October 2010 | www.theprofitpicture.com
In this Issue:
What Drives Value in Feeder Cattle? Complement Your Cows Build Females to Keep and Sell Southern Balancer™ A Gelbvieh Composite for the South
Commercial
Producers Have a Long History with Gelbvieh
Adding Value to
a Weaned Calf Marketing System
What Drives Value in Feeder Cattle? By Frank Padilla, Director of Breed Promotion, American Gelbvieh Association Value in the marketplace is determined by the prices customers are willing to pay for a certain product, and if they are satisfied, they will return to buy that product again. The same is true in the cattle industry. Feeder calf buyers demonstrate their preferences through the prices they pay, on or off the farm or ranch. The value of various traits can vary widely from sale to sale and depends on the market conditions. However, over time, a good estimate of what buyers prefer can be determined. The factors that drive the value of a feeder calf are its sex class, weight, frame size, muscle score, health status, bloom and appearance of freshness. The market dictates the value of what management and marketing practices a producer chooses to do. Several land grant universities as well as private industries, have tracked feeder calf demand. An Internet search finds a wealth of information from various regions of the United States. In an Oklahoma project, buyer preferences were estimated with data from 20 Oklahoma Quality Beef Network sales. The research found that buyers paid more for: • Steer calves compared to heifers, bulls or mixed lots; • Medium framed calves compared to largeand small-frame calves; • Heavy-muscled calves compared to moderately and thin-muscled calves; • Polled or dehorned and healed calves compared to horned calves; • Healthy calves compared to unhealthy appearing calves;
• Uniform sale lots compared to nonuniform lots, includes color and; • Larger sale lots, even 15-20 head, compared to single lots.
The factors that drive the value of a feeder calf are its sex class, weight, frame size, muscle score, health status, bloom and appearance of freshness. Another research study conducted by the University of Arkansas documented the traits and management practices that can add value to a feeder calf. In 2000-2005, U of A staff worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture livestock news reporters to track data from 17 markets across the state. The data included: the number of cattle sold at a time, gender, breed or breed type, color, polled or horned, frame (large, medium, or small, muscle score (1, 2, 3 or 4), fill (gaunt, shrink, average, full or tanked), condition (very thin, thin, average fleshy or fat), age (calf or yearling), health, weight and price. The U of A results was similar to the Oklahoma results. The highlights included: Continued on page 4
American Gelbvieh Association 10900 Dover Street Westminster, CO 80021
PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Columbia MO Permit No. 353
| October 2010
The Profitpicture |
Value in Feeder Cattle... continued from page 1
• Discounts for unhealthy calves ranged from $15-$38 per hundredweight; • Muscle was a major factor that affected selling price regardless of calf weight. If you want to increase the value of your calves, produce exactly what the feeders are wanting. Same sex loads, calves that are light in flesh, like in kind, preferably weaned, and with a history of good feedlot performance and carcass merit, and use a good sound health program. Along with a good health program, another consideration for adding more value is backgrounding. The longer you develop a calf at home after weaning the more immunity it develops and that reduces the risk of sickness in the feedlot. Through the years, calves that have sold unweaned or weaned for only a short period have been discounted in the marketplace. Source and age verification is another way to earn added value. It is out there and it is real. It can be anywhere from a $20-$30 per head premium. We are also seeing premiums being paid for feeders that can be verified as antibiotic and hormone free.
assumption that Angus-Hereford cows in a twobreed rotation are mated to Gelbvieh influenced terminal sires. The resulting calves sold into a commodity beef market with premiums and discounts based on both Quality and Yield Grade and gives an estimate of how future progeny of each sire are expected to perform, on average, compared to progeny of other sires in the Gelbvieh herdbook if the sires were randomly mated to similar herds of black baldy cows; as well, if the calves were exposed to the same environment. When using feedlot merit, it is wise to simultaneously select for economically important traits that are not included in the index. The index was developed for use in a terminal sire situation in which Gelbvieh and Balancer bulls are bred to mature British cross cows and all calves are placed in the feedlot and sold on a mainstream grid. Maternal traits, such as calving ease, are not included in the index. If you intend to use high feedlot merit EPD bulls on first-calf heifers, you will also want to use EPDs for calving ease direct to minimize calving difficulty. Likewise, in order to keep pace with the Gelbvieh breed’s
Today cow-calf producers need to understand the importance of feed efficiency, gainability, and carcass quality and collect data to quantify how their cattle perform in the feedlot and on the rail. Historically the average cow-calf producer has not worried about the calf performance beyond weaning. Today cow-calf producers need to understand the importance of feed efficiency, gainability, and carcass quality and collect data to quantify how their cattle perform in the feedlot and on the rail. Producers should be conscious of these performance traits in the bulls that they purchase and be able to furnish such data to the buyer of their feeder cattle upon request. Buying registered bulls backed by documented parentage pedigrees and performance trait EPDs adds value to their calves. The American Gelbvieh Association feedlot merit EPD is a multiple-trait-selection index, designed to assist beef producers by adding simplicity to genetic selection decisions. It measures differences in expected profit per carcass produced on a mainstream grid (Yield Grade 1 or 2, Select to low Choice Quality Grade, and no over or under weights or dark cutters). The feedlot merit EPD is based on the | October 2010
tremendous female production traits, selection for superior maternal EPDs is also advised. The feedlot merit EPD is important to feeder cattle buyers and information regarding it should be shared with them. Getting the most value for feeder cattle is becoming more of a team effort. From the seedstock producer to the cow-calf producer to the feeder and the packer, everyone needs to work together to produce the best product possible for the consumer, which in return will add more value for all links in the chain. The fact is the process of earning a premium in the marketplace, whether in the sale barn, off the farm or ranch or on the rail, begins at home. The current EPDs provided for all traits can be found on the American Gelbvieh Association’s website at www.gelbvieh.org. As well, the latest sire summary can be downloaded at this site or a hard copy can be requested by calling the American Gelbvieh Association office at 303-465-2333.
The Profitpicture |
Contents Page Features What Drives Value in Feeder Cattle? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 By Frank Padilla Complement Your Cows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 By Susan Willmon
303/465-2333 Main Phone 303/465-2339 fax
The Gelbvieh Advantage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 By Frank Padilla
Director of Administration Dianne Coffman (ex. 479) diannec@gelbvieh.org
Local Cattlemen Maximize Profits with Gelbvieh Feeder Calves . . . . . . . 14 By Steve Peddicord
Director of Breed Improvement Susan Willmon (ex. 484) susanw@gelbvieh.org
Build Females to Keep and Sell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 By Wes Ishmail Missouri Gelbvieh Breeder Focuses on Tenderness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 By Jennifer Scharpe
Director of Breed Promotion Frank Padilla (ex. 480) frankp@gelbvieh.org
Commercial Producers Have a Long History with Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . 28 By Dana Stewart
Director of Communications Jennifer Scharpe (ex. 485) jennifers@gelbvieh.org
Adding Value to a Weaned Calf Marketing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 By Mike John
News
Director of Member Services Dana Stewart (ex. 488) danas@gelbvieh.org
Southern Balancer™ - A Gelbvieh Composite for the South . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Beef Talk: Late-calving Cows Simply Are That, Late-calving . . . . . . . . . . . 24 By Kris Ringwall
Production Manager/Graphic Artist Katie Danneman (ex. 486) katied@gelbvieh.org
Hunting for Neosporosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 By John Huston Using the Power of DNA to Make Replacement Heifer Decisions . . . . . . . 30
Area Coordinator Commercial Marketing Don Danell dond@gelbvieh.org
Playing with Fire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Microbial Breakthrough Impacts Health, Agriculture, Biofuels . . . . . . . . 33 Ultrasound for the 40-Cow Herd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Area Coordinator Commercial Marketing Brandon McEndaffer brandonm@gelbvieh.org
Replacement Heifer Development Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 By Dr. Mark A. McCann
Departments
AGA Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Presidents Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Junior Voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Breeders Corner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Over the Fence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 With Scott Coakley Places to Be. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 AGA New Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Ad Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Dear Reader: The Profit Picture is the commercially-focused tabloid publication published by the American Gelbvieh Association. This publication is printed twice a year, October and February, and focuses on issues important to the commercial cow-calf producer, the benefits of the Gelbvieh breed in a commercial setting, and offers relevant information affecting your bottom line. If you wish to be removed from the mailing lists for this publication, there are two ways you can reach us. By mail:
| October 2010
Area Coordinator Commercial Marketing Steve Peddicord stevep@gelbvieh.org Customer Services Dolores Gravley (ex. 481) doloresg@gelbvieh.org Patti Showman (ex. 478) pattis@gelbvieh.org
please cut off the label on the front and mail to American Gelbvieh Association, attn: Profit Picture, 10900 Dover Street, Westminster, CO 80021; or by email: please type in the label information exactly as it appears on the front and sent it to info@gelbvieh.org. We would not want to put something in your mailbox that you do not wish to receive. We hope you enjoy this, the fourth issue, of The Profit Picture. Comments and feedback on this newspaper are welcome and can be directed to jennifers@gelbvieh.org.
Jennifer Scharpe, Editor
Teresa Wessels (ex. 477) teresaw@gelbvieh.org Mailing address: 10900 Dover St., Westminster, CO 80021 General E-mail: info@gelbvieh.org Registration/Electronic Data Transfer: registration@gelbvieh.org Website: www.gelbvieh.org
Top End Females 500 Saturday, December 4, 2010, 12:00 Noon
CT
At the Ranch near Highmore, SD
RFI Tested Genetics in Volume
Gelbvieh Balancers 150 Gelbvieh open heifers, bred heifers, and young cows sell. They are bred for spring calves to EGL Northern Wind, EGL Northern Pacific, ALS Maverick, plus several top Angus sires.
The top 20 Balancer bred heifers and 30 young cows selling are as good as they get. We will also sell 200 Balancer bred heifers in uniform groups of five.
Angus Red Angus This is our 1st annual Angus production sale. Choose from our core herd which features a balanced trait approach to sire selection. Many will be bred to high efficiency Gelbvieh sires.
