is be sincere. The human is the most suspicious creature walking this earth. He will see through any fake attempts to reach out to him as long as it benefits your agenda. It has been said an insincere compliment is more insulting than a sincere insult. A great place to start developing these connections is a follow-up call after the sale. This gives you a chance to start dialog and start to learn about your customers program and goals. It will also give you the opportunity to thank them again for their purchase. People want to do business with people that sincerely appreciate them. Make sure your customers have your phone

number and that you welcome their calls. There is nothing worse than non-responsiveness to a customer who is trying to contact you to get help or find out more about what you’re selling. It’s important to respond quickly to all inquiries, even if it is only to say you are looking into the issue and will be back in touch. Some response is always better than none so the customer doesn’t feel ignored. Ask your customers questions and more importantly listen to what they have to say. You should take the time to get to know your customers operations and their needs. By taking the time to have these discussions you will gain valuable information you can use in making your selection decisions in the future. If several of your customers are talking or asking about carcass bulls or calving ease bulls that’s a pretty good indicator on what you should focus on next breeding season. This will help you better service your customers in the future.

answer is I have a history with the business, they know me and my need, and I don’t want to have to start over from scratch with another business. Can you do some of the same things for your customers that your suppliers have done for you to create customer loyalty? By building strong relationships with your customers you are building a strong customer base for years to come. In closing, great customer service means going the extra mile. Give your customers more than you would expect to receive if the roles were reversed. “There are no traffic jams on the extra mile.” Zig Ziglar nnn

We are all someone’s customers. Think about where you do business. Your bank, feed store, veterinarian, where you get your hair cut. Why do you keep going back? In most cases the

SOUTHERN BREEDERS ALABAMA

TEXAS

Kittle Gelbvieh Farms

Q u a l i t y B l a c k & Re d G e l b v i e h C a t t l e

816 Co. Rd. 36 Geraldine, AL 35974 Cell (256) 996-4140 www.kittlefarms.com

ARKANSAS

H ODGES R ANCH

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

Jim & Pat Dromgoole 4403 Winding River Dr. • Richmond, TX 77469 Home

OKLAHOMA

(281) 341-5686 • Ranch (979) 561-8144

www.dromgoolesheaven.com Show Cattle Managers: James & Shannon Worrell • (325) 258-4656

LeGRAND Eugene (870) 426-5333 Diana (870) 426-5334 Neal (870) 426-4469

Ed LeGrand

809 S. Redlands Rd. • Stillwater, OK 74074

405-747-6950 • alane@c21global.com Homo. Black, Homo. Polled • Breeding Stock Available

Gelbvieh & Balancer Bulls & Heifers Available Private Treaty Sales

EXCEPTIONAL

BULLS & HEIFERS

TRUCKING AVAILABLE

Looking for a sale or event? Check Places to Be on the website: www.GELBVIEH.org The Profitpicture | 73

News

Did You Know? Gelbvieh Presence at NCBA Tradeshow

weaned; +5 percent weaning performance and +4 percent in calf yearling performance.

Visit with AGA representatives at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Trade Show, February 4-6 in San Antonio, Texas. Stop by Booth #6154 to visit with AGA and learn more about Gelbvieh and Balancer® Maternal Influence in addition to all of the other beneficial traits Gelbvieh and Balancer genetics provide.

Gelbvieh is a Part of the MultiBreed Genetic Evaluation

Crossbreeding Works Integrating a crossbreeding system into your herd can positively affect your bottom line. A crossbred cow can provide an advantage of: +38 percent cow longevity; +25 percent lifetime productivity; +8 percent calf crop

What does that mean? It means that EPDs for Gelbvieh, Balancer, Simmental, SimAngus, and Red Angus, among others, can be directly compared to one another. In addition to being able to account for breed differences, the multi-breed EPD model explains differences in performance due to heterosis which allows for producers to compare purebred animals to hybrids. True multi-breed EPDs also provide more complete Balancer EPDs.

What is a Southern Balancer?

Forward Thinking Approach

AGA’s commitment to hybrid cattle

MURRAY FARMS Your gelbvieh and balancer cattle

for this generation and the next

Look for our cattle March 28, 2015 in Oklahoma State Association Sale at McAlester, OK Bulls for sale private treaty Matt & Andrea Murray 20055 N 2730 Rd • Kingfisher, OK 73750 murrayfarm@pldi.net (405)368-9601 - cell (405)729-4216 - home 74 | February 2015

free listing service to members and commercial users of Gelbvieh and Balancer genetics. Visit www.gelbvieh.org/exchange.html to view Gelbvieh and Balancer bulls, females and feeder calf listings from around the country.

The American Gelbvieh Association is on the leading edge of new research and technology affecting the beef industry. The AGA is involved in numerous, ongoing research projects related to breed improvement. These projects are generally associated with genetic evaluation, production efficiency and beef quality.

Free Gelbvieh and Balancer Cattle for Sale Listings As part of the American Gelbvieh Association’s Commercial Marketing Service, the AGA provides a

A Southern Balancer is a heat tolerant hybrid that must have at least 25 percent Gelbvieh and from 6.25 percent to 50 percent of a tropically adapted breed or combination of tropically adapted breeds. The sire and dam of the animal must each be a registered animal and recognized or recorded in a breed association.

The American Gelbvieh Association was the first breed association to include a registry and genetic evaluation for hybrid animals. nnn

The Profitpicture | 75

Grund Beef Genetics

Adding Value for Our Customers Practical, Predictable and Proven Genetics.

Annual Bull Sale•February 25, 2015 Oakley, KS Selling

75 Head of BALANCER • GELBVIEH • ANGUS & RED ANGUS BULLS 10 Head of Registered and Commercial Replacement Heifers

PMany Calving Ease Bulls P Super Disposition P Winter Feeding Program P Sired by Breed Leading A.I. Sires POver 60% of the Bulls Rank in the top 25% of the breed for Feedlot Profit Index

(FPI combines Performance – Carcass Weight – Yield Grade – Marbling)

“The Grund Beef Genetics have worked very well in the feedlot. The gain, feed conversion, and especially Quality Grade have been very good with the majority of the cattle being in the yield Grade 3 range. Congrats on providing genetics that help producers hit today’s market target.” – Sam Hands, Triangle H Feedlot, Garden City, KS

A Top Cut of Heifers will sell that have produced: Selling Profitable Genetics for over 20 years!

2011 Balancer Futurity Champion

We Sell Bulls That Add Value

Like us on Facebook at Grund Beef Genetics This sale will be available online at:

76 | February 2015

rund Beef enetics

2013 Reserve Junior National Balancer Heifer www.grundbeefgenetics.com Jerry Grund 785/821-1022 Layal & Donna Grund785/852-4370 Lyle Hammer 785/728-7400 Darrell & Becky Vandike785/728-7310

GRU Mr Predestined 709B

50% Balancer Sire: GRU Mr Predestined 135Y • MGS: GRU Perfecta 046P • Powerful Beef Bull • Ranks in top 35% of breed for WW • Ranks in top 4% of breed for MB and top 15% for FPI

GRU Mr Safeguard 266B

50% Balancer Sire: PA Safeguard 021 • MGS: BEA Passion 001X ET • Fresh New Genetics • Balance – Performance – Carcass Traits

GRU Mr Watchman 702B

50% Balancer Sire: Lazy TV Watchman W021 • MGS: Woodhill Foresight • Performance Bull – Great Dispostion – Out of Dam of Meret • Top 10% for WW, ST & FPI,top 15% for MB, and top 20% for YW, TM & YG

GRU Mr Sam 0027B

Purebred Sire: Lazy TV Sam U451 • MGS: EXT Govenor 3N • Calving Ease – Performance Bull • Top 2% of breed for CED, YG and FPI, top 3% for BW, top 10% for MK, REA & MB and top 15% for TM

CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM ST YG CW REA MB FPI

9 2.2 70 104 29 62 9 4 -0.14 34 0.68 0.67 83.28

CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM ST YG CW REA MB FPI

10 1.2 70 109 29 62 8 2 -0.23 36 0.72 0.37 78.23

CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM ST YG CW REA MB FPI

9 1.6 78 113 28 66 4 9 -0.24 37 0.55 0.51 86.91

CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM ST YG CW REA MB FPI

15 -2.0 75 102 37 73 9 9 -0.51 27 0.72 -0.01 77.62

GRU Benefactor 234B

Homo Black • Homo Polled • 50% Balancer Sire: Lazy TV Watchman W021 • MGS: AAR TenX 7008 SA • Big Time Bull – Unique Individual • Ranks in top 1% for FPI, top 2% for BW & MB and top 15% for CED, WW & YG

GRU Mr Box Beef 208B

38% Red Balancer Sire: LSF Boxed Beef 9063W • MGS: JDPD Astro 407S • Great Looking – Super EPDs • Ranked in top 15% of breed for WW and top 20% FPI

GRU Mr Breakout 551B

50% Balancer Sire: GRU Mr Predestined 135Y • MGS: Traveler T510 • Awesome Looking – Great Cow Family • Top 2% for MB, top 4% for FPI, top 10% for WW & CW, top 15% for YW & TM

GRU Big Red 901B

63% Balancer Sire: Butlers Red Oak 908W • MGS: GAR Retail Product • Great Looking – Easy Going Disposition • Fresh Red Genetics – Top 5% for YG and top 20% for WW

CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM ST YG CW REA MB FPI

14 -4.1 76 113 29 65 6 5 -0.28 31 0.54 0.76 97.23

CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM ST YG CW REA MB FPI

12 0.7 76 107 21 57 6 3 -0.09 32 0.51 0.42 81.70

CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM ST YG CW REA MB FPI

9 1.3 80 118 30 67 8 4 -0.08 43 0.68 0.77 89.86

CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM ST YG CW REA MB FPI

7 3.1 74 101 22 56 7 4 -0.35 34 0.45 0.15 68.53

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Feature

Read the Signs, Follow the Map The characteristics associated with successful cattle producers often coincide with genetic discipline that directly correlates to market and industry demand. By Myron Edelman ARE YOU â&#x20AC;&#x153;READING the signsâ&#x20AC;? indicative of the opportunity for profit available in the current market place, especially for ranchers and feeders that produce and feed genetically superior cattle?

