GW VIEW FROM THE BOARD
What’s Your Why? by Dan McCarty
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going back several years and cow generations that made this bull into what he is today.
was visiting on the phone with a well-respected I am not sure I can point out my absolute single Gelbvieh breeder awhile back. We were discussing favorite time of the year, but for those of us at higher bulls and mating decisions and the weather, you know, elevations that feed hay way too many days of the year, the usual when a couple breeders get together or call one the day we open the gate and pairs trickle out onto grass another on the phone. He was giving me a rundown of must rank pretty high. That day also marks the beginning the bulls he has added to his program this past year and of a couple week-long transition period where both our how the calves were looking and performing. We then cows and calves will change their began discussing what bulls he was appearance more than any other time going to breed to this year when in of year. It is quite amazing what a little mid-sentence he stopped and said, he pages of this grass will do for a cow after a long “You know, breeding season is my edition of Gelbvieh winter of dry hay; it is always exciting absolute favorite time of year! Just to see calves slick off for the first time World are filled with thinking about all the possible and really start packing on the pounds. matings and the calves you’ll have dozens of well thought hit the ground next spring, after all The pages of this edition of out mating decisions by these decisions are made, gets me Gelbvieh World are filled with dozens excited – it’s what keeps me doing progressive breeders of well thought out mating decisions this year after year!” by progressive breeders from across from across the county. the county. The cattle on these pages Recently, I was thinking about represent generations of decisions and that conversation as I was out investment by operations committed checking pairs that had been turned out on grass for the to producing the highest quality genetics that will have summer. They had been turned out long enough that a positive impact on the entire beef industry for years to the calves were really starting to give you an indication come. In this business, the payoff certainly isn’t instant as of what they were going to be come weaning time later it takes months and many times years, for our decisions this summer. As I was watching one of my favorite bull to come to fruition. I guess that is why it is important calves, I began to think about the pure excitement in that that we all have those times throughout the year that breeder’s voice that evening on the phone. I also began really get us excited about the business: to “keep us doing to think about how seeing that bull calf, grazing green this year after year!” F grass and practically growing in front of my eyes, was the culmination of not just the decision we made last spring on who to breed his dam to, but a string of decisions
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6 | JULY 2021