We have decided to disperse our Red Angus herd. This sound, high maternal set of females has produced several herd sires. Most will be bred for Balancers.
70,000 AI Matings and 6,000 Embryo Transfers Assures You Quality Genetics in Every Lot
Superior Productions 800-431-4452 Member
Steve Munger, Managing Partner Office: 605-229-2802 • 605-380-0092 (Cell) Nate Munger, Cowherd Manager Office: 605-943-5690 • 605-380-2582 (Cell) E-mail: steve@eaglepassranch.com • Website: www.eaglepassranch.com
The Profitpicture |
President’s Message
Gelbvieh Females Make Great Commercial Cows By Al Knapp This column is dedicated to the commercial cattleman. You are our customer! You buy the seedstock that we Gelbvieh breeders produce. We appreciate your business and we are here to supply the quality seedstock that you need to stay competitive in a tough cattle business. Our beef industry is on the upswing. Beef demand is increasing, particularly in the export markets. Even so, there are still challenges that face cattlemen and the beef industry. Inputs continue to rise and the national cow herd is at its lowest point in 65 years. USDA is considering changes to GIPSA, the results of which could radically change our marketing. National animal ID is still out there and the EPA is talking about regulating dust. The bright spot is price! The market is at its top even for cull cows. Which brings me to my point, how about taking advantage of top cull cow prices by culling the
low producing, reproductively inefficient, perhaps temperamental cows in your cow herd and replacing them with some Gelbvieh influenced females. Gelbvieh is oft times referred to as the “mother breed of beef ”. Gelbvieh cows are docile by nature, highly reproductive, reach early puberty, and put more pounds on the calf. Gelbvieh cows will produce more pounds of calf per cow exposed, bar none. Gelbvieh does all of this while being one of the only beef breeds to reduce mature cow size. We all know smaller cows are more efficient. I always enjoy selling Gelbvieh and Balancer bulls. But what I really like is to sell someone a Gelbvieh female because I know, without fail, they will be back for more. Once you have a Gelbvieh cow in your pasture and see her producing, you will want them all to be Gelbvieh. Consider maximizing heterosis in your cow herd by using a Gelbvieh or Balancer bull this next breeding season. The
A m e r i c a n
American Gelbvieh Association SmartCross® program is designed to help commercial cattlemen develop a crossbreeding program that’s right for you, easy to follow and results in huge dividends from heterosis. For more information, contact the American Gelbvieh Association area coordinator in your region, visit www.gelbvieh.org, or call 303-465-2333. For cattlemen who are currently using Gelbvieh genetics, have you been getting the registration certificates transferred to you? Did you know that there is no cost to you for this service? Also, with a bull or female transfer, you will receive a one-year subscription to Gelbvieh World and The Profit Picture, the premier publications for those interested in Gelbvieh genetics. There is value in a transferred registration certificate. Did you know that each registration certificate includes the animal’s three-generation pedigree and performance EPDs? I encourage you to insist on
G e l b v i e h
receiving a transferred registration certificate from your seedstock provider. EPDs are an invaluable tool in mating decisions to move your calf crop toward the goal. They say, “Without a planned destination any road will get you there.” So it is in beef production, without a planned goal of what you are trying to raise any bull will get you there. Will it be desirable? Will it be efficient? Will it be good beef? Get those registrations transferred so you have the information to select genetics that will move your herd down that desired path. Today’s beef industry is all about data, the more data you have the better decisions can be made and the brighter your future. The best is ahead! Al Knapp is the American Gelbvieh Association President. He owns and operates Triple K Gelbvieh in Bonner Springs, Kansas, with his wife, Mary, and son, Nick. Al can be reached at knappa@swbell.net.
A s s o c i a t i o n
Area Coordinators—Commercial Marketing “The first Maternal Edge Female Sale is being held in Billings, Mont. Nov. 18. Give me a call if you have cattle to consign or if you want information on this quality offering of Gelbvieh influenced females.”
Don Danell Western Region
dond@gelbvieh.org (406) 538-5622 (O)
| October 2010
“Contact me if you’re looking for Gelbvieh or Balancer genetics. Mark your calendar for the Maternal Edge Female Sale being held Nov. 6 in Cross Plains, Tenn. There are many quality commercial female lots on this sale and I’d be glad to assist you in filling your order.”
Steve Peddicord Eastern Region
stevep@gelbvieh.org (606) 387-8579 (O) • (606) 688-4492 (C)
“There are many sales scheduled for this fall. Give me a call if you need assistance in locating cattle that fit your program. I’d be glad to assist you.”
Brandon McEndaffer Central Region
brandonm@gelbvieh.org (970) 520-3020 (C)
The Profitpicture |
Complement Your Cows By Susan Willmon, American Gelbvieh Association Director of Breed Improvement
Susan Willmon AGA Director of Breed Improvement
10 | October 2010
Just to be clear we are not suggesting a new holistic method of cattle production that involves a daily trip to the cow herd to deliver statements such as “My, your udder looks nice this year” or “You girls sure have put some weight on those calves this summer.” That type of compliment may make you feel better about the females standing in your pasture but is not going to put any extra dollars in your pocket. What we are talking about is crossbreeding to complement the strengths and weaknesses of your cow herd. To complement is to provide something felt to be lacking or needed. It is often applied to putting together two things, each of which supplies what is lacking in the other, to make a complete whole. If as a producer you embrace the value of hybrid vigor and understand the areas where crossbreeding can provide the best improvement in lowly heritable traits, you must also acknowledge the statement
that crossbreeding will not in one generation erase problems in other traits created by poor genetics in your cow herd. One of the criticisms of crossbreeding over the years is that as an industry we have gotten caught up in a “breed of the month” mentality and not spent time or focus on embracing the genetic diversity, regardless of breed, to produce the product that the beef market is demanding. So how as an industry do we go beyond evaluating a bull based solely on calving ease and birth weight and look at our cows with a critical eye in terms of optimizing inputs, maximizing efficiency and producing a marketable product? While we are at it, we want to insure a live calf hits the ground and use the genetic diversity present to focus on the optimums rather than the maximums for a specific environment. One of the opportunities to evaluate the need for complementary genetics is at weaning. This time of year, “Those calves coming off grass sure look better than last year’s bunch” is a comment heard
frequently in the local coffee shop. But are they really better? Did those bulls do what you expected them to do in terms of pounds? The business school principle “You can’t manage what you don’t measure” comes into play here and for too long we have relied on what they weighed at the sale barn as a measure of progress. So the bottom line is, if you don’t own a set of scales, beg or borrow access to one during this time of year. A weight on both the cows and calves at weaning allows time for analysis of both cow and bull performance prior to the next bull buying trip. A couple of questions that might arise from this data are: How consistent is my calf crop? Is a large range between high and low weights or a lack of a “consistent look” costing me money when marketing my weaned calf crop? If you have used bulls with similar growth EPDs, then part of the answer here is variation in your cow herd. Weights taken over several years would allow you to identify cows that possibly need some extra complementary genetics from a sire with higher growth EPDs
than you have typically used in the past. The end result should be to narrow the range from 350 pounds from the lights to the heavies to 200 pounds by sex. Having a separate breeding group for these “genetics for growth-challenged” cows might require some creative breeding pasture management, but will pay off with that more consistent calf crop through complementary genetics. Even though I’ve used bulls with “growth” genetics I am not making the gains I would like in weaning weights and I can’t afford to get my replacement females any bigger. Do I need to add some milk genetics in the cow herd via my replacement females? Finding the balance for milk production is as much art as science and is very dependent on environment and management resources in the operation. Increasing milk production to optimal levels in replacement females can be easily remedied through complementary Balancer® and Gelbvieh sires. The Gelbvieh breed has long topped the Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) charts with solid milk genetics packaged in a moderate cow size. Breeders of Gelbvieh genetics can help determine what range of milk EPDs will be the best complement to your herd in your environment to increase milk production. A second aspect of analysis would be whether that cow is producing a calf that finishes at that ideal Yield Grade 1 or 2, Choice Quality Grade designation. One means of determining that would be to have access to carcass data from steer or heifer progeny finished in the feedlot. While this is data is not always easily obtained, many producers are increasingly retaining ownership on calves or developing relationships with feeders in their value based marketing systems to obtain this data. Additionally, ultrasound
data on replacement females used in selection decisions, even in commercial settings, has been shown to add value over time in making quicker genetic progress on the female side equation. In today’s value based markets meeting those targets translates quickly into increase marketability. For example, based on ultrasound data you determined your cow herd had genetics for 9-10 inch ribeye sizes. These females would need to be bred to bulls with extreme ribeye size, possibly as high as 17 plus inches, to get to the ideal of a 13-14 inch ribeye area. If over time replacements were bred and selected to move the cow herd to more muscle, with 11-12 inch ribeyes, bulls with less extreme carcass genetics, 14-15 inches, could be used to produce that target ribeye size. Current breed average ribeye EPDs for Gelbvieh and Balancer bulls produce progeny with ribeye sizes in the 13-15 inch range. Ultimately, the use of complementary genetics to both improve the cow herd and decrease the variability in the offspring would make obtaining grid premiums more likely. The power of Gelbvieh genetics and the Gelbvieh influenced female provide many opportunities to complement genetics rather than to expect one breed or type of cattle to do it all. Work with an American Gelbvieh Association member to help determine the genetic components that will complement and work within your environment and management scheme to meet your market goals. With your goals in mind we can go beyond capturing the benefits of hybrid vigor to add the use of complementary genetics in a planned crossbreeding scheme. The ultimate result, genetic improvement in the cow herd and a more consistent calf crop product, which when marketed correctly adds more dollars to the bottom line. The Profitpicture | 11
The Gelbvieh Advantage By Frank Padilla, American Gelbvieh Association Director of Breed Promotion
Frank Padilla AGA Director of Breed Promotion
The most recent MARC data study showed Gelbvieh-sired calves with the lowest birth weights of the four major continental breeds.