Figure 2. 2014 Beef Cow Slaughter

Have you taken the steps that position your cattle to be competitive in these astounding feeder and fed cattle markets? More importantly, have

Figure 3. Heifers as a Percent of Slaughter 78 | February 2015

you followed a genetic map with information that may lead you to building functional replacement females? Utilize the information available Figure 1. Historical Beef Cow Inventory to establish a cow herd capable of withstanding the scramble for available cattle resources. The strenuous requirements of modern very structure of market demand suggests that mother cows to be productive and producers with available space for cows will look profitable over their entire lifespan. to expand cow herds to capitalize on the strongest While cows must remain fertile, markets the industry has ever seen. Is there data sound and re-breed on time each available that indicates the U.S. will experience year, we also ask that they annually cow herd expansion? produce those profitable cattle that Two data points made available by CattleFax to feedyards and packers compete for consider are: a measure of current cow inventory and/or daughters with the ability sold for slaughter, and how many heifers are placed to advance the herd toward more on feed intended for slaughter. Figure 2 (2014 efficient and ultimately profitable beef cow slaughter) indicates that over 300,000 production. Attend any industry related function and you can engage in a discussion about the current unprecedented markets for calves, feeders and market ready cattle that we have recently witnessed. Perhaps even more interesting than the high levels of the cattle markets is the potential for profit at each stage of the supply chain. Cattle that garner the highest dollar values at each market stage begin with a disciplined genetic selection process. U.S. cow herd inventory at historical lows (see Figure 1) (Historical Beef Cow inventory) describes the circumstances that drive the

Figure 4. Weaning and Yearling Weight EPD Genetic Trends

fewer beef cows have been slaughtered as of August 2014, which is a reduction of more than 16 percent from the previous year. Figure 3 (Heifers percent of slaughter) shows heifers as a percentage

of USDA slaughter has also been reduced. Year-end predictions for 2014 show a reduction of 1.5 percent fewer heifers being slaughtered than the previous year. Ranchers and farmers should certainly ask the question: is a large percentage of my heifer calf crop replacement quality? Have you applied selection pressure with tools available through the American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) to assist in building females? Special focus on data points such as heifer pregnancy, 30-month pregnancy, stayability, and calving ease may help build your reputation for delivering females with strong maternal capability. The most recent tool in the selection arsenal provided by the AGA is the $Cow index. This maternally focused index considers a combination data set of traits with economic relevance and maternal influence. The Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) data suggest that Gelbvieh influence may assist ranchers in controlling mature cow weights in efforts to maintain efficiency at the ranch level. What about growth? Do Gelbvieh and Balancer® cattle also grow? Yes, for more than a decade the growth trend in the Gelbvieh breed has been one of steady increase. The ability to maintain or add growth to cattle with maternal efficiency at the ranch level makes Gelbvieh an attractive package for producers considering options for building cow numbers. Gelbvieh and Balancer stakeholders are in a fortuitous position to supply the industry with replacement females that have “maternal influence.” Have you read the signs that describe the opportunities in the current market place for superior and reliable genetics? Are you following a genetic map on your own farm or ranch that can place you in a competitive position? The opportunity is available to offer the beef business genetic solutions to fulfill the needs of

ranchers committed to building productive and profitable cow herds

while supplying cattle that meet beef market demands. Gelbvieh

stakeholders need only to “Read the Signs” and “Follow the Map.” nnn

28th Annual Production Sale February 28, 2015 • 1:00 p.m. CST Balancer • DJS 81B AMGV1294027

at the Ranch Top quality herd sires in this offering

Balancer • DJS 35B AMGV1293706

Angus • DJS 115B AMAN17972322

Angus • DJS 103B AMAN17981691

Your Source for POWERFUL Balancer Genetics

Backed by 30+ years of proven superior feedlot performance. SIRES REPRESENTED: BALANCER: TAU Mr In Focus 22Z XXB Ludacris 039S ET PLA Mr Hauler 12X ET (Bus) DJS Pistolero 16Z TAU Mr Gridiron Cowboy 137W SVF Brilliance Z35 ANGUS: Waylon W34 Concensus Z008 Connealy In Focus 4925 Bismark 032 (In Business) Sitz Dash 10277 SAV Thunderbird 9061

Jeff Swanson

308/337-2235 • 308/991-0727 (C) 10908 724 Rd. • Oxford, NE 68967 swansoncattleco@yahoo.com

Call for a Sale Book

Selling

110 Bulls

Including 15 Balancer & Angus Registered Heifers

• 70 Balancer & Gelbvieh Yearling & Fall Bulls • 40 Angus Yearling & Fall Bulls

50+gous

Homozy s Sell ull Black B

2014 SPRING HEIFER FEEDYARD DATA

• • • • •

Pay Weight out: 1,328 1,328 lbs. lbs. • CH or better: 97.5% HCY: 63.91% • PR: 12.8% HCW: 815 lbs. • CH: 84.7% ADG: 3.23 lbs. • CAB: 62% DMC: 5.76

Auctioneer: Kyle Elwood • 785-493-2901

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Feature

Carrying capacity influences leased land value

Schroeder Ranch Producing Industry–Leading Gelbvieh and Balancer® Genetics SGRI Ax A134

SGRI Jacked Up Z704

Finished in Top 5 • 2014 Balancer® Futurity

2013 Balancer® Futurity Runner-Up

CED 15 BW -2.1 WW 64 YW 115 MK 24 TM 56 CEM 9 ST 3 YG -0.38 CW 36 REA 0.85 MB 1.02 FPI 98.64

CED 10 BW 0.2 WW 98 YW 163 MK 23 TM 72 CEM 6 ST 3 YG -0.30 CW 67 REA 0.76 MB 0.80 FPI 108.82

AMGV 1247575 • 25% Balancer®

AMGV 1214573 • 25% Balancer®

Sire: SAV Pioneer 7301 • Dam: SGRI U803 MGS: BR Midland Owned by Brian & Jan Winter

Sire: SITZ Upward 307R • Dam: SGRI X003 MGS: HXC Jackhammer 8800U Owned by LeDoux Ranch

Top 1% of breed for MB & FPI EPDs

Top 1% of breed for WW, YW, CW & FPI EPDs

Contact owners for semen.

SGRI Sledgehammer X600 2011 Balancer® Futurity Runner-Up CED 9 BW 0.7 WW 86 YW 131 MK 10 TM 53 CEM 7 ST 4 YG 0.15 CW 48 REA 0.25 MB 0.51 FPI 89.01

Make plans to attend our 17th Annual Schroeder Ranch Gelbvieh and Balancer® Bull Sale Monday, April 6, 2015 Mitchell Livestock Auction, Mitchell, SD You could own the next one!

AMGV 1152807 • 25% Balancer® Sire: HXC Jackhammer 8800U • Dam: U803 MGS: BR Midland Owned by Schroeder Ranch and Volek Ranch

80 | February 2015

Steve Schroeder (605) 366-5693 Dustin Tolsma, herdsman (605) 539-0235 www.schroedercattle.com

Profits from grain and livestock enterprises generally impact the rental rates on lands that are used to grow these commodities. By: Dan Childs, Senior Consultant DURING HIGHLY PROFITABLE times, rental rates for land usually trend higher. Likewise, when profits are lower, rental rates will trend lower. How quickly rental rates adjust depends to a certain degree on how fast profitability changes for the underlying commodity. A good example of rental rates adjusting to profitability can be observed for corn. General profitability of growing corn during the period of 2008 to 2013 trended stronger. In the state of Illinois where corn is commonly grown, the University of Illinois reported1 rental rates moved from an average of $152.72 per acre in 2008 to an average of $196.13 in 2013. This is an increase of about 28 percent. Current projections are for the profitability of the cow-calf sector to set record highs for 2014. These record profits are also having an impact on rental rates for pastureland where cows are grazed. Pastureland leased for grazing cows is commonly negotiated by the acre. Some consideration is given to the amount of open ground, type of base grass and condition of the stand. Another factor is the animal unit year (AUY) — the carrying capacity in terms of the number of cows that continued on page 87

SOUTHEAST BREEDERS KENTUCKY

Mick Ainsworth

1613 Derby Road P.O. Box 154 Jackson Springs, NC 27281

VIRGINIA

910-652-2233 Cell: 910-638-8436 Mick’s email: longleaf@etinternet.net Grass Grown • Carcass Quality & Performance

www.knollcrestfarm.com knollcrest@hughes.net

Office (434) 376-3567 James D. Bennett Paul S. Bennett Jim G. Bennett Brian R. Bennett Dalton G. Bennett

102 Merlin Dr. Georgetown, KY 40234 Steve, Ashley, Jordan & Jason McIntosh 502-868-5726 Clifford & Faye McIntosh 502-863-1135 Breeding Gelbvieh since 1989

NORTH CAROLINA

W L

TENNESSEE

Quality Gelbvieh & Balancer® Cattle

QUALITY GELBVIEH CATTLE

Fax (434) 376-7008 434/376-7299 434/941-8245 434/664-7935 434/664-8309 434/664-7946

LITTLE WINDY HILL

Farms Doug & Sue Hughes 6916 Peppers Ferry Road Max Meadows, VA 24360 H 276/637-3916 C 276/620-4271

ClinCh Mountain Gelbvieh

John & Liz Loy (865) 687-1968 (865) 235-8869 (C)

7611 Dyer Rd. Luttrell, TN 37779 j.b.loy@att.net

Bulls & Heifers for Sale

Dr. Daryl Wilson Tyler Wilson (276) 676-2242

Joe & Gwen Wilson (276) 628-4163

Registered (276) 614-0117 (C) Gelbvieh Cattle

17462 Fenton Dr., Abingdon, VA 24210 • TrebleWRanch@aol.com “Superior Gelbvieh and Balancer Cattle”

Chris & Jordan Hampton • Charles & Sue Hampton 839 Davistown Rd. Celina, TN 38551 931-243-3213 H 931-510-3213 C hampton@twlakes.net

Registered Bulls & Replacement Females

M & W Farms

Maryville, Tennessee Producing Black, Polled Genetics for Today & Tomorrow.

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

Get ready for upcoming sales! Advertise in Gelbvieh World or the Profit Picture

Quality Black Bulls & Heifers for sale Lynn Waters 3525 Tuckaleechee Pike Maryville, TN 37803

R T G

865.660.9227 lynnmwfarms@gmail.com

WEST VIRGINIA

ROCKY TOP GELBVIEH Gelbvieh & Balancer Cattle Sandy and Terry Gupton 4846 Potato Farm Rd • Crossville, TN 38571 865-250-1418 • rockytopgel@yahoo.com rockytopgelbviehfarm.com

The Profitpicture | 81

MIDWEST BREEDERS KANSAS

POST ROCK CATTLE COMPANY 3041 E. Hwy. 284, Barnard, KS 67418 Bill Clark: 785.792.6244 Leland Clark: 785.792.6208 Fax: 785.792.6250 Email: prcc@twinvalley.net

Bar Arrow Cattle Company Stuar t Jar vis

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

diamond v gelbvieh Randy odle

1210 G Rd. Stockton, ks 67669 785.737.3319 diamondv@live.com Building Gelbvieh Genetics since 1989

Top Quality • High Performing • Calving Ease

SimAngus, Balancer (GvAn) 18 mo bulls, Forage Developed, Good Disposition EPDs show superior genetics & ancestry, Thick, Deep, Stretchy Guaranteed Bob Harriman Genetics Montrose, MO • 660-492-2504 bharriman39@hotmail.com

Purebred A.I. Seedstock Bulls and Heifers Available. Al, Mary & Nick Knapp Cell: (913) 219-6613 18291 158th Street H: (913) 724-4105 Bonner Springs, KS 66012 FAX: (913) 724-4107

Thanks to all for investing 50 years in this program from pasture to plate.

e-mail: knappa@swbell.net

Promote for Success! Upcoming Advertising Deadlines: April Gelbvieh World Early copy deadline: February 24

Committed to raising quality seestock Registered Gelbvieh and Balancer® Cattle Elmer, Brenda, Brad & Benny McWilliams Asbury, MO 64832 • 417-642-5871 • 417-529-0081(cell)

Regular rates deadline: March 3

Call 303-465-2333 today!

MISSOURI

B/F Cattle Company

Specializing in Forage Raised

Judd Ranch Inc.

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

Balancer® Bulls on K-31

Culling practices on cows/bulls second to NONE! For information, contact:

Route 1, Box 407 • Butler, MO 64730

660 • 492 • 2808

ROCKING GV GELBVIEH Polled Fullblood Gelbvieh Cattle Dr. & Mrs. Glenn Wehner 22533 Spencer Lane Kirksville, MO 63501 660-665-7502

RogeRs Valley FaRm gelbVieh Scott Bachman • (660) 247-1112

scott_bachman@yahoo.com www.bachmancattlefarms.com

17520 Hwy. JJ Chillicothe, MO 64601

Breed for Tomorrow’s Cattle Today!

A Breed Leader in Tenderness & Marbling–

www.rogersvfg.com

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

82 | February 2015

•

P.O. Box 51 Mendon, MO 64660 (660) 272-3805 (O) (660-375-7266 (C) Ronald & Kathryne Rogers email: rogers_valley_farm_feedlot@hotmail.com

MIDWEST BREEDERS Gelbvieh SprinG Flood ranch balancer® Jim & Sherri Michaletz 1397 Spring Flood Rd Goodman, MO 64843 417-364-5297 (O) 479-366-1234 (C) Email: jmichal@netins.net www.springfloodranch.blogspot.com

Mark & Patty Goes 70948 L Rd. , Orleans, NE 68966 308-473-7342 • 308-999-0207

Cedar Top Ranch

Consistent Genetics Adding Pounds & Profit

Scott & Raberta Starr 212 Starr Drive • Stapleton, NE 69163

Myron & Valerie Bahm 4375 White Oak Rd Fordland, MO 65652

(H): 308-587-2293 • (C): 308-530-3900 cedartopranch@gpcom.net

417-753-3578(h) • 417-576-0687(c)

Eldon Starr: 1-800-535-6173 or Rich Johnson: 402-368-2209

email: whiteoakfarms@live.com

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

J. J. Boehler

Pope Farms Gelbvieh

Jeff and Jeanne Pope 26075 Willow Rd., Ravenna, NE 68869 Phone & Fax: (308) 467-BEEF Cell: (308) 390-0657 jeff@popefarms.com

www.popefarms.com

Registered Gelbvieh & Balancer®

FLYING

GENETICS

Nebraska & Missouri

Stay Connected!

Kyle & Kayla Helms - NE 308/962-6940 kyle@flyinghgenetics.com James Sparks - MO 660/287-4149 james@flyinghgenetics.com

Cody & Casie Helms - NE/MO 303/842-9071 cody@flyinghgenetics.com Visit us on the web & Facebook! www.flyinghgenetics.com

Jeff Swanson • 308/337-2235 10908 724 Rd • Oxford, NE 68967

Annual Sale—Last Saturday in February

GELBVIEH

BALANCER

Keep up to date with shows, sales and other events by visiting www.GELBVIEH.org

Be sure to Like us on Facebook

And look for new videos on our YouTube channel Scott Wolf Travis Wolf 308.537.5388 308.529.3733 Gothenburg, NE • wolfgelbvieh@gmail.com www.facebook/wolfgelbvieh.com

NEBRASKA

We want to Keep up with AGA members. Please send in information to be included in the Gelbvieh World and on our website: • • • •

Items for Places to Be News for Bits N Pieces Dates for upcoming shows and field days. State Association news

Plus, add us to your mailing lists when sending out sale catalogs. Send all items to: Gelbvieh World • 10900 Dover St., Westminster, CO 80021 lynnv@gelbvieh.org

The Profitpicture | 83

South Dakota & Minnesota

Breeders

ADKINS GELBVIEH Gelbvieh & Balancer Performance Genetics

Bulls and Heifers for sale by private treaty

(605) 354-2428 Cell gerald@adkinsgelvbieh.com www.adkinsgelbvieh.com

Gerald & Sarah Adkins

41606 195th St., Carpenter, SD 57322

Feature

Bull Buying Decisions in the Good Times Genetic decisions have always been important, but the stakes have never been higher than they are now. By Warren Rusche SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist WE’RE WITNESSING A cattle market for calves, feeder, and live cattle unlike anything we’ve ever seen. That’s the good news. At the same time the amount of capital at risk and the dollars at stake with every decision have never been higher. The average bull bought this year will very likely cost more dollars than at any other time in recent memory.

So how does that change the bull buying decisions of producers? Although the basics haven’t changed, there are some factors that are worth some additional consideration.

Longevity

Keith, Janice, Dustin & Britney

605-852-2131 kvolek@venturecomm.net www.volekranch.com

S G

SwenSon Gelbvieh

Dean Swenson

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

Polled • Purebred Red • Black

84 | February 2015

One way to reduce the cost per calf of higher-valued bulls is to increase their productive life. The following table is a simple example of how getting more years of service from bulls lowers the cost per calf. High-priced bulls that don’t last are incredibly expensive. Buy bulls that have

Bull Cost Per Calf Purchase Price of Bull

been developed to last and manage them so that they will hold up and not crash.

Genetic Merit Looking at the chart above a producer would be easily tempted to lower their standards. Every operation has budget restraints, but buying the wrong bull for an operation just because he is cheaper will be more costly than spending “too much.” The SDSU Calf Value Discovery project has consistently seen profit spreads between the high and low profit steers exceed $500 per head.

Accuracy of Selection As the cost of breeding assets increase, the costs of making mistakes go up as well. Any tool that helps producers more accurately identify the bulls that meet their goals will reduce that risk. Genomicenhanced EPDs combine the power of DNA testing tools like the 50K test with traditional performance testing to improve genetic selection and increase the accuracy of EPDs.

Reproduction In the simplest terms, the bull has one primary job; get cows bred. In today’s market, it’s nearly impossible for a cow to lose money, provided that she’s pregnant and weans a calf. Breeding soundness exams, managing bull condition, and reducing their environment stress are musts. Having extra bull power as an insurance against injury may be worth considering as well. nnn Courtesy of iGrow.org

Years of Ser- $5000 $8000 $10000 vice 1 $195 $345 $445 2 $120 $195 $245 3 $95 $145 $178 4 $83 $120 $145 Assumes 20 calves per year, $900 annual maintenance cost per bull, $2000 salvage value.