12 | October 2010
Regardless of the cow herd base you are starting with, there is an easy way to use Gelbvieh or Balancer® bulls to get to the most profitable place in the industry. Feeders and packers demand an animal that will grade Choice with a Yield Grade 1 or 2. Gelbvieh and Balancer genetics allows for this to happen more easily while not giving up the maternal productivity in the cow herd. The benefits of crossbreeding have been proven many times over by University researchers and at the Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) in Clay Center, Neb. Crossbred females are 30 percent more productive over their lifetimes due to increased fertility, calf survivability, increased weaning weights and cow longevity (see Table 1). Fads come and go in the beef industry, but the real money to be made is always on the cow side of the business. The unique genetic package the Gelbvieh breed brings to the beef industry is no accident. This German breed has centuries old history of explosive growth, high fertility and superior milking ability compared to other breeds. This coupled with their docile nature led them in becoming the Continental breed of choice for good cowmen
Table 2. American Gelbvieh Association genetic trend for birth weight. across the United States. Gelbvieh also continues to reduce its birth weights with each generation, while optimizing growth and mature size. The Gelbvieh birth weight trend shows the improvement made in the breed (see Table 2). MARC research data shows a four percent increase in calving ease for Gelbvieh, significantly more than any of the other Continental breeds represented in the germplasm study. Balancers are a registered hybrid seedstock and have documented pedigrees and EPDs. Balancers are 25 to 75 percent Gelbvieh with the balance Angus or Red Angus. All polled, Balancer cattle combine the Gelbvieh growth, muscle, leanness, fertility and unequaled pounds of calf weaned per cow
Table 1. Hybrid vigor advantages through crossbreeding.
exposed with the maternal and marbling of Angus. Producers can chose the percentage of each breed to best suit the marketing target for their calves. Gelbvieh influenced females attracted many of the most aggressive commercial producers in the industry with the first MARC germplasm study data in the early 1970s. Gelbvieh-sired females topped the charts on fertility, age at puberty and pounds of calf weaned per cow exposed. The early data made a statement about the Gelbvieh influenced female. Today’s MARC data shows a female that has reduced her mature size – the only breed from Cycle II to Cycle VII research to reduce mature size, which included British breeds. The most recent MARC data study showed Gelbvieh-sired calves with the lowest birth weights of the four major continental breeds-Simmental, Charolais, Limousin and Gelbvieh. Gelbvieh-sired calves also tied for the top survivability to weaning of all breeds. The industry focus changes from time to time, but the money in the cattle industry is still made in the cow herd. Today’s Gelbvieh and Balancer genetics will make your cow herd work as hard as you do.
HIGH QUALITY GELBVIEH • ANGUS • BALANCER® CATTLE
FALL BULL & FEMALE SALE November 13, 2010 • 12:00 noon (est) J-Bob Farms Sale Facility, Biscoe, NC JBOB 5084N Homo Black 50% GV, 50% AN Balancer® Donor Selling two daughters.
JBOB CAROLINA MASTER 4231M Homo Black Homo Polled 50% GV Balancer® Bull Selling sons and daughters.
HYEK GRAPHITE 0761K PB Gelbvieh Donor Selling a son sired by Carolina Fortune and two sons sired by Traveler 6807.
MSH FLYING H BLACK JACK 12L Homo Black Homo Polled PB Gelbvieh Bull Selling sons and daughters.
JBOB 3403K Homo Polled PB Gelbvieh Donor Selling four sons sired by Right Time.
•
•
• 160 LOTS SELL •
75 Registered Gelbvieh, Balancer® & Angus Bulls 50 Registered Gelbvieh & Balancer® Females 30 Commercial Females A select few hand-picked show heifer prospects
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MISS DATELINE 7H 50% GV Balancer® Donor Selling daughters sired by Carolina Done Right with calves at side.
OFFERING BULLS & FEMALES SIRED BY Carolina Fortune • RUP Hot Fudge • Partisover Anchor “RJ” • Carolina Master • Carolina Done Right • Black Jack • Cherokee Canyon • Mytty In Focus • Right Time • Traveler 6807 • OCC Magnitude • Connealy Onward • OFFERING BULLS & FEMALES OUT OF THE FOLLOWING DAMS JBOB 3403K • JBOB 2417J “Miss Julia” • HYEK Graphite 0761K
JBOB 5084N • TJB Veronica Vaughn 220L • Miss Dateline 7H
JOIN US FOR THE LARGEST SELECTION OF GELBVIEH & BALANCER® GENETICS IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES DUANE & WENDY STRIDER, owners MARK YORK, herdsman Phone: 336-381-3640 Mobile: 910-220-7207 Mobile: 336-964-6277 Fax: 910-428-4568 ccrosscattle@yahoo.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
The Profitpicture | 13
Local Cattlemen Maximize Profits with Gelbvieh Feeder Calves By Steve Peddicord, American Gelbvieh Association Area Coordinator Photos by Jennifer Ligon, Buckingham County Extension
Jim Myers Buckingham Cattlemen’s Association Marketing Commitee Leader
14 | October 2010
The cattlemen involved in the Buckingham Cattlemen’s Association (BCA) are progressive thinkers and have long since realized the value of working together to benefit large and small producers alike. These cattlemen in and around Buckingham County, Virginia have a history of purchasing top end bull genetics and producing quality feeder cattle. When they noticed a decline in marketing options and price received for their calves through in-barn, co-mingled sales, the members of the BCA decided to go a different route. The BCA decided that in order to receive maximum profits for their top quality Gelbvieh influenced feeder calves they needed to explore marketing through the Virginia Cattlemen’s Association (VCA) Tel-O-Auction Sales. What first started out as a
struggle to find one load of cattle has grown into nearly 25 loads sold this last August. The Buckingham Cattlemen’s Association now holds a special feeder calf sale the first Monday of August every year through the VCA telephone sale. VCA holds Tel-O-Auction sales on most Mondays throughout the year. This type of marketing option offers buyers the convenience of trailerload lots of cattle that are sold by auction over the telephone. Buyers work with seller on delivery date, which is up to seven days following the sale, unless other arrangements are made. This year, the BCA sale was held on August 2 with about 35 BCA cattle producers offering roughly 1,800 of their premium feeder calves through this telephone auction system. As the phone lines were opened up at 6:00 p.m., the order buyers carefully began bidding on the lots as the auctioneer methodically proceeded. For the next 90 minutes consignors quietly sat and listened as nearly 1.2 million pounds of their value-added calves sold. From
the start with light steers hitting $1.24 per pound to the hammer dropping to sell the last load of 675-weight heifers hitting $1.05 per pound ($708 per head), a total of 1,720 head had sold totaling nearly 1.3 million dollars. Eighteen of the 24 loads were sired by Gelbvieh bulls or by Angus bulls used on Gelbvieh influenced females. Jim Myers, former Buckingham County Extension agent and now leader of the marketing committee for the BCA, has always been pleased with the advantages Gelbvieh brings to the table. “We started using Gelbvieh from the beginning and have never looked back. I had read quite a bit about the breed and was impressed with the maternal advantages the females offered. We needed a breed that could offset the heat during the summer months and Gelbvieh did that. We actually started with red Gelbvieh bulls because blacks were hard to find. Knoll Crest Farms in nearby Red House, Va. was instrumental in performance testing of bulls. The Gelbvieh bulls we used were all performance
tested,” noted Jim. As one can imagine, switching to a marketing strategy of a telephone auction can have its challenges.
“The first year we struggled to find one load,” says Jim. “It has been a learning process but we’ve changed as we needed to and weren’t afraid to try something different.” All calves sold are born between October 1 and December 31 and are weaned a minimum 45 days prior to the sale. Some calves may be born before October 1, however to be included in the sale they must fit a uniform load, otherwise they will be rejected. Calves must be sired only by sires
that are shown to be average or above average in EPDs for that breed the year the bull was born. Buyers are provided with a list of bulls used by producers including the name of the bull, breed, year born, and yearling weight EPDs. Though not a requirement, all calves are Gelbvieh, Angus or a cross of the two. Color is also not a requirement, but over 95 percent are black. All producers must be Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) certified and all calves are age and source verified. The BCA was the first marketing group in Virginia to age and source verify their calves. They have done this since inception. Normally the cattle will sell into several nearby states, but Pennsylvania is usually the dominant buyer of BCA calves. “The Mennonites in southern Pennsylvania have been strong buyers for our cattle,” notes Roger Morris, a long-time Gelbvieh breeder and Vice President of the Buckingham Cattleman’s Board of Directors.
“They have a good situation because a lot of corn silage is grown in their area and other feeds are plentiful. In addition, they are only about five hours away from us so their freight is much less than a Midwest feedlot. As producers, this helps us get a better price on our calves.” This year the group offered seven loads of “natural” feeders that had no implants or antibiotics. However, Myers says the market premiums on natural calves will dictate how the group markets natural feeders in the future. The cattle producers involved with the BCA are impressed with their Gelbvieh influenced calves and plan to continue to use purebred Gelbvieh bulls as long as the supply is available. “We really like Gelbvieh and want to use Gelbvieh bulls. As long as we can continue to find good black purebred Gelbvieh bulls that are adapted to our fescue forage base, we will keep using Gelbvieh,” concludes Myers.
The Profitpicture | 15
Build Females to Keep and Sell By Wes Ishmail Developing replacement females isn’t for everybody, especially when you consider you can run one bred female for every two open heifers. On the other hand, some operations choose to develop their own heifers, accepting the opportunity cost to reduce the risk of reproductive failure from buying cattle that aren’t acclimated to their particular environment. After all, there just isn’t enough premium on the other end to make up for open cows.
16 | October 2010
At Perkins Ranch, Inc., near Chino Valley, Ariz., for example, Danny Major explains the cows were primarily Braford, bred to Angus as a terminal cross, with all replacements purchased. It was getting harder to find replacements for the system, though. When Major assumed management he kept back Braford X Angus replacements and began using Balancer® bulls from Bar T Bar Ranch located at Winslow, Ariz. on them, then
keeping back those replacements. “The females we’ve kept back have bred up well, have good maternal traits and outstanding udders,” Major says. “We’re getting bigger weaning weights out of them, too, averaging right at 600 pounds on the steers.” Major also began using Balancer bulls on his own ranch—Major Cattle Co., LLC near Prescott. He’d put together several sets of cows to stock the ranch and decided he wanted to add the
Gelbvieh influence for maternal traits. As a longtime order buyer with Producers Livestock he also understood the marketing value of black and Angus. Steers on that ranch weaned at an average weight of 630 pounds last year. On both ranches he says Balancer bulls have enabled him to increase weaning weights by at least 50 pounds. In his order buying business, Major says the biggest change has been the switch to black cattle; now buyers are more concerned about
the genetics comprising the black cattle. He adds, “The Balancers from Bar T Bar make a good outcross for those black cattle.” Between the two ranches, Major says they’ll market 3-4 loads of weaned calves in the fall, keeping the lighter cut back to run as yearlings. He points out the weight of the weaned calves offers more buyer options—they’re heavy enough to head straight to the feedlot, but light enough for buyers looking to grow them on wheat pasture for a while. Similarly, Duane Coleman has used Balancer bulls at the Hopi 3 Canyon Ranch headquartered at Winslow to reduce breakevens, increase profit potential and to create replacement heifers. “Last year we had a 90 percent breed back with yearling Balancer bulls,” Coleman says. “We had the driest weather on record and were quite happy with the breed back. We also weaned calves during this dry period that were 52 pounds heavier than in the history of the ranch. Eighty percent of our cows were bred during the first heat cycle.
added option of selling heifers as replacements or as stocker calves. Plus, comparing it back to when this particular Hopi Ranch herd was straightbred Hereford, Coleman explains he no longer has to deal with pinkeye and cancereye as a normal course of business, meaning there’s more cow salvage value when they’re done. And, the calves bring $6-$8/cwt. more when he sells them. Coleman adds heterosis is adding 2-3 years to cow longevity in their operation.
The Power of Heterosis “Designing simple, long term breeding programs to capture direct and maternal heterosis, while capitalizing on maternal and terminal lines, is a significant step in attempting to maximize sustained profit,” said Dave Daley at last year’s Beef Improvement Federation Meeting. He’s a professor of animal science at California State University-Chico who also happens to be a fifth generation California rancher. Daley—an avid believer in
32 Bulls Turned Out. 31 Bulls Gathered Back In. 1 Purchased Angus Bull Still in the Pasture! “At Bar Arrow, we see the benefits of docility in our Balancer and Gelbvieh cattle every day. Whether in the pasture or a feedyard, docile cattle save you time and money. Let selection and culling for docility work for you with a Bar Arrow female or bull in your herd”.
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“Last year we had a 90 percent breed back with yearling Balancer bulls... We also weaned calves during this dry period that were 52 pounds heavier than in the history of the ranch.” – Duane Coleman Coleman and his crew achieved this gain on Balancer bulls bred to Hereford X Angus females. “The big values of heterosis are increased weaning weight, cow longevity and decreased cost of production,” says Coleman. “We’re definitely quite a few ticks up with our crossbred females. A lot of that is due to the earlier maturity in them, which translates into dollars. We’re trying to get all of the heterosis we can.” For the folks at Hopi 3 Canyon, the earlier maturity gives them the
utilizing heterosis—went on to explain, “The value in crossbreeding is often underestimated because it has a small positive effect on many different traits that are lowly heritable and difficult to measure. Frequently, maternal heterosis (the value of the crossbred cow) is about decreasing inputs as much as it is about increasing output. For example, longevity, livability and disease resistance are traits that
Continued on page 18 The Profitpicture | 17
Continued from page 17
impact the input side of the equation as much as the output.” Hybrids provide the simplest, most effective way to achieve heterosis, which translates into enhanced calf survival, breeding ability during drought conditions, efficiency on grass and in the lot, carcass yield, and quality grade. You might be familiar with a multi-year study that Daley and Sean Earley at CSU Chico are conducting. Working with the Lacey Ranch, Harris Beef and the American Hereford Association, the study examines returns from 300 of the Lacey’s predominately Angus commercial cows bred to Angus—what Lacey’s have been doing—to 300 of their predominately Angus cows bred to Hereford bulls. In the Lacey program, calves are channeled through the Harris Ranch branded beef program, so this represents a vertically integrated system. Through the first year of the study, the crossbred calves had a $78 per head advantage, compared to their straightbred peers. There was a slight advantage to the crossbred ($10.80/head) for increased weaning weight, but most of it came
Hybrids provide the simplest, most effective way to achieve heterosis, which translates into enhanced calf survival, breeding ability during drought conditions, efficiency on grass and in the lot, carcass yield, and quality grade.
Kansas, Missouri, Iowa & Oklahoma Breeders
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18 | October 2010
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through feedlot and carcass performance. According to Daley and Earley, authors of the preliminary report, “One major advantage in the crossbred cattle was in morbidity/mortality, a lowly heritable trait that would be expected to demonstrate significant heterosis. However, even without inclusion of death loss into the feedlot closeouts, the crossbred group still had a definitive advantage in average daily gain, dry-matter feed conversion and, ultimately, cost of gain compared to the Angus-sired group, regardless of whether the mortality was calculated into the comparison or not. The advantage in quality grade of the Angus-sired group partially offset the economic advantage in feedlot performance of the crossbred group. However, total profitability still favored the cross-bred pen and was most obvious at the feedlot phase of the production cycle.” The first year of this study reflects only differences from direct heterosis in terminal calves—the heterosis in the calves. Subsequent years will shed light on differences in reproductive performance of replacement heifers, and ultimately differences in maternal heterosis of crossbred cows compared to their purebred counterparts. “If the data (in subsequent years) is consistent, it appears there will be an economic advantage in vertically coordinated beef production systems from direct heterosis of the F1,” Daley says. “However, the most important economic return will be when the crossbred cow enters the production system. In particular, the potential increase in lifetime productivity and longevity are key to maximum sustained profit per unit of input.”
Know Rather Than Guess About Genetics Along with genetics that are proving their worth, Coleman says, “Acclimation of the bulls and reputation of the breeder are worth a lot. With the Bar T Bar bulls we’re getting good bulls from here at home, acclimated to this area, and we’re able to do that without having to go to the ends of the earth to find them.” Likewise, Coleman had used yearling bulls on heifers before, but not on mature cows until he used Balancers from Bar T Bar. He was nervous about it, but achieved a 90 precent breed-up. “We buy heifers from our customers to market as bred females because we know the genetics. We expose 1,000 head of females for 45 days and have a 95 percent conception rate,” says Bob Prosser of Bar T Bar Ranch. “We need cattle that will sustain themselves on minimum resources and a minimum amount of supplement. Gelbvieh Balancer bulls give us those type of cattle,” says Coleman.
The Profitpicture | 19
News Southern Balancer – A Gelbvieh Composite for the South ™
The American Gelbvieh Association recently launched the Southern Balancer™ hybrid registry. The purpose of the Southern Balancer is to capture the adaptability and maternal strengths of the heat tolerant breeds and the performance and functionality of the Gelbvieh breed into a composite that is unequaled in maternal heterosis, disposition, fertility and carcass consistency. The Southern Balancer hybrid is specifically targeted to beef producers in the southern tier states and tropical regions. Registration certificates and performance data for Southern Balancer cattle will be offered by the American Gelbvieh Association. The following are some frequently asked questions about the Southern Balancer program. The information was taken from resources from the American Gelbvieh Association and from a presentation given by Joe Paschal, livestock specialist with Texas AgriLife Extension, Texas A&M University. For more information, contact the American Gelbvieh Association at 303-465-2333 or email info@gelbvieh.org.
What is a composite? Composites are formed by crossing two or more existing breeds in specific percentages then mating those crosses to maintain those percentages. The purpose is to maintain a high level of heterosis without future crossing. A composite allows breeders to use the breeds in specific percentages to optimize environmental and marketing flexibility and still benefit from heterosis and breed effects. Breeds should be complementary in all traits; extremes should cancel out (size, maturity, milk, growth, etc.).
Why use composites? Composites are used to maintain high levels of heterosis and productivity. Using Bos indicus breeds, the percent increase in weaning weight per cow exposed will increase by as much as 1824 percent in a two breed composite and 27-36 percent in a four breed composite.
What are the advantages of Bos indicus cattle? Bos indicus cattle and their crosses are known for their tropical and subtropical adaptability. Their list of advantages include: 1) Extreme heat and humidity tolerance, 2) Tolerance to internal and external parasites, 3) Resistance to many diseases, 4) Ability to digest low nutritive value feeds, 5) 20 | October 2010
Ability to utilize or store minerals, 6) Ability to store fat in non-heat bearing deposits, 7) Longevity, especially with stronger teeth, and 8) Maternal ability and calving ease in heifers and cows.
What are the advantages of Gelbvieh? There are many traits the Gelbvieh breed offers to complement those of Bos indicus cattle in a composite of this sort. As a breed, Gelbvieh cattle offer unmatched female performance, increased fertility and early puberty, more pounds of calf weaned per cow exposed and quiet dispositions. In addition, the Gelbvieh breed has reduced its mature cow size and lowered birth weights, while not sacrificing weaning and yearling growth.
Why Southern Balancers? Historically the tropically adapted breeds have recognized shortcomings in the areas of disposition, fertility and carcass consistency. These traits are strengths of the Gelbvieh breed and can work in a complementary fashion to produce a very marketable hybrid animal. As well, most commercial producers in the southern tier states try to keep a percentage of the heat tolerant breeds in their cow herds. While the percentage of desired heat tolerance varies on location and personal preference,
most tropical and sub-tropical producers agree that some minimal level is essential for their cow herd to survive heat and pest challenges in those climates. There is also a desire to add a continental breed into breeding programs to add pounds and carcass quality into these commercial cattle.