GELBVIEH GENETICS DELIVER... • Maternal Efficiency • Increased Performance • Daughters that Impact Profit

American Gelbvieh Association • 303-465-BEEF (2333) • www.gelbvieh.org

The Profitpicture | 85

UPPER MIDWEST BREEDERS MINNESOTA

IOWA

6700 County Rd. 19 S. Minot, ND 58701 (701) 624-2051 (H) (701) 720-8823 (C)

Brandywine Farm

Rob Arnold

Email: RLAGelbvieh@aol.com

Registered Gelbvieh & Balancers®

Tom Scarponcini

30474 Brandywine Road Rushford, MN 55971

507-864-2063 Dwight and Christina Dockter Bailey, Cheyenne, Cierra and Dalton

Schafer Farms, Inc. SFI

Gelbvieh

Ridge Top Ranch

Gelbvieh-Angus-Balancer

Neola, Iowa

Black & Polled Private Treaty Sales

Breed-leading Performance from Quality Genetics

37740 240th Ave., Goodhue, MN 55027 Brian Schafer Lowell Schafer

1-888-226-9210 brian@schaferfarm.com

inquist

th 1135 190 Street inquist Fonda, IA 50540

arms (712) 288-5349 arms Gelbvieh & Red Angus

Email: rickylin@ncn.net www.linquistfarms.com

LONE O AK C AT T L E hornsandthorns@netins.net Eric Ehresman (319) 489-2275 20963 30th St. (319) 480-1564 Mechanicsville, IA 52306

Martens Gelbvieh

Gary Martens 2126 500th St • Walnut, IA 51577 712.764.5007 (H) • 712.249.5744 (C) martensgl@yahoo.com Annual Bull and Female sale in March with the Southwest Iowa Gelbvieh Group

HH H

Triple H Farms Roy & Nancy Holste 3113 260th Street Clarinda, IA 51632

712-303-0263 • 712-303-1947

Bulls and Heifers for sale Private Treaty

86 | February 2015

Visit www.golden-buckle-gelbvieh.com

651-923-4587 www.schaferfarm.com

Private Treaty Bull Sale — Last Sat. in February Annually

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

Ricky Linquist

4956 41st St. SE, Medina, ND 58467 701-486-3494 • gbgelb@daktel.com

Balancer®

Mattison Family Farm Scott & Sonia Mattison Brianna, Nicole, Josh & Kallie 15995 Harvest Ave Lamberton, MN 56152 507-430-0505 • email: ssmattison@redred.com Purebred Gelbvieh and Balancer® Cattle

S G

SwenSon Gelbvieh

Dean Swenson

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

Polled • Purebred Red • Black

Dennis & Sherry Gustin Family Al and Peggy Gustin

Mandan, ND • 701/663-7266 email: gustindd@gmail.com www.gustinsdiamondd.com

SOUTH DAKOTA ADKINS GELBVIEH

Gelbvieh & Balancer Performance Genetics Bulls and Heifers for sale by private treaty Gerald & Sarah Adkins

(605) 354-2428 Cell gerald@adkinsgelvbieh.com www.adkinsgelbvieh.com

41606 195th St., Carpenter, SD 57322

Beastrom Gelbvieh Ranch Registered Gelbvieh & Balancer Cattle Bulls • Heifers • Embryos • Semen

Jim & Barb Beastrom Brandy Ludemann, Brittney Spencer

NORTH DAKOTA Chimney Butte RanCh

Ph: 605-224-5789 • 605-280-7589 (Cell) jimbeastrom@mncomm.com • www.beastromranch.com

www.bcvgelbvieh.com

Doug and Carol Hille 701/445-7383

3320 51st St., Mandan, ND 58554

chimneybutteranch@westriv.com www.chimneybutteranch.com Annual Production Sale 1st Friday in March

Brent & Eve Vavra Nisland, SD • 605/257-2407

UPPER MIDWEST BREEDERS continued from page 80 can be grazed on the property during the growing season or year-round without jeopardizing the integrity of the grass stand. Often, however, AUY capacity is neither estimated nor considered. An AUY is more specifically defined as the amount of grass needed to sustain a 1,000-pound cow for 12 months and her calf for seven of those months. It is generally accepted that an animal unit will consume an average of 26 pounds of grass per day. Estimating the number of AUYs provides the amount of potential grass or “feed” the property is capable of producing. Knowing the carrying capacity of a property is helpful to the landowner by allowing them to know how much grass or feed they have for sale and, likewise, for the tenant to know what he or she is buying. Not many livestock owners purchase a sack of feed without knowing what it weighs or having an idea of the quality of feed in the sack.

Julie Maude 605.381.2803 (C) Lori Maude 303.809.3789 (C) cj_llivestock@yahoo.com Hermosa, SD Quality Gelbvieh & Balancer® Genetics from a Trusted Source

Ellison Gelbvieh & Angus Ranch Gelbvieh & Angus & Balancers

Private Treaty Sales • Bulls (Yearling & 2-yr.-old) & Heifers

Mitchel & Edna Ellison

Jeff & Susie Ellison

9020 ND Hwy 49 Lemmon, SD 57638

9015 ND Hwy 49 Lemmon, SD 57638

701.376.3238

701.376.3526

Thorstenson Gelbvieh

Selby, South Dakota Annual Bull Sale 1st Saturday in March Brian & Dee Dee Vaughn & Wendy 605-649-9927 605-649-6262 www.Balancerbulls.com

Proven Genetics with Balanced Traits!

Rental rates that are based on carrying capacity provide information both to the landowner and the tenant concerning the amount of feed being transacted. This knowledge should allow each party to make a more informed decision, which could lead to a more equitable and long-standing agreement between the two parties. A variable in carrying capacity for land with improved forages, e.g., bermudagrass, love grass or old world bluestems, is fertilizer. Applying nitrogen fertilizer to these forages can increase carrying capacity considerably. The cost and application of the fertilizer is generally the responsibility of the tenant. Therefore, carrying capacity is normally calculated without any fertilizer added. However, because the potential is there for increased forage production, land with an improved forage base will generally rent for a higher amount than land with a native grass base. Once carrying capacity is determined, a price can then be negotiated for the lease value of the property. As mentioned earlier, the lease value is often correlated to the general profitability of the cow-calf sector. An index can be used to capture or indicate profitability. An index used in some leases to stay current on profitability is the price per hundredweight of a 500-pound steer calf the first week of August. August is used because it is often the average price for the year. The price per hundredweight becomes the annual grass lease fee for the year per animal unit. For example, if a 500-pound steer calf was bringing $300 per hundredweight, then the annual lease per cow per year would be $300. This amount would not include care for the animals, only grass. nnn Source: The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc.

Keith, Janice, Dustin & Britney 605-852-2131

kvolek@venturecomm.net www.volekranch.com

34261 200th Street, Highmore, SD 57345

Steven A. Munger 605/380-0092 (cell) •

605/229-2802 (office) 605/229-2835 (fax)

Nate Munger 605/943-5690 (office) Cowherd Manager 605/380-2582 (cell) www.eaglepassranch.com

If you’re not here, how does your customer find you?

WISCONSIN Russell Family Livestock

R S S L

Ron, Alicia & Family

Brooklyn, WI 608.455.1448 rrussell@ansci.wisc.edu facebook.com/RussellLivestock

Focused on Form & Function

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303-465-2333 The Profitpicture | 87

News

Recommendations for Receiving Cattle Minimizing the stress of weaning, marketing, and shipping can have a large impact on the bottom line. By: Reid McDaniel, SDSU Extension Beef Feedlot Specialist “Taking the proper steps to get calves off to the right start is paramount to the success of a cattle feeding operation. One of the most important decisions feedlots face is how to properly receive new cattle,” said Reid McDaniel, SDSU Extension Beef Feedlot Specialist. “Giving new cattle everything they need to remain healthy during the feeding period is the right thing to do from an animal well-being point-of-view.” McDaniel added that given the current record costs of feeder cattle, it is also a decision with economic incentives. Below, McDaniel along with Russ Daly, SDSU Extension Veterinarian and State Public Health Veterinarian will briefly discuss several important topics related to getting calves off to the right start.

Prior to Processing: “An effective receiving program minimizes incidence of disease and gets cattle on feed. The impact of nutrition on immunity is greatest during the first few days after arrival,” McDaniel said. He said that the efficacy of a vaccination program is dependent upon the ability of a calf ’s immune system to respond accordingly. Feed and water intake rehydrates cattle, improves immune function, and promotes healthy rumen activity.

Montana

Processing/Vaccination Programs: Calves that have been properly pre-conditioned with vaccination against viral respiratory pathogens (i.e., IBR, BRSV, and BVDV) Daly said, exhibit, in general, better health than nonpre-conditioned calves, regardless of the arrival vaccination program. However, in many cases, this is out of the control of the feedlot operator. “The main questions then becomes, what vaccines should be used to help boost the immune response, and when should those be administered?” Daly said. According to Daly, most studies show positive results from using viral vaccines in the arrival program. These vaccines include IBRV, BVDV, BRSV, and PI 3, and are available as modified-live or killed versions. Evidence for including bacterial pathogens such as Mannheimia, Histophilus, or Mycoplasma in vaccine programs is not as solid. “While bacterial pathogens are the most important causes of bovine respiratory disease, they typically occur following an infection with a virus,” Daly said. Therefore, he said most current recommendations for vaccination upon arrival include viral vaccines (typically modified-live or intranasal) but not bacterial vaccines. “When considering timing, feedlot operators should remember that calves undergoing stress do not respond well to vaccines,” Daly said. He recommends that feedlot operators let newly-received cattle rest overnight, or at least one hour for every hour transported, to allow stress levels to decrease before processing. “Research suggests that delaying vaccination for even as long as 14 days following arrival resulted in better immune stimulation and lower levels of illness in groups of stressed calves (Richeson and co-authors; 2008). When cattle are well fed, they are better able to respond appropriately to vaccination,” Daly said.

Breeders

“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 Production Sale, March 19, 2015

88 | February 2015

“Cattle are likely to be tired, thirsty, and hungry off the truck. For these reasons, calves should be rested for at least 24 hours in dry pens (bedded if necessary) before initial processing with free-choice access to high-quality grass hay and fresh water,” he said.

Ken and Dale Flikkema 2 Mint Trail • Bozeman, MT 59718 (406) 586-6207 (Office) (406) 580-6207 (Cell) email: mcfarmsmt@gmail.com Black, Purebred & Balancer Cattle “Our Aim is Your Target”

Receiving Calf Nutrition: Providing the required nutrients to calves helps reduce stress-related weight loss, immune system suppression, pulls, and death loss. Getting newly-received calves to eat is a common challenge faced by feedlots. Depending on the previous history, some calves will eat and drink quicker than others. This is particularly true of preconditioned or creep-fed cattle, explained McDaniel. “A common method

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Dick & Jean Williams P.O. Box 156 Orovada, NV 89425 775•272•3442

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LEDGERWOOD GELBVIEH Gelbvieh • Red Angus • Balancer® Pete & Samee Charriere

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Dave & Dawn Bowman 55784 Holly Rd. • Olathe, CO 81425

(970) 323-6833

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Females for Sale Private Treaty “Pot of Gold” Gelbvieh Angus & Balancer® Bull Sale Fri., February 27, 2015 • Olathe, CO

Jim Roelle 38148 CR 49 #7 Peetz, CO 80747

(H): 970-334-2221 • (C): 970-520-1224 jr.plateau@hotmail.com www.plateaugelbvieh.com

Promote Your Operation Advertise with a State Round-up ad in the the two issues of the Profit Picture and the Herd Reference issue of Gelbvieh World For information about advertising, call Lynn or Megan AGA office • 303.465.2333 The Profitpicture | 89

Nutrient Dry matter, % Concentrate, % Crude protein, % Net energy for maintenance, Mcal/100 lb Net energy for gain, Mcal/100 lb Calcium, % Phosphorus, % Potassium, % Magnesium, % Sodium, % Copper, ppm Iron, ppm Manganese, ppm Zinc, ppm Chromium, ppm Cobalt, ppm Selenium, ppm Iodine, ppm Vitamin A, IU/lb Vitamin E, IU/b

Recommended Range 80 - 85 50 - 75 12.5 - 14.5 82 - 90 46 - 56 0.6 - 0.8 0.4 - 0.5 1.2 - 1.4 0.2 - 0.3 0.2 - 0.3 10 - 15 100 - 200 40 - 70 75 - 100 0.2 – 1.0 0.1 - 0.2 0.1 - 0.2 0.3 – 0.6 2500 50 - 100

Table 1.

that attracts cattle to the bunk and encourages feed intake includes delivery of the receiving ration after good-quality grass hay has been distributed evenly in the bunk,” he said. Following this protocol for a few days after receiving gives cattle access to hay and introduces them to the new ration. Depending on the cattle, the time required to establish intake of the receiving ration may vary. As ration intake increases, the hay can be decreased until only the ration is being fed. The basic components of a well-managed receiving nutrition program are outlined below:

•

Adequate mixing to reduce sorting

•

Proper intake management (bunk calling)

“Because intake is usually low, it is imperative that each bite of feed contains the adequate nutrients which meet the requirements of the cattle,” said McDaniel. Table 1. Nutrient recommendations for stressed calf receiving rations (dry matter basis)1 Adapted from National Research Council (2000), Wagner (1988), and Hutcheson (1987) nnn 1

Courtesy of iGrow.org

Access to good-quality grass hay that is free of dust, mold, and weeds • Unlimited access to fresh water • Palatable ration ingredients

NORTHEAST BREEDERS Promote Your Operation

ILLINOIS “Realizing the Value”

Skyler Martin

1200 S. Blackhawk Rd. Oregon, IL 61061-9762 815•732•7583

9937 Warren Rd. Winslow, IL 61089 (815) 367-4116

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Advertise with a State Round-up ad in the the two issues of the Profit Picture and the Herd Reference issue of Gelbvieh World

Skyler Martin

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3 G Ranch

Gelbvieh Cattle For Sale Carl, Rebecca & Emily Griffiths

1577 N 600 E • Kendallville, IN 46755

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We sell Breeding Stock Bulls & Females Fullblood Polled Gelbvieh Polled Hereford

Merle E. Lewis 812/863-7701

James L. Lewis 812/508-0014

RR1 BOX 1360 • SPRINGVILLE, IN 47462

90 | February 2015

Chester Yoder

12353 Cty Rd 330 Big Prairie, OH 44611 chesyoder@yahoo.com 330-567-9232 • 330-231-0339 (cell)

Gelbvieh Profit Partners is committed to the success of the commercial producer raising Gelbvieh/Balancer® genetics. We look forward to working with you in 2015!

Give us a call when you have cattle available. We want to bid on them. Barry “Slim” Cook Chief Operating Officer P.O. Box 3025, Cody, WY 82414 307-272-2024

The Profitpicture | 91

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Feature

Important Considerations before Implementing an Estrus Synchronization or Artificial Insemination Program may be management issues that should be addressed before initiating a synchronization and AI program. If the pregnancy rate has been ≥ 85% during a 60 to 80 day breeding season then you need to evaluate whether your heifers and cows are good candidates for an estrus synchronization and AI program.

Are my heifers and cows good candidates for an estrus synchronization protocol? By: George Perry TO DETERMINE IF you are ready for a synchronization and AI program, the first question to ask is “Over the past few years what has been the pregnancy rate in my heifers or cows after a 60 to 80 day breeding season?” If the pregnancy rate at the end of this length of a breeding season has been less than 85% there

Criteria for heifers. Heifers that will be used for breeding purposes should not have received growth promoting implants. Previous studies report that implanting heifers within 30 days of birth impairs uterine function and decreases subsequent pregnancy rates. Heifers should have attained 65% of their mature body weight by the start of breeding. Some recent studies have proposed that heifers can be developed to lighter weights prior to the first breeding season. However, fewer heifers that were developed to 53% of mature weight were cycling prior to the start of the breeding

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94 | February 2015

Powerf bulls lik ul top sell e these ers wil offered l be !

Richard & Linda Vavra Guest Consignors: Quinton & Felica Vavra

18749 Riley Road Nisland, SD 57762 605-257-2113 • rlvgelbvieh@yahoo.com www.rlvgelbvieh.com

season compared to heifers developed to 58% of mature weight, but the percentage pregnant in a 45 d breeding season was not different between treatments (Funston and Deutscher, 2004). While this might indicate that heifers can be developed to a lighter weight without negatively impacting reproductive performance, Creighton et al.(2005) reported that when heifers were developed to 50% of mature weight, 15.7% fewer of them conceived in the first 30 days of the breeding season compared to heifers developed to 55% of mature weight. Therefore, consideration should be given to the possibility of heifers conceiving later in the breeding season when trying to decrease heifer development costs and developing heifers to a lighter weight. Knowing the mature weight of the cows in your herd can be helpful in calculating an appropriate target weight. This can practically be determined by looking at the sell weight of cows you have culled from your herd over the past couple of years. Pregnancy success during the breeding season has been correlated with the percentage of heifers that reached puberty before or early in the breeding season (Short and Bellows, 1971), and it has been reported that pubertal status is one of the main factors that impacts conception rates (Bridges et al., 2014). A minimum of 50% of your heifers need to have reached puberty and have started normal estrous cycles. This can be determined by reproductive tract scoring your heifers 4 to 6 weeks prior to the breeding season. A reproductive tract score (RTS) is a subjective

season and thereby decrease pregnancy rates and pounds of calf weaned per cow exposed during a breeding season. Postpartum interval length is influenced by a variety of factors including suckling, nutrition, age, dystocia, genetic variation, stress, and disease (Short et al., 1990; Crowe et al., 1993; Yavas and Walton, 2000).

measurement of the sexual maturity of a heifer that is normally performed by a veterinarian. The score is obtained by palpation per rectum and is based on the degree of uterine development and ovarian status (size of dominant follicle and presence or absence of a CL). Each heifer is assigned a score of 1 to 5 (1 = immature; 5 =

Suckling:

Heifers that will be used for breeding purposes should not have received growth promoting implants. presence of a corpus luteum) with a RTS of 1 referring to a prepubertal heifer, 2 or 3 referring to a peripubertal heifer (transitional stage), and 4 or 5 referring to a pubertal (cycling) heifer.

Criteria for postpartum cows. To maintain an annual calving interval (≤ 365 days), conception must occur within 80 days of calving; however, the period of anestrus following calving is frequently greater than 60 days. Based on data from Missouri beef herds only 60% of postpartum beef cows were cycling at the start of the breeding season. In beef cattle, prolonged postpartum intervals decrease the proportion of cows that are cycling at the start of the breeding

Postpartum beef cows that are suckled ad libitum have a longer postpartum anestrous period than cows that are suckled once daily, or not suckled at all (see review by Williams, 1990). This extended anestrous period is a direct function of suckling and the bond that develops between a cow and her own calf. The ability of a cow to recognize her calf prolongs postpartum interval length in addition to the neural stimulation of the suckling stimulus. Luteinizing hormone (LH) is an important reproductive hormone that is secreted from the anterior pituitary gland into the blood and is required for the establishment and maintenance of normal estrous cycles in numerous mammals, including cattle. An increase in LH pulse frequency is required for growth and maturation of an ovulatory follicle. As time from calving increases so does the frequency of LH pulses in the circulation and this culminates in a short luteal phase followed by the first normal estrous cycle postpartum. Interestingly, the biological changes from calving to the first ovulatory estrus in a

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postpartum cow are similar to the physiological changes in a heifer as she approaches puberty. For example, initiation of normal estrous cycles in prepubertal heifers and cows is frequently preceded by an ovulation, without estrus, that results in a short luteal phase (Perry et al., 1991; Werth et al., 1996). This short exposure to progesterone is believed to be necessary for reprogramming the reproductive axis to resume normal estrous cycles. Therefore, in herds that have a large proportion of prepuberal heifers or anestrous cows, progestin pretreatment (Melengestrol acetate or CIDR treatment) before induction of ovulation can initiate estrous cycles by simulating a short luteal phase.