Do Gelbvieh cattle work in a sub-tropical environment? If you ask a cattle producer to name breeds known for heat tolerance, Gelbvieh would not be one of the first breeds to be listed. In order to evaluate if Gelbvieh influenced genetics can work in this type of environment the American Gelbvieh Association sent out a survey in the spring of 2006 to commercial bull buyers that had purchased Gelbvieh or Balancer® bulls in the southeastern United States in the past several years. The question posed was “Do purebred Gelbvieh cattle have good heat tolerance?” The response was overwhelmingly yes. Of the respondents, 42 percent strongly agreed and 50 percent somewhat agreed that Gelbvieh cattle do have good heat tolerance.
Do Gelbvieh influenced cattle adapt to a hot humid environment? Known for a hair coat that is short and slicks off easily, Gelbvieh herds in the southern United States have been producing cattle adapted to the hot, humid environment for many generations. Critical to the success of including Gelbvieh and Balancer bulls into a crossbreeding scheme in this part of the country would be to source Gelbvieh or Balancer genetics from Gelbvieh breeders located in the South. Several studies have shown that regardless of breed, cattle previously adapted to the hot, humid environments will outperform cattle imported from other more temperate environments when used in a crossbreeding scenario in a subtropical environment.
What do Gelbvieh and Balancer cattle offer to the producer in a sub-tropical environment? Assuming that a majority of commercial cow herds in the South have some small amount
News Southern Balancer™ Registry Guidelines Below are guidelines for the American Gelbvieh Association Southern Balancer™ hybrid registry. Animals that meet the registration requirements as outlined below will be recognized by the AGA as a Southern Balancer and receive a registration certificate and EPDs. The AGA anticipates being able to begin registering Southern Balancer animals in the late fall of 2010. • The sire and dam must each be a registered animal in a recognized or recorded with a breed association. Upon registration of the animal, the member must provide the registration number and current EPDs for the non-AMGV parent animals. • The animal must contain a minimum of 25 percent (1/4) Gelbvieh. • The animal will have a maximum of 50 percent (1/2) and/or minimum of 6.25 percent (1/16) from a tropically adapted breed or combination of tropically adapted breeds. • Animals must have performance data submitted consistent with AGA rules. At minimum this requires birth dates and weaning weights for females and birth dates, weaning and yearling weights for bulls. • Percentage designation will mimic the presentation for Gelbvieh and Balancer® animals. • Tropically adapted breeds with open herd books, such as Brangus and Red Brangus, will have actual identification of percentage Brahman and percentage Angus/Red Angus printed on the individual registration papers rather than percentage Brangus. • Suggested tropically adapted breeds include Beefmaster, Braford, Brahman, Brangus, Red Brangus, Senepol, and Santa Gertrudis of Brahman influence, as well as British (Angus or Hereford) breed genetics, addition of Gelbvieh into a crossbreeding scheme will result in: • Improved fertility of replacement females resulting in younger age at puberty and increased pounds of calf weaned over a cow’s productive lifetime. • Increased pounds of calf weaned creating market-topping calves. • Post weaning and feedlot performance improvements resulting in increase muscle, red meat yield with the 25 percent Continental influence desired by today’s feedyards. • Balancer bulls used on F1 females will stabilize the percentage Continental verses percentage British breed influence in future generations.
Why introduce this program now? The Gelbvieh breed is making great strides in promoting the value of Gelbvieh genetics in terms of profitable commercial crossbred production from the pasture to the feeder to the packer. This hybrid gives the breed added reach to a portion of the United States, Central
and South America that offers significant expansion potential. American Gelbvieh Association members in Mississippi and Arizona have already been raising and promoting these animals with great success but without the advantages of a formal hybrid designation and registry program. Additional revenue from Southern Balancer registrations and southern producer memberships allows us to continue to add value-added programs to the membership as a whole.
What will the American Gelbvieh Association offer? One of the benefits of the Southern Balancer program is that it is officially supported by a breed association. The American Gelbvieh Association will be able to offer registrations certificates and EPDs on all cattle that meet the registry guidelines for Southern Balancer beginning late this fall. Southern beef producers will be able to benefit from the customer service, marketing assistance and other programs offered by the American Gelbvieh Association. As the Southern Balancer program grows, the association anticipates being able to offer marketing programs specifically targeted to Southern Balancer cattle. Additionally, the American Gelbvieh Association has a proven track record with producers and has seen great success with the association’s first hybrid program, the Balancer registry, which is a Gelbvieh-Angus or Gelbvieh-Red Angus composite. Within the first couple of months of officially launching the Southern Balancer hybrid, the American Gelbvieh Association has already seen great interest in using Gelbvieh genetics on Bos indicus cattle.
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Missouri Gelbvieh Breeder Focuses on Tenderness By Jennifer Scharpe, American Gelbvieh Association Director of Communications
Ronnie Rogers Owner, Rogers Valley Farm Gelbvieh
22 | October 2010
To be a trait leader in any breed requires a serious commitment to placing selection pressure on that trait. However, Ronnie Rogers of Rogers Valley Farm Gelbvieh will tell you it is important to have a cow herd that can also excel in production, performance and carcass merit. This Mendon, Mo., producer has been able to do both with his Gelbvieh cow herd. Rogers Valley Farm Gelbvieh is a leader in the Gelbvieh breed for tenderness. The herd sires used includes an 88 percentage black Gelbvieh bull that has a DNA IGENITY® tenderness score of 10 and a purebred black Gelbvieh bull that is homozygous for the 316 tenderness gene.
“Only 10 percent of the Gelbvieh breed has the 316 gene. I have one of the only purebred Gelbvieh bulls that is homozygous for the 316 gene, that I know of, and he’s heterozygous for the other two tenderness genes,” noted Rogers. The beef industry has identified three genes that influence tenderness; the calpain 316 gene is one of them. According to IGENITY, their analysis for tenderness includes multiple markers associated with the calpain and calpastatin genes. Both of these genes contribute to an animal’s tenderness potential. Calpain, a naturally occurring enzyme, weakens muscle fibers during the post-mortem aging process. Calpastatin interacts with the calpain enzymes, affecting overall tenderness. An animal that is homozygous for the 316 gene, or has markers for any of the
other genes, has a higher genetic potential for tenderness. Rogers has been aggressive in his approach to increasing tenderness in his cow herd of 175 Gelbvieh, Balancer® and commercial females. He DNA profiles the majority of his bulls and replacement females and places a strong emphasis on high tenderness scores. He also utilizes embryo transfer. “When I started getting into this tenderness deal, I wanted to move a little faster so I started doing some ET work on some of my better tenderness cows to improve the tenderness genetics in the cow herd,” added Rogers. Rogers’ goal for his cow herd is to “have high tenderness scores, with above average weaning weights and average yearling weights to keep carcass weights in line with what the industry wants. In Missouri, everyone sells calves
off the cows so I feel we need to produce bulls with good weaning weight EPDs for our customers.” Aside from the cow herd, Rogers Valley Farm operates a 1,000 head feedlot. Besides their own Gelbvieh bulls, heifers and steers, they feed bulls for Laura’s Lean Beef and custom feeds bulls, steers and females for other producers. “Last year we fed about 2,500 bulls for Laura’s Lean. But we mostly develop breeding stock,” said Rogers. Rogers has partnered with two other Missouri breeders – Gelbvieh breeder Richard Lincoln, Linneus, Mo., and Angus breeder Larry Robuck, Cairo, Mo. – to form the Midwest Beef Alliance. Together, they run their own 112-day bull test at Rogers’ facilities and host a sale in the spring. “I calve the majority of the cows in the fall. I like fall calves – there are very few calving problems, it’s not muddy, and the cows can calve on grass. The other reason for fall calving is in the spring I can sell 18-month old bulls that are able to go to work right away for my customers,” commented Rogers. In addition to the Midwest Beef Alliance bull test, Rogers will custom feed bulls for Professional Beef Genetics (PBG), Montrose, Mo. “We have a group of 100 PBG bulls that we are feeding now on their fast track test, which is higher in energy than their forage test,” he added. Mindful of the carcass merit of his genetics and how his cattle perform on the rail, Rogers gets carcass data back on his own calves that are fed through his feedlot. The data on his most recent fed cattle is pretty outstanding. “My last set of cattle graded 90 percent Choice and 80 percent Yield Grade 2. They were all Gelbvieh or Balancer bred cattle,” said Rogers. Active in the Heart of America Gelbvieh Association, Rogers has served as President and is currently a Vice President, representing the northern regional of Missouri. He has also served on several
committees with the American Gelbvieh Association. In addition, Rogers’ leadership involvement extends outside of the Gelbvieh breed as he is in his second term as Mayor of Mendon. When asked about the greatest advantages of the Gelbvieh breed, Ronnie commented on the power of the Gelbvieh female: “The
greatest accomplishment of the Gelbvieh breed was bringing a female to this country that was like no other beef animal known at that time. Gelbvieh came into the country without any promotion and were the best producing cattle at the time. Those traits have kept the breed relevant for today’s commercial cow-calf producer.”
For the commercial cattleman, Rogers recommends using a Gelbvieh bull on British based cows. “I think the Gelbvieh-Angus cross cow is the best commercial cow there is. The Gelbvieh-Angus cow combines the best traits of both breeds with an added bonus of increased maternal heterosis.”
The Profitpicture | 23
News
BeefTalk: Late-calving Cows Simply Are That, Late-calving Calving interval is not a term that seems to frequent conversations. By Kris Ringwall, Beef Specialist NDSU Extension Service If one stands by the fence and discusses calving, most producers are sympathetic to the late- calving cow. At least she has a live calf is the general response. That is true, but the challenge is to move beyond acceptance and perhaps refocus and rethink this subtle, but real acceptance of late-calving cows. Calving interval is not a term that seems to frequent cow producer conversations. In reality, it probably is the No.1 trait in the cow-calf operation. Calving interval is the time between the birth of one calf and the next. Ideally, a cow should have a calf every 365 days.