Nutrition: Short et al. (1990) proposed the following biological priorities for nutrient utilization (nutrient partitioning) by cattle: 1) basal metabolism, 2) motor activity, 3) growth, 4) basic energy reserves, 5) maintenance of pregnancy, 6) lactation, 7) additional energy reserves, 8) estrous cycles and initiation of pregnancy, and 9) excess reserves. The preceding priorities for nutrient partitioning demonstrate that reproduction (resumption of estrous cycling and pregnancy) is a low priority, particularly for heifers calving at two years of age. Consequently, underfeeding energy and/or protein pre-calving and post calving reduced both pregnancy rates and first service conception rates, and increased the postpartum interval (see review by Randel, 1990). Both suckling and nutrition interact to have a powerful effect on return to estrus in beef cows. A simple method of assessing bovine energy reserves is through a subjective body condition scoring (BCS) system, which ranges from 1 (emaciated) to 9 (obese). The scoring system evaluates the amount of fat cover at specific locations on the female. Cow body condition at calving has a critical role in determining postpartum interval length compared to body condition score at the start of the breeding season (see review by Dziuk and Bellows, 1983). Consequently, prepartum nutrition level and maintenance of nutrition level postpartum has an important effect on subsequent reproductive performance (see review by Randel, 1990). Cows having a body condition score ≥ 5 at calving returned to estrus sooner than cows having a lower body condition score (Spitzer et al., 1995), and cows with a body condition score of six or seven had higher pregnancy rates compared to cows with a body condition score of four or five (DeRouen et al., 1994). A strategic time to assess cow body condition 96 | February 2015

is at weaning since a cow’s nutrient demands are significantly reduced after weaning and this is the most economical time to improve cow body condition. In general, a cow needs to gain approximately 80 lbs (not including the weight of a gestating calf and the associated fluids) to increase one condition score. Consequently, if a cow has a BCS of 3 at weaning and you want her to have a BCS of 5 at calving she will need to gain 160 lbs. By knowing how much weight she needs to gain and the number of days from weaning to calving you can calculate an expected average daily gain to achieve the targeted BCS goal by calving. Pre-calving nutrition has an important effect on cow body condition at calving and subsequent postpartum interval length. The effects of poor body condition in cattle can be overcome by feeding cows prepartum to obtain a good body condition score at parturition (Morrison et al., 1999). Cows fed a high energy diet for 135 to 142 days prior to calving had higher pregnancy rates, conceived earlier in the breeding season, had a shorter interval from calving to conception, and exhibited estrus earlier postpartum than cows fed half the energy of the high energy ration (Dunn et al., 1969). Increased energy content of feed as late as two months before calving increased BCS, percent cycling and pregnancy rates during the first half of the breeding season (Espinoza et al., 1995). Whereas pre-calving nutrition is an important determinant of postpartum interval length, post-calving nutrition has an important effect on conception rate. Increasing energy content in a ration after calving resulted in higher pregnancy rates and cows conceived earlier in the breeding season, but cows did not exhibit estrus earlier postpartum compared to control animals (Dunn et al., 1969). Waiting until 4 weeks after calving and 11 days before breeding to increase energy supplementation had no effect on concentrations of LH or estradiol, but did increase the size of the largest follicle 7, 9, and 12 days after feeding was initiated, and also increased pregnancy rates and maintenance of the embryo (Khireddine et al., 1998). Therefore, supplementation of cattle following calving resulted in a shorter duration of negative energy balance and increased reproductive performance.

Age of the Cow: As previously discussed, growth is a higher priority for nutrient partitioning than reproduction, and heifers consistently had longer postpartum intervals than multiparous cows (Doornbos et al., 1984; Fajersson et al., 1999).

In addition, the first ovulation postpartum in primiparous cows was delayed relative to multiparous cows (Sharpe et al., 1986; Guedon et al., 1999). Consequently, as animals reach mature body size nutrients that were previously partitioned for growth can be utilized for lower priority functions including reproduction. Consequently, feeding first calf heifers separate from older cows and providing supplemental nutrition to first calf heifers can be effective strategies for negating the effect of cow age on rebreeding.

Dystocia: Heifers calving at two years of age have increased incidence of dystocia compared to older cows. Furthermore, heifers that experienced calving difficulty at two years of age weaned fewer calves that were younger and lighter (Brinks et al., 1973). Cows experiencing dystocia resulted in a lower percentage of cows exhibiting standing estrus within 45 days of calving, decreased AI pregnancy rates, and decreased total pregnancy rates (Laster et al., 1973). Therefore, minimizing the incidence of dystocia through proper heifer development and use of “calving ease” bulls as well as being proactive in providing obstetrical assistance will help reduce postpartum interval length and increase reproductive performance. Postpartum cows that are good candidates for an estrus synchronization programs normally meet each of the following criteria: 1) body condition score at calving of ≥ 5 (1= emaciated; 9 = obese), 2) mean postpartum interval of the cows to be synchronized should be ≥ 40 days at the beginning of the protocol. This does not mean that each cow should be ≥ 40 days postpartum but that the mean of the entire group to be synchronized should be ≥ 40 days. If the estrus synchronization protocol you plan to use includes CIDR administration, each cow should be a minimum of 21 days postpartum at the time of CIDR insertion, and 3) low incidence of calving difficulty since dystocia will lengthen the postpartum interval. nnn Editor’s note: George Perry, Ph.D., is a professor and beef reproduction specialist is with South Dakota State University. The above proceedings are reprinted from the 2014 Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle conference with permission from Dr. Perry.

The Profitpicture | 97

Feature

Buying Late Bred Cows and Their Potential for Additional Revenue Record high cattle prices have led to questions about additional revenue-generating options in the market. By: Shannon Sand, SDSU Extension Livestock Business Management Field Specialist This has led some producers to wonder if there is potential for additional revenue. One of the possibilities for creating extra revenue is to buy bred cows this fall and sell both the cow and calf. The main factor for producers to consider when looking at this option is what comparative advantages they have. Some questions the producer should ask themselves are:

I. OPERATING COSTS Feed Costs Veterinary and drugs Supplies Marketing Shipping

Is there enough feed supply (raised vs. bought) to support extra livestock?

Breeding fees:

Is there available labor to calve the extra cows?

Is there adequate space available for cow-calf pairs in spring/summer? Do producers need to rent more pasture? What does the futures market look like for calves? Should we consider Livestock Risk Protection (LRP)? What is the potential health risk to my herd from buying a late bred cow? What is the potential of losing the cow and/ or calf? After answering these questions and determining their cost structure a producer will have a better understanding of whether or not their operation can support extra cattle. An enterprise budget for this endeavor will provide answers to the financial components of these questions. A labor and resource analysis can answer the labor and space requirement issues. If all of these components are favorable then this could be a way for the operation to make additional revenue in 2015. Table 1. Cow-Calf Enterprise Budget Example Budget is available on SDSU economics page Table 1 above shows a budget example, which should be taken into consideration when 98 | February 2015

them through winter into spring or summer. While this is just one example of what a producer could potentially do it is important to remember that not all producers will have the same cost structure, labor, and resources in their operations. This strategy has some potential in the short run while calf and cull-cow market prices are high and feed prices are low3. While some producers can capitalize on its potential, it is important to remember this endeavor needs $431.51 carries a certain amount of risk with it. Therefore it is important $15.00 producers analyze the potential $1.00 for profit each year as prices for $15.00 feedstuffs and the cattle markets $5.00 change4. $0.00

TOTAL DIRECT OPERATING COSTS

To calculate death loss, the percent of expected loss was multiplied by expected selling price

$467.51

II. AVERAGE OPERATING CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS - PER COW Average bull value

100.00 cows / 2.00 Bulls =

$0.00

Replacement charge per cow

100.00 cows / 3.00 Culls =

$0.00

Death Loss

$63.021

Feed costs

$431.51

Other direct costs

$16.00

Indirect Costs

interest, electric, depreciation

$22.22

TOTAL COW COSTS PER YEAR

This is a short term strategy and not one intended for long run growth.

$532.75

III. INCOME - PER COW Calf (considering a 50/50 steer/heifer mix) Cull cow income

Total direct cost and indirect costs is the sum of total direct costs, other direct costs, death loss, and indirect costs. This is done so as not to double count the feed costs when calculating the total costs for raising the cow.

IV. PROFIT Total Income

Cow purchase price

Total direct and indirect costs

TOTAL Profit for the Pair

deciding if buying late bred cows is a feasible option. If this producer has extra capacity in terms of land, feed, labor, etc. this strategy has potential for making a good short term profit. In this case according to Table 1 if the producer has extra land and labor available the producer could afford to buy extra bred cows and carry

The information in this article is believed to be reliable and correct. $1,164.50 However, no guarantee or warranty $2,424.90 is provided for its accuracy or completeness. This information is provided exclusively for educational purposes and any action or inaction $2,424.90 or decisions made as the result of $1,350.00 reading this material is solely the $568.752 responsibility of readers. The author $506.15 and South Dakota State University disclaim any responsibility for loss associated with the use of this information. See more in the iGrow article Corn Reports Benefit Cattle Feeders. nnn $1,260.40

Courtesy of iGrow.org

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The Profitpicture | 99

News

Selection Tools to Manage Risk for the Commercial Producer As feeder calf and fed cattle prices skyrocketed this past fall, it is more important than ever for commercial producers to be strategic and knowledgeable when selecting bulls to bring in their herd. By Kelli Retallick

data, etc.). Even though genomic data helps to explain greater amounts of variation within a trait, the value of the raw data cannot be replaced. In order to reap the maximum benefits of GEEPDs raw data must continue to be collected. The main goal when using any selection tool including GEEPDs is to increase the overall rate of genetic progress. Because incorporating genomic information into estimates of genetic merit increases selection accuracy, producers will also see synonymous

COMMERCIAL PRODUCERS HAVE been encouraged to invest in the genetic improvement of their herds at a time when the outlook of the industry seems relatively stable. Here at the American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) our aim is to provide the industry with the tools necessary to pinpoint genetically superior animals. One method is to provide Gelbvieh and Balancer® breeders and their commercial producers with genomic information collected through DNA testing. Genomic results are combined with current selection tools to increase the reliability of genetic estimates, improve accuracy of EPDs, and predict phenotypes for traits that are difficult to measure on an animal’s own performance such as carcass traits in females or maternal traits in males. Combining pedigree information, individual animal performance, and DNA information into Genomic-Enhanced EPDs (GE-EPDs) maximizes prediction accuracy on unproven animals. Basically, genomic data provides another source of information to help explain the unknown variation of a trait. The greater amount of explained variation allows for better predictions of future animal performance. GE-EPDs enable commercial producers to make better bull buying decisions and increases customer confidence in seedstock suppliers because of more accurate and predictable selection tools. Selecting a young unproven bull based on GE-EPDs is equivalent to selecting an animal that has already sired as many as 1 to 20 progeny, depending on the trait. Prediction accuracies for carcass traits including marbling, fat thickness, and yield grade are greatly improved with the incorporation of genomic data. This, in theory, should allow producers to more accurately select bulls whose progeny excel in the feedlot for these particular traits. Using GE-EPDs permit producers to the reduce risk of making costly mistakes when selecting a herd sire prospect to mate to virgin heifers or to use for corrective matings. By reducing this risk, commercial producers are better able to protect their bottom line. For seedstock suppliers, GE-EPDs also allow for more complete selection of replacement females, as it would take several years and progeny to achieve the same amount of accuracy as received by submitting a single DNA test. Thus, increasing the rate of genetic progress. Many times the question arises if the use of genomics will replace submission of raw data (i.e. weaning weights, yearling weights, scan

100 | February 2015

increase in genetic progress. Bringing individuals with improved genetic merit into a commercial setting will enrich the value of the herd by increasing its overall genetic potential. For more information on AGA’s GE-EPDs, DNA testing, or to order a DNA test go to www.gelbvieh.org or call the office at 303-465-2333. nnn

The Profitpicture | 101

GLAG ADKINS JACKPOT 906W BD: 02/23/09 - Purebred - AMGV 1111524 Homozygous Black - Polled BW: 86 - Adj WW: 796 - Adj YW: 1,375 Mature Frame: 5.0 - Scrotal: 43 Sire: Carolina Fortune 2564J ET Dam: Adkins Miss Dixie

Jackpot is easily the breeds #1 carcass sire with MB & FPI in the top 1% and YG & REA in the top 4%

CED BW WW YW MK TM CEM ST YG CW REA MB FPI

7 1.9 77 119 50 88 5 16 -0.65 43 0.86 0.29 84.04

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GLAG 431B - BD: 04/09/14 - AMGV1280332 Homo Polled - Homo Black Top 2% for YG & MB, Top 4% for FPI

GLAG 432B - BD: 04/09/14 - AMGV1280334 Homo Polled - Homo Black Top 10% for YG, Top 15% for MB & FPI

GLAG 434B - BD: 04/13/14 - AMGV1280336 Homo Polled - Black Top 1% for MB &FPI, Top 3% for YG

GLAG 423B - BD: 04/05/14 - AMGV1280318 Homo Polled - Homo Black Top 1% for MB, Top 10% for YG

GLAG 439B - BD: 04/19/14 - AMGV1281404 Homo Polled - Homo Black Top 2% for YG & REA, Top 3% for MB, Top 5% for FPI

GLAG 449B - BD: 06/08/14 - AMGV1286179 Homo Polled - Homo Black Top 2% for MB & FPI, Top 10% for YG & CW

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Also offering 25 bulls and 13 heifers for sale by private treaty. 102 | February 2015

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The Profitpicture | 103

Editorial

AGA DNA Testing Options The American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) has several DNA testing options for both seedstock and commercial producers. By AGA Staff BECOMING FAMILIAR WITH the tests that are offered and which is best for your operation will make the process simpler and more efficient. Below is a list of all DNA tests available through the AGA and a brief description of each. All testing in conducted through Geneseek®. Genomic Option 1 (GGP-HD): This is a high-density panel that includes parentage markers. Parent verification can also be completed if parents are on file with parentage markers with the AGA. The test also includes Tenderness and Docility tests. This test is for highly used sires and dams in the population and is required for AI sires and donor dams. Genomic Option 2 (GGP-LD): This lowdensity panel includes parentage markers and parent verification if parents are on file with parentage markers with AGA. The test also includes Tenderness and Docility. This panel is generally used on registered sale animals and herd sires. All animals tested using Genomic Option 1 or 2 will receive Genomic-Enhanced EPDs. Tenderness: Identifies the tenderness potential of beef cattle through analyzing multiple markers associated with tenderness. Results are presented as a 1-1- score, with 10 being the most tender. Docility: identifies the animal’s genetic potential to exhibit a calm disposition or to have offspring with a calm disposition. Results are also presented as a 1-10 score, with 10 being very calm. Coat color: Tests to determine if the animal carries any recessive genes for red coat color or wild type. Diluter: Describes the carrier or noncarrier status of the animal pertaining to the Diluter gene that creates the traditional yellow cow color in the Gelbvieh breed. BVD-PI: Tests the animal to determine if they are persistently infected with Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD). BVD-PI testing requires a hair sample.

104 | February 2015

Horned/Polled: Test whether the animal is a carrier of the horned gene. Genetic Conditions TestingOS - Osteopetrosis: Tests to see if the animal is a carrier of the recessive gene that results in a defect found primarily in Red Angus influenced animals. If two carriers are mated together, this defect also known as Marble Bone Disease can result in a small, stillborn calf with abnormalities of the skeletal system. AM - Arthrogryposis Multiplex: Determines whether the animal is a carrier for the recessive genetic condition that is passed to Gelbvieh and Balancer® animals primarily through Angus influence. This genetic condition, also known as Curly Calf, results in calves that are born dead or die shortly after birth and have an abnormal appearance with crooked spine and legs and have limited muscle development. NH – Neuropathic Hydrocephalus: Tests if the animal carries this recessive genetic condition that is passed through Angus influence. NH results in abortions or calves that are born near term with very low birth weights. Calves with this defect have an enlarged cranium with the cranial cavity filled with fluid and no brain or spinal tissue is evident. DD – Developmental Duplication: Determines if the animal is a carrier of this recessive genetic condition that comes from an Angus influence. Symptoms are exhibited differently in affected animals and can range from a smaller sized calf to an extra limb (in the shoulder area). Genetic conditions result in affected offspring when the mating of two carriers occurs. To manage the prevalence of genetic conditions in your herd, mate carrier animals to only non-carriers. Testing progeny of carrier animals and retaining only clean animals will help keep the frequency of genetic conditions in your herd low.

Maternal Edge Female Profile: Intended for commercial Gelbvieh influenced females and measures calving ease, maternal calving ease, weaning weight, yield grade, marbling, and carcass weight against the entire Gelbvieh population with MBVs. Stand Alone Parentage: Parentage markers are included with this test. Parents of an animal can be verified when the option is selected on the order form, if the parents are on file with the AGA. If you’re unsure if the parents are on file please contact the AGA office. For more information regarding DNA testing, visit the DNA testing page under the Education Center tab at www.gelbvieh.org or contact Kari White at kario@gelbvieh.org. AGA members may order DNA tests through the online AGA Registry Service. All commercial producers may order the test by downloading the AGA Commercial DNA Testing Form from www.gelbvieh.org. Please do not hesitate to contact the AGA office if you need assistance ordering any DNA test. nnn

The Profitpicture | 105

Places to Be Mar. 14 Bachman Cattle Farms Production Sale, Chillicothe, MO

Febuary 2015 Feb. 2

Taubenheim Gelbvieh 25th Annual Production Sale, Amherst, NE

Feb. 3

Lemke Cattle 9th Annual Production Sale, Lawrence, NE

Feb. 7

Lost River Livestock Annual Production Sale, Clearbrook, MN

Feb. 10

GBOI Gelbvieh Gold Sale, Des Moines, IA

Feb. 14

Barwick & Lammers Production Sale, Kearney, NE

Feb. 14

LeDoux Ranch Annual Production Sale, Agenda, KS

Feb. 14

Prairie Hills Gelbvieh Power on the Prairie Bull Sale, Gladstone, ND

Feb. 17

Cedar Top Ranch Annual Production Sale, Burwell, NE

Feb.19

Gustin’s Gelbvieh Annual Production Sale, Mandan, ND

Feb. 19

Nebraska Cattlemen’s Classic Show & Sale, Kearney, NE

Feb. 21

Overmiller Gelbvieh & Red Angus Annual Production Sale, Smith Center, KS

Feb. 21

Golden Buckle Gelbvieh Production Sale, Napoleon, ND

Feb. 27

24th Annual “Pot of Gold” Gelbvieh, Angus and Balancer Bull Sale, Olathe, CO

Feb. 27

Plateau Gelbvieh Bull Sale, Brush, CO

Feb. 28

Swanson Cattle Company 28 Annual Production Sale, Oxford, NE

Feb. 28

Seedstock Plus North Missouri Bull Sale, Kingsville, MO

March 2015 Mar. 1

Ceroll Gelbvieh Annual Silent Auction Bull Sale, Sisseton, SD

Mar. 2

Hojer Ranch Annual Production Sale, Lake Preston, SD

Mar. 2

MLM Gelbvieh & Great River Ranch Private Treaty Kick-Off Sale, Superior, NE

Mar. 3

Warner Beef Genetics Genetic Investment Production Sale, Arapahoe, NE

Mar. 4

Spring Valley, LTD 25th Annual Sale, Agra, KS

Mar. 6

Chimney Butte Annual Production Sale, Mandan, ND

Mar. 7

Davidson Gelbvieh & Lonesome Dove Ranch 26th Annual Bull Sale, Ponteix, SK

Mar. 7

Thorstenson Lazy TV Ranch Annual Production Sale, Selby, SD

Mar. 7

SEGA Gelbvieh Private Treaty Bull Sale- Opening Day, Pierce, CO

Mar. 7

Judd Ranch 37th Gelbvieh, Balancer and Red Angus Bull Sale, Pomona, KS

Mar. 7

Flying H Genetics Roughage ‘N Ready Bull & Female Sale, Arapahoe, NE

Mar. 7

Kentucky Beef Expo Gelbvieh Show & Sale, Frankfort, KY

Mar. 8

Rippe Gelbvieh 16th Annual Bull Sale, Belleville, KS

Mar. 10 Bar Arrow Cattle Company 25th Annual Production Sale, Phillipsburg, KS Mar. 11 Triple Play Bull Sale, Huron, SD Mar. 14 Genetic Power Bull Sale, Springfield, MO Mar. 14 Rippe Gelbvieh 16th Annual Bull Sale, Belleville, KS 106 | February 2015