Kris Ringwall Beef Specialist, NDSU Extension Service
Nebraska & Colorado Breeders
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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
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24 | October 2010
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As a cow ages and has more calves, calving dates can be averaged to come up with the calving interval. Through time, the ideal cow will maintain an average calving interval that is close to 365 days. Why is this so important and why now? Well, some cattle producers are ultrasounding cattle as bulls are being pulled and brought home. Many more producers will be pregnancy-checking this fall and culling cows as they ask themselves who is pregnant. Some will go a step further and ask if the cow will be early or late. Producers seldom actually cull the late cows. Why? I’m not sure, but there seems to be comfort in maintaining the status quo. The most important point is that most cows do calve on an annual basis and generally close to when they calved the previous years. Thus, a cow that is late this year will be late next year and years after that, so, for all practical purposes, the cow will be late for her entire reproductive lifetime. There are managerial changes that can be made, such as better nutrition, appropriate intervention with newer reproductive hormonal programs or even calf withdrawal at breeding. However, these imply that there will be additional inputs and labor, which come at an expense. This year, the Dickinson Research Extension Center came to the realization that the center also was accepting the status quo. Bulls were allowed to run with the cows throughout the summer, so the cows were calving later. This means a longer calving season and more shuffling of the cows, even after the main herd was worked and sent to pasture. A concerted effort was made to re-establish a short and concise calving season. The bulls were pulled in July. Let me repeat that the bulls were pulled in July. The first group of cows was ultrasounded the other day. The results were promising. These cows were time synchronized and artificially bred on June 14. Cleanup bulls were placed with the cows on June 15 and then pulled on July 20. All 48 head of cows were pregnant. Thirtytwo cows conceived through artificial breeding
News and 16 cows bred naturally to the cleanup bulls. That is great and means no late calves in that group next year. The artificially bred cows have an expected calving date of March 31. The average calving date for the remaining cows is estimated to be April 20. The actual spread in the later cows is from April 7 to May 1. A couple of points can be made. First, these cows bred exceptionally well, but not beyond expectations. Also, these cows are good cows because they have an average calving interval of 366 days. The range in calving interval for the 48 cows was 344 days to 382 days. The cow that has the longest calving interval is raising her 12th calf. She bred through
Typically, the shorter calving intervals are with the younger cows. As the cows get older, they slowly drop back in calving date.
artificial insemination and will give birth at the beginning of the calving season next year. Good job for an old cow. However, she may be culled next year because of her age, but she deserves a pat on her back. Typically, the shorter calving intervals are with the younger cows. As the cows get older, they slowly drop back in calving date. The average age on this set of cows is 6.4 years. They have given birth to an average of 5.4 calves, weaned 4.3 calves and now are raising their next calf. They will have raised 5.3 calves if all the calves make it home this fall. That is a good set of cattle that, for all practical purposes, are right on schedule by producing calves every 366 days. If some cows have a longer calving interval, then the herd as a whole is going backwards and managerial intervention is a must. However, to start with, don’t keep late-calving cows because they simply will keep calving late. May you find all your ear tags. Your comments are always welcome at http://www.BeefTalk.com. For more information, contact the NDBCIA Office, 1041 State Ave., Dickinson, ND 58601, or go to http://www.CHAPS2000.com on the Internet.
The Profitpicture | 25
News
Hunting for
Neosporosis A new reproductive disease infecting cattle and transmitted by a parasite from canines and wildlife By John Huston As science progresses we seem to steadily find more things to worry about. In trying to answer one question we create ten more. This is good if you are a scientist, it is job security, but bad if you are a cattle producer because it is just another thing to manage around. As cattle producers we have been asking our veterinarians for more answers about what causes abortions in cattle. In trying to solve the mystery of abortions a new parasite was discovered from a source that just might surprise you. This single celled parasite, Neospora caninum, has since been found in most countries around the globe and in a variety of wild and domestic ruminants, predators, rodents, and even marine mammals. Research by state, country, or region identifies that the prevalence of the disease, the rate of infection among cattle typically ranges from 10-25 percent. An infected cow is infected for the rest of her life and there is no known cure.
Transmission and Infection of Parasite Although humans are safe from this parasite, one of your family members could be implicated. This 26 | October 2010
organism requires a canine for a life cycle stage and thus to serve as the definitive host. The definitive host can be a domestic canine like yours or your neighbor’s dog, or even a wild canine like a coyote or wolf. These definitive hosts shed oocysts in fecal material. Think of these oocysts as tiny little eggs. Once released into the environment, these eggs sporulate and become infectious to cattle and other ruminants, the intermediate hosts. Infected animals have the disease state known as neosporosis. Infected cattle do not show any clinical signs of being infected other than having the potential for reproductive failure. One unique feature of this particular parasite is that it is small enough to cross the placenta of pregnant females and do damage to the developing fetus. The extent of damage done depends largely upon the stage of gestation when this transfer from mother to fetus occurs. If the process takes place early in gestation there can be enough damage done to the uterine attachments that the viability of the fetus can become compromised. Another potential outcome early in gestation is due to the fact that the developing fetus has yet to develop its own immune function and the
Ingestion of infected tissue (e.g. fetus, placenta) may cause dogs to shed Neospora caninum oocysts in their feces. These oocysts are very resistant and may survive up to weeks and/or months in the environment.
New infected cow Cattle may become infected by ingesting Neospora caninum oocysts.
Infection during pregnancy If these calves survive, they are considered to be chronically infected.
N. caninum infection in cows may cause abortion, stillbirth, weak calves and a decrease in milk production.
If these infected cattle are used for breeding purposes, vertical transmission of the infection from cow to calf may occur. In breeder herd operation, chronically infected pedigrees could result from this cycle.
Chronically N. caninum infected cows exhibit an abortion rate 2-3 times higher than non infected cows.
Source: http://www.idexx.com/pubwebresources/images/en_us/livestock-poultry/news/neospora.png
parasite forms tissue cysts, typically in the nervous tissue. The extent of these tissue cysts can result in an abortion, a mummified fetus, or a calf born with neurological problems and other tissue and organ damage and rendering it unable to survive.
Cows that are infected prior to pregnancy seem to be able to limit the degree of maternal transfer. Transfer will still occur, but typically later in gestation when the placental attachments are developed enough so that the damage is less severe and the
News Neosporosis • • • • • •
Infection is for life No known treatment Risk of reproductive failure Silent transmission to unborn calves Shared with multiple species of wildlife Minimized impact through biosecurity
developing fetus is maintained. Also, the immune function of the developing fetus is more advanced later in gestation and result in less severe development of tissue cysts. Most calves from cows that acquired the infection prior to pregnancy or during the later stage of gestation are born without any indication of disease although they are infected and will be for their entire life. An infected cow that gives birth to an infected calf is considered to have completed vertical transmission. This rate of transmission is highly efficient and typically goes unnoticed. A new infection to an adult animal occurs by way of fecal-oral contamination; consuming food or water that has been infected with shed oocysts.
This rate of transmission is most often associated with a pointsource contamination, often with supplemental feed that has been contaminated. Point-source contamination usually results in abortion storms where 10 percent or more of the pregnant cattle will abort. Some abortion storms have resulted in over 50 percent of the pregnant cows suffering from some type of reproductive failure.
Prevention through Biosecurity and Deer Hunting Practices Scientists around the world are working hard to develop vaccines to prevent the transmission of this parasite. One vaccine currently does exist but is considered to be
This typical farm with a friendly dog and some degree of supplementation taking place is a possible scenario for transmission of Neospora caninum.
conditional at this time. Diagnostic testing is available but not routinely done and can be quite expensive. The strategy that most cattle producers employ for control of the disease is biosecurity. The theory is that if you can protect your stored feed from becoming contaminated then you can protect your cattle from becoming infected. The organism is found in rodents like mice, rats and raccoons which all love to hang out in hay stacks, around silage pits and in commodity bays. These rodents attract the canine predators necessary for the parasite’s life cycle stage and the cycle of infection continues. Take a good hard look at your feed storage areas and try to come up with some ideas that will minimize the access of other animals to your feed and you can reduce the likelihood of having an abortion storm in your herd. Another recommend biosecurity practice is to dispose of all reproductive tissues like dead calves and an uneaten placenta, eliminating the opportunity for them to be consumed by canines. This is nearly impossible in a range environment but we do what we can. This organism does exist in other ruminants such as moose, elk, and white tailed deer. A study of the southeastern United States, covering all states from Missouri to Virginia and down through Florida, tested 305 samples from free ranging white tailed deer and found 48 percent to be positive for the organism. Another study in northern Illinois of free ranging white tailed deer tested 400 samples and identified 40.5 percent to be positive. Supplementation is not common for wild animals so the rate of new cases is probably quite low. Keep in mind that the infection is for life and wild animals are not culled by managers based upon reproductive performance like our cattle are. Even with some reproductive failure, an infected
doe can stay in a wild herd for a long time, producing many infected but otherwise healthy offspring. The relevant role of this organism in wild ruminants is highlighted with this upcoming hunting season. Cattle production and natural resources management go hand in hand. The majority of cattle producers will themselves hunt or allow hunting on their property during the hunting season. Most dogs and coyotes are not considered as a natural predator to deer and other wild ruminants. Commonly though, hunters do field dress deer on site and leave the offal behind. This creates an opportunity for animals that otherwise would not prey on deer to consume various tissues and organs and the specific parts most likely to contain the infectious organism. This particular scenario creates the perfect opportunity for new infections in the canine, thus, completing the life cycle of the organism. New infections in the canine are associated with very high rates of shedding and this occurs at a time of the year when most cattle are being supplemented. As a biosecurity approach towards breaking the chain of disease transmission, please ask hunters on your property to bury the deer parts that they leave behind. If the ground is frozen, consider another way to dispose of these parts properly so they are not consumed by canines. This might seem like a headache now, but you could be preventing problems for your herd in the future. John Huston is a Ph.D. candidate
in Veterinary Science at Mississippi State University. The title of his dissertation is “The Epidemiology of Neospora caninum in Beef Cattle.”