Mar. 19 Kicking Horse Ranch Annual Production Sale, Great Falls, MT Mar. 20 Black Gold Cattle Company 9th Annual Share the Gold Bull Sale, La Junta, CO Mar. 20 6th Annual Southwest Iowa Gelbvieh & Balancer Bull & Female Sale, Creston, IA Mar. 21 Jumping Cow Gelbvieh Ranch and Ridinger Cattle Company Spirit of the West Bull Sale, Ramah, CO Mar. 21 Pearson Cattle Company Annual Bull Sale, Lake City, SD Mar. 21 Post Rock Cattle Company Cowman’s Kind Bull & Female Sale, Barnard, KS Mar. 21 Lone Oak Cattle Bull Sale, Mechanicsville, IA Mar. 21 Flying H Genetics Roughage ‘N Ready Bull Sale, Lowry City, MO Mar. 28 Oklahoma State Association Sale, MacAlester, OK Mar. 28 Cranview Gelbvieh Production Sale, Rugby, ND Mar. 28 Seedstock Plus South Missouri Bull Sale, Cathage, MO Mar. 28 Bluegrass Gelbvieh Invitational Bull & Female Sale, Mt. Sterling, KY

April 2015 Apr. 4

Going to Grass Sale, Canton, KS

Apr. 6

17th Annual Schroeder Ranch Gelbvieh & Balancer Bull Sale, Mitchell, SD

Apr. 11 3rd Annual Middle TN Gelbvieh & Angus Invitational, Centerville, TN

Visit the online version of Places to Be at www.gelbvieh.org for additional dates on upcoming sales and more information on each event.

The Profitpicture | 107

Ad Index 3 G Ranch..............................................................90

Hampton Cattle Company............................30, 81

Overmiller Gelbvieh............................................51

ABCS Gelbvieh.....................................................86

Handle Farms........................................................41

Pearson Cattle Company.....................................61

Adkins Gelbvieh.................................... 84, 86, 102

Harriman, Bob......................................................82

Plateau Gelbvieh...................................... 22, 59, 89

AGA........................................................ 43, 85, 105

Hart Farm Gelbvieh.........................................5, 82

Pope Farms Gelbvieh...........................................83

B/F Cattle Company.............................................82

Hartland Farm......................................................82

Post Rock Cattle Company.........................8, 9, 82

Bachman Farms..............................................49, 82

Hilltop Farms........................................................82

Pot of Gold Sale....................................................60

Bar Arrow Cattle Company..........................15, 82

Hill Top Haven Farm...........................................81

Bar IV Livestock...................................................81

Hodges Ranch.......................................................73

Prairie Hills Gelbvieh...........................................11

Bar T Bar Ranch, Inc......................................45, 89

Hojer Gelbvieh Ranch........................... 84, 87, 107

Beastrom Gelbvieh Ranch.............................35, 86

Iowa Beef Expo.....................................................34

Black Gold Cattle Company...............................28

J&D Kerstiens Gelbvieh.......................................31

Blackhawk Cattle Company................................90

J&K Farm.........................................................90, 93

Bluegrass Gelbvieh Invitational..........................72

J Bar M Gelbvieh............................................82, 99

Boehler Gelbvieh..........................................83, 109

Judd Ranch, Inc...................................... 56, 57, 82

Bow K Ranch..................................................53, 89

Jumping Cow Gelbvieh..................................46, 47

Brandywine Farm.................................................86

Kentucky Beef Expo.............................................55

Butler Creek Farm................................................93

Kenyon Cattle Co LLC.........................................25

BV Ranch...............................................................86

Kicking Horse Ranch.............................. 38, 88, 89

Canadian GV Assn...............................................92

Kittle Gelbvieh Farms..........................................73

Cattlemen’s Connection...................................3, 92

Knoll Crest Farm..................................................81

C-Cross Cattle Company................................... 81

Lambert, Doak......................................................92

Cedar Top Ranch..............................................2, 83

Ledgerwood Gelbvieh..........................................89

Chimney Butte Ranch....................................18, 86

LeDoux Ranch..............................................56, 103

Circle S Ranch.......................................................43

Lemke Cattle.........................................................83

CJ&L Livestock.....................................................87

Leonhardt Cattle Company.................................87

Clinch Mountain Gelbvieh..................................81

Linquist Farms......................................................86

Cranview Gelbvieh.........................................13, 86

Little Windy Hill Farms.......................... 37,63, 81

Cunningham, Ronn.............................................92

Lone Oak Cattle..............................................52, 86

Danell Diamond Six Ranch.................................89

Longleaf Station....................................................81

DDM Gelbvieh......................................................90

Lost River Livestock.............................................41

Diamond L Farms................................................73

M&P Gelbvieh......................................................83

Diamond V Gelbvieh.....................................33, 82

M&W Farms.........................................................81

Dobson Ranch......................................................21

Maple Hill Farm....................................................90

Dromgoole’s Heaven............................................73

Markes Family Farms.............................. 32, 54, 73

Eagle Pass Ranch............................................87, 97

Martens Gelbvieh...........................................25, 86

Ellison Gelbvieh & Angus Ranch.......................87

Martin Cattle Company.................................54, 73

Flying H Genetics.........................................83, 112

Mattison Family Farm.........................................86

Gelbvieh Bull Barn...............................................92

McIntosh Farm...............................................30, 81

Gelbvieh Profit Partners......................................91

Middle Creek Farms............................... 70, 88, 89

Genetic Power Bull Sale.......................................67

Midland Bull Test.................................................71

Volek Ranch....................................................84, 87

Golden Buckle Gelbvieh................................19, 86

Miller Gelbvieh.....................................................73

Warner Beef Genetics .............................. 110, 111

Golden Rule Sale..................................................45

Mitchell Marketing Service.........................58, 101

White Oak Farms.................................................83

Green Hills Gelbvieh............................................81

MLM Gelbvieh......................................... 59, 65, 83

Wildwood Acres...................................................90

Grund Beef Genetics......................................76, 77

Mulroy Farms........................................................82

Wilkinson Gelbvieh.......................................40, 89

GS Ridge Top Ranch......................................25, 86

Murray Farms.......................................................74

Wolf Gelbvieh.................................................75, 83

Gustin’s Diamond D Gelbvieh......................20, 86

National CUP Lab................................................92

Yoder’s Prairie Acres......................................24, 90

108 | February 2015

Professional Beef Genetics..................................27 Raile Gelbvieh.................................................26, 59 Rafter R Gelbvieh.................................................25 REDstock Sale.......................................................66 Register Farms......................................................81 Ridinger Cattle Company..............................46, 47 Rippe Gelbvieh......................................... 16, 17, 59 RLV Gelbvieh........................................................94 Rocking GV Gelbvieh..........................................82 Rocky Top Gelbvieh.............................................81 Rogers Valley Farm Gelbvieh..........................7, 82 Russell Family Livestock......................................87 Sandy Knoll Farms...............................................29 Sawtooth Gelbvieh Cattle & Hay........................89 Schafer Farms, Inc................................................86 Schroeder Ranch..................................................80 Seedstock Plus Genetics......................................92 Seedstock Plus...............................................92, 101 SEGA Gelbvieh.....................................................50 Spring Flood Ranch.............................................83 Stucky Beef Genetics............................................95 Swanson Cattle Company.............................79, 83 Swenson Gelbvieh..........................................84, 86 SW Iowa Bull Sale.................................................23 Taubenheim Gelbvieh..........................................83 The 88 Ranch.........................................................83 Thorstenson Gelbvieh....................................69, 87 Treble W Ranch....................................................81 Triple H Farms......................................................86 Triple K Gelbvieh..................................................82 Triple Play Ranches..............................................39

HIS OFFSPRING ARE JUST AS IMPRESSIVE XXB INSIDIOUS 612Y CED

1.4

DOB: 1/24/2011

Sire: Silveiras Style 9303

Dam: XXB Ivanna 612R ET

CEM

DMI

0.02

-0.33

25% Balancer AMGV1178537

REA

0.58

1.01

FPI

84.25

EPI

144.28

Semen available through Boehler Gelbviehs

Offering XXB INSIDIOUS 612Y Genetics at the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Classic

Thursday, February 19, 2015 • Show: 10:30 a.m. • Sale: 3:30 p.m. • Kearney, Nebraska • www.necattlemen.com

XXB INSIDIOUS 23B

XXB INSIDIOUS 17B

XXB Miss INSIDIOUS 432B

50% Balancer • AMGV1278713 DOB: 3/09/2014 Sire: XXB Insidious 612Y Dam: XXB Miss Wingman 116Y 2015 National Reserve Champion Balancer Bull Top 2% in breed for YG EPD Top 15% in breed for MB EPD

38% Balancer • AMGV1278657 DOB: 1/07/2014 Sire: XXB Insidious 612Y Dam: XXB Miss Midland 507P 2015 Res Champion Winter Balancer Bull Calf Top 1% in breed for MB EPD Top 4% in breed for YG EPD Top 10% in breed for FPI EPD

50% Balancer • AMGV1278715 DOB: 3/13/2014 Sire: XXB Insidious 612Y Dam: XXB Miss Wingman 109Y Top 10% in breed for MB EPD Top 25% in breed for YG EPD

4 XXB INSIDIOUS 612Y calves were entered into the 2015 NWSS Balancer Show • 3 Class Winners • 2 Division Winners • 1 Reserve Division Winner • 1 Reserve Grand Champion Balancer Bull

J. J. Boehler Orleans, NE 308•999•0207

The Profitpicture | 109

110 | February 2015

The Profitpicture | 111

S I Z E M AT T E R S — P O U N D S PAY

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112 | February 2015

The Tradition Continues...

FLYING H GENETICS Kyle & Kayla Helms, NE 308.962.6940 Cody & Casie Helms, MO, NE 303.842.9071 Brent Gillaspy, NE 417.861.4117 Dick and Bonnie Helms 308.962.6500