He is also a member of the American Gelbvieh Association Board of Directors. Huston can be reached at john. e.huston@gmail.com. The Profitpicture | 27
Commercial Producers Have a Long History with Gelbvieh
By Dana Stewart, American Gelbvieh Association Director of Member Services Gelbvieh breeders have always focused on meeting the needs of commercial cattlemen. From creating commercial marketing positions to publishing commercially focused publications, the commercial cattleman has always been a critical part of the American Gelbvieh Association. However, some may not realize just how important the commercial breeder has been in Gelbvieh history and development. To understand this importance, one has to look back to the very beginning of the breed’s introduction to the United States.
A Breed is Discovered
Leness Hall Director of international Marketing for Carnation Genetics
Gallagher Rule Carnation Genetics salesman and founding member of the American Gelbvieh Association
28 | October 2010
Gelbvieh originated in Germany through strict breeding and performance testing programs and were relatively unheard of in the U.S. However, in 1969 Leness Hall, the director of international marketing for Carnation Genetics made his first encounter with the breed while in Neustadt Aisch, Germany. Leness was there looking for a better supply of Simmental semen when, going through an A.I. center, he first laid eyes on a bull like none other than he’d seen. “While going through the barns... I spotted a big, long bodied (the longest bull I’d ever measured of any breed), well-muscled, solid red bull that just had to be one of the greatest meat type animals I have ever seen,” wrote Hall. The bull’s name was Hass. Hall had never heard of these Gelbvieh cattle before, and while they left an impact on him, he left the A.I. center without much thought to the breed since he wasn’t looking for additional semen. Eventually though, the bull began to enter Hall’s thoughts. “After a time I began to wonder if I had made a mistake in measuring him, was he really all that long and well-muscled?” The next spring Hall returned to Germany with M.T. “Shorty” Jenkins, assistant general manager of Carnation Farms. The goal of this trip was to select bulls for breeders in Canada and to make arrangements between the A.I. center and the USDA for imports. Hall toured herds of Gelbvieh cattle this
time and returned to visit Hass. “It was with relief and renewed confidence that we found Hass to be as great as I had remembered, and after re-checking, that I had made no mistake in measuring him - he was the longest animal either of us had ever seen, and also definitely one of the strongest topped and best muscled we had ever seen.” The pair further explored the breed. They visited packing plants and also found that Gelbvieh were highly fertile. The breed had a reputation for winning German carcass shows, milked well and was structurally sound. The fact that the solid red cattle had good pigmentation around the eyes and underlines added economic value to them for some regions in the U.S. So, the decision was made to add Gelbvieh bulls to their semen import project despite the breed’s lack of recognition in the U.S., or the lack of an organization to promote the breed. Fortunately, Gallager Rule of Newkirk, Okla., made a trip to Germany, as several other influential cattle producers from the U.S. would during this time. Rule was a Carnation Genetics salesman and dairy breeder. Homer Knost of Clinton, La., another Carnation employee made the trip as well. Upon their arrival back to the U.S., they helped to create an interest in the semen before it began arriving. And, in 1971 Rule gathered a group of men together in his milk barn to establish the American Gelbvieh Association. Rule, along with Mitch Dodson, Merle Buss, Fred Tweitmeyer, and E. Edd Pritchett signed the articles of incorporation for the American Gelbvieh Association on June 28, 1971.
Overcoming the Obstacles As Gelbvieh bulls were being added to Carnation’s project, Carnation Genetics was working to set up quarantine stations to prepare to export semen back to the U.S. Most early bulls were never imported to North America, but rather went through the quarantine process in Germany. The health requirements for Carnation Genetics station were very strict. Feed for the bulls had to be flown from the U.S. to the German station. Additionally, USDA employees and their families were also required to move to Germany to oversee the project. ABS later picked up the contract and worked with USDA to modify some of the safety requirements - namely the feed importation stipulation. Besides the challenge of shipping all semen through a strict quarantine process, the commercial cattle market at the time proved to be an additional obstacle. When the commercial cattle market
crashed in the mid-1970s, a large amount of Gelbvieh semen that had been so difficult to import, was destroyed because it appeared the initial boom and excitement about Gelbvieh had declined. Fortunately, several Gelbvieh breeders had bought excess supplies before the disposal. Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Neb., began releasing research data as the cattle market returned. The MARC data showed Gelbvieh in a very favorable light and interest in the breed spiked again. Many look back at the release of the MARC data as a very exciting time for the breed. Gelbvieh showed great advantages compared to other breeds. Those who had initially fallen in love with the breed now had the data to back up their experiences. However, due to the destruction of much of the early semen it was a challenge for breeders to find quality genetics to work with. As a result, the AGA began to publish sire summaries for breeders to use as a selection tool.
A Blessing in Disguise Unlike many of the other breeds that were imported in the 1970s, the Gelbvieh breed didn’t fall into the hands of seedstock producers. Some may say this was a disadvantage for the breed since without seedstock producers the breed didn’t receive recognition through the show ring and with high-dollar breeders. On the other hand, some may say that it was one of the best things that could happen for the breed because it allowed the breed to be developed by its true customer the commercial cattleman. In an interview with long-time Gelbvieh breeder Jeanette Rankin of Kicking Horse Ranch in Montana in 1990, Jeanette stated, “We started out as commercial cattlemen and then started breeding up these cattle and registering them, and all of a sudden we were in the registered cattle business.” Johnny Green from Franklinton, La., wrote a paid advertisement in BEEF magazine to
bring attention to the breed. Johnny wrote, “The people involved with this breed are primarily performance-minded commercial cattlemen.” However, Johnny recalls that it took a long time for those commercial cattlemen to adjust how they marketed those cattle that were eventually bred-up from the commercial herds. Johnny believed the reason the AGA lacked the high-hype, quick in-and-out promoters or tax-motivated investors was because of the association’s high standards for registration. The registration rules, which included required performance data, “coupled with the annual publication of a national sire summary, put before the public the true economic worth of sires and made it very difficult to artificially create quality in a sire by limiting the supply of offspring, flaunting showring success, and/or waving the advertising flag. This sort of rule-making is excellent for the development of a breed of cattle but very tough on the survival of a young breed association.” Another challenge was geography. Most cattle were concentrated in the high plain states since that is where large herds that were using A.I. were located. Johnny further wrote, “Had it not been for the USDA’s MARC report, the word would have never gotten out.”
The Best Kept Secret The commercial cattlemen knew all along the advantages of Gelbvieh. It was the seedstock producer who needed help recognizing the breed’s value in its early days. Paul Bennett from Knoll Crest Farm recalled his first introduction with the breed in the same 1990 interview. “Back in the early 1980s when we were looking at Gelbvieh as a possible addition to our operation, one breeder told me the Gelbvieh breed was the best-kept secret in the livestock industry. That was probably the case, because I think during the first 10 or 15 years the
breed was in the hands of cattlemen who were commercially oriented. They were breeders rather than promoters, and that was probably good for the long-term, well-being of the breed. We were able to establish a fairly wide genetic base that was developed under practical conditions to meet the needs of the commercial cattle industry.”
Today’s Gelbvieh Fast forward to today and commercial producers continue to play a critical part of the AGA. The AGA publishes The Profit Picture, a commercially focused tabloid, twice annually. AGA’s Maternal Edge Female Sales offer marketing opportunities for Gelbvieh influenced females from commercial herds utilizing Gelbvieh genetics. AGA provides the new owner of every transferred animal with a subscription to Gelbvieh World. AGA offers free for-sale listings for Gelbvieh influenced replacement females and feeder calves as well as a SmartCross® tag program. But more importantly the breed has adapted to meet the needs of its customers. Frank Padilla, AGA’s director of breed promotion, points out that “Gelbvieh cattle have withstood the test of time in regard to being cattle that consistently work as hard as what the people do who raise them. AGA members since the beginning have been in tune with the needs of commercial producers. This focus has allowed them to make the Gelbvieh breed ‘rancher friendly’ in terms of lower birth-weights, less mature size and more maternal efficiency while meeting the needs of the feedyard and consumer customer.” As AGA celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2011, yesterday and today’s commercial producer deserves recognition for embracing the breed, developing it to further meet the needs of a changing beef industry, and for continued business. In return, today’s Gelbvieh will work harder than ever for you.
Today, Gelbvieh influenced females can be found in many commercial herds across the United States. These Gelbvieh-Angus cross females pictured below are part of a commercial cow-calf operation owned by Fred Moore, Downing, Mo.
The Profitpicture | 29
News
Using the Power of DNA to Make Replacement Heifer Decisions Developing replacement heifers requires a significant investment. Recent estimates suggest the cost of developing a pregnant female from weaning to breeding is more than $1,100.1 And research shows that a female may not break even until six years of age.2 Perhaps just as important, the heifers chosen as replacements will help define the genetic direction and profitability of a herd for years to come. Dr. Kevin DeHaan, technical services director, IGENITY®, says all of this adds up to one conclusion: Producers can’t afford to pick the wrong replacement females. “Replacement heifers are an important contributor to herd profitability and a key to the future of the herd,” says Dr. DeHaan. “Not only does a replacement heifer remain in the herd for a long time, she impacts the genetic future as well. Producers can’t risk taking a gamble when selecting replacement females.” Producers can help take some of the risk out of replacement heifer development by adding DNA technology to their existing selection and management protocols, Dr. DeHaan says. “By incorporating the IGENITY profile for replacement heifers
into an existing herd management program, producers can gain inside information about four key economic traits: fertility, average daily gain, marbling and tenderness. Some of these traits are difficult, or even impossible, to measure with traditional tools, but directly affect the profitability of replacement females.”
Start Early to Help Avoid Unnecessary Expenses Replacement heifer selection often begins at weaning with an initial sort of the female calf crop. Dr. DeHaan says producers should collect DNA samples at this time and add the information from IGENITY to their existing selection protocols. By using the power of DNA to evaluate young females, producers can help avoid the initial expense of developing heifers that will be culled at breeding. He adds that each step of this process has been designed to work into existing routines, starting with a simple, straightforward tissue collection system. “Gathering DNA samples can easily be worked into preconditioning or weaning
Graph 1 Effect of Replacement Heifer Selection on Calf-crop Genetic Change − Marbling (7 score sires)
Score from IGENITY
7.5 Positive replacement selection
7.0
Random replacement selection
6.5 6.0 Initial Cow-herd (5.5)
5.5
1
2
30 | October 2010
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routines with a tissue collection device that works just like applying an ear tag,” Dr. DeHaan says. “Plus, IGENITY offers a combination radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and tissue collection device, giving producers the option to take advantage of two technologies in one simple step.” After producers receive their results, the inside information can be sorted and managed based on their individual herd goals with the user-friendly IGENITY software. Dr. DeHaan says in the case of replacement heifers, producers can start with the custom sort software and focus on the fertility and average daily gain traits. “A potential replacement heifer’s initial success hinges on her ability to grow quickly and efficiently and breed on time,” he explains. “If producers use the IGENITY profile for replacement heifers and custom sort software to evaluate potential females for key traits at weaning, they can help avoid the cost of developing sub-par females that may not have the genetic potential to reach these first critical milestones.” Dr. DeHaan adds that DNA analyses for reproductive traits, as well as carcass traits such as tenderness and marbling, give producers an option to evaluate cattle for important traits that have traditionally been difficult to measure in young cattle. “We have some tools that help us predict fertility and growth in young cattle,” he says. “But by using the inside information that is available from IGENITY to help evaluate these economically important traits, producers can gain a new level of confidence in selecting the right replacement heifers.”
Positive Selection vs. Random Selection Selecting the right replacement heifers not only affects the profitability of the individual, but more importantly, it affects the profitability of the herd for years to come. To help illustrate how selection decisions affect a herd over time, Dr. Bob Weaber, state extension specialist, beef genetics, University of Missouri, developed a model for IGENITY that calculates the potential genetic outcome based on a given scenario. “The purpose of this model is to explore the effect over time of different selection protocols and strategies,” Dr. Weaber says. “It is designed to illustrate the differences in genetic merit based on using the IGENITY profile to help select sires or replacement heifers, or the combination of both.” Graph 1 illustrates the change in genetic merit of progeny for marbling over time if producers use the IGENITY profile to help select superior replacement heifers. Marbling is used in this example; however, this same illustration can be applied to any trait available from IGENITY. In this example, the herd size remains the same for both groups, and both groups improve their genetic potential by using sires with a score of 7 for marbling. However, for the herd represented by the red line, the best 20 percent of the females are selected to return to the herd based on their scores from IGENITY. Random replacement selection is used in the herd represented by the black line. In this graph at year 8, the additional lift that occurs from selecting the superior replacement heifers results in a 10 percent advantage compared with random
News Collecting A Good DNA Sample
1. It’s all in the root. The actual DNA sample does not come from the hair shaft. The root or follicle is the portion of the sample that is actually used to gather the DNA.
2. Animal age does play a role. While we can test samples off very young calves the older calves, preferably weaning age, typically yield a better sample. As the calves age, the hair becomes coarser and most of the fine baby hair the calves have in the tail switch has been replaced by coarser hair. Coarser hair equals a bigger follicle. Bigger follicles equal a better DNA sample. 3. Coarser hair in the middle of the tail switch. Once you have the animal restrained such that you can grab the tail, select a section of hair from the middle of the switch. Hairs here tend to be coarser than that found at the top or the bottom of the switch. selection. Dr. DeHaan says this demonstrates how the use of the IGENITY profile to help select replacement heifers can help producers make faster genetic progress and gain efficiencies. “By using the inside information from IGENITY to help select replacement females, producers can help ensure they are pointing their herd in the right direction to make faster genetic progress and
4. Up, up and away. When you pull the hair it is okay to use a set of pliers to grab the hair. Just be sure to remove any excess hair between animals. Also when pulling the hair a motion that is up and away seems to do a better job of getting large intact follicles. So if you have the bottom of the switch in your left hand and pliers in your right, pull the hair out of the switch in an upwards motion, toward the tail head to get the best follicles.
5. More is better. Don’t ever feel like you are sending too big of a hair sample. With the potential of new tests in the future, the possibility that DNA will be gathered multiple times from a single sample exists. 6. Archive one at the farm. While you are pulling the sample take a second one as your own insurance policy. Tape the hair shafts to an index card and store in an envelope
return dollars to their bottom line,” he says. “A 10 percent difference over time can mean significant differences in profitability for traits such as feed efficiency or carcass traits, if producers are selling calves on a grid.” If producers are looking at short-term profitability of an individual female, or long-term genetic progress, Dr. DeHaan says they can’t afford to select another
or use another collector. Note the animal’s registration number, tattoo, or some other form of identification on the sample and put it away in a cool dry place. This will preserve samples for future testing on animals that may die or leave the place. 7. Samples other than hair. Possibly the easiest way to submit a DNA sample is using an ear tag tissue collection device. If you are sampling a larger number of calves (50 plus), and will be doing this on a yearly basis, investing in these tags and the special tagger will pay off in the long run in terms of less time spent collecting samples. Semen is also a viable option. Once you pull the straw from the tank, get it in the mail as quick as possible. The samples tend to degrade over time and getting the straw to the lab as soon as possible will ensure the best results.
heifer without the IGENITY profile for replacement heifers. “Second to herd sires, young females have the greatest impact on a herd’s short- and long-term success,” he says. “Adding the IGENITY profile to heifer selection protocols can help producers ensure decisions made today will result in a productive, efficient herd for years to come.”
Hughes H. Heifer economics part 1.BEEF 2007:10-11. 1
2 Red Angus Association of America. Heifer pregnancy and stayability. Performance update. Available at: http://old.redangus.org/newredsite/ themagazine/julyaugust02/ performanceupdate.html. Accessed June 3, 2009. ®IGENITY is a registered trademark of Merial. ©2010 Merial Limited Duluth, GA. All rights reserved.
Av Bre ail ed ab in le g Ye Sto ar ck Ro un d
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LeGRAND
Registered Gelbvieh Cattle Homozygous Black — Homozygous Polled Ed LeGrand
Stillwater, Oklahoma
405-747-6950
alane@c21global.com The Profitpicture | 31
News
Playing With Fire
Passing on respiratory vaccinations can leave producers and cattle vulnerable. No matter the type of operation, bovine respiratory disease (BRD) can be difficult and costly for all producers to manage. In fact, BRD cost producers nearly $1 billion in economic losses last year from death, reduced feed efficiency and treatment costs,1 yet a 20072008 study showed that only 40 percent of beef operations typically vaccinated calves against respiratory disease before a sale.2 After working with clients that manage cow/ calf, backgrounding and feedlot operations, Brad Gloystein, DVM, Gloystein Veterinary Clinic, York, Neb., knows how much money can be lost when it comes to treating BRD. That’s why he recommends producers work to help prevent BRD before it becomes a problem. “Producers that don’t vaccinate their cattle
are playing with fire and, in those situations, we definitely see outbreaks of BRD,” Dr. Gloystein says. “But, our producers are progressive and educated and they know that neglecting to vaccinate cattle isn’t worth the risk.” Separately, viral agents like infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), parainfluenza type 3 (PI3), bovine virus diarrhea (BVD) or bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) often lead to mild clinical signs related to each disease.3 However, when combined with other bacterial agents — and even stressful events like weaning — they can lead to a much more complicated disease like BRD.3 “There’s no doubt that stress is a big part of it,” Dr. Gloystein says. “Outside of weaning, weather can be one of the biggest stressors. If
Montana & Wyoming
Breeders
“Expect A Lot Of Bull!”
Don, Omie, Chase & Teale Rose Danell 1012 Maiden Road • Lewistown, MT 59457 (406) 538-5622 danell@dishmail.net Purebred Gelbvieh and Balancer® Females for Sale. Mostly Homozygous Polled and/or Homozygous Black H Focus on Carcass H
Ken and Dale Flikkema 2 Mint Trail • Bozeman, MT 59718 (406) 586-6207 (O) • (406) 580-6207 (C) email: mcfg@imt.net Black, Purebred & Balancer Cattle “Our Aim is Your Target”
you get weather changes during weaning — or even when transporting cattle — producers may have problems with BRD. That’s why vaccinating is so important.” According to Gerald Stokka, DVM, Veterinary Operations, Pfizer Animal Health, treatment costs may not be the only costs producers will absorb if cattle become sick due to BRD. “At the feedlot, calves that survived respiratory disease may not grow as fast or as large as calves that have not been affected,”2 Dr. Stokka says. “In fact, even cattle that were treated just once for BRD had lower average daily gains and carcass weights, and less marbling when compared with nontreated cattle — a direct result of cattle being off feed while they were sick.”2 Dr. Stokka recommends producers consult their veterinarians to choose vaccination products and programs that will best fit the needs and goals of their individual operations. “It’s important for vaccination programs to start at the cow/calf level,” Dr. Stokka says. “Producers should work with their veterinarian to develop a vaccination program that can help ensure a healthy start for calves and to help protect their future performance and productivity all the way through the production chain. Veterinarians also can help producers look for vaccines with high quality control standards, the most supportive peer-reviewed research, and vaccines that will offer strong label claims and a suitable duration of immunity.” As part of a comprehensive respiratory vaccination program, Bovi-Shield GOLD® can help protect cattle against IBR and BVD Types 1 and 2 respiratory disease, as well as BRSV and PI3. “Bovi-Shield GOLD products have done such a good job helping prevent BRD for my clients,” Dr. Gloystein says. “I stayed with Bovi-Shield GOLD because I have confidence in it. I’ve used it for so many years I know it’s going to work.” Brodersen BA, Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus. Vet Clin Food Anim 26 (2010) 323-333. 2 Vaccination of calves for respiratory disease on U.S. beef cow/calf operations. 2009. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture. 3 Bagley CV. Bovine respiratory disease. Utah State University Cooperative Extension. 1997. All brands are the property of Pfizer Inc., its affiliates and/or its licensors. ©2010 Pfizer Inc. All rights reserved. BSD10017. 1
“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.
32 | October 2010
Miles & Tiffany Rives P.O. Box 392 • Buffalo, WY 82834 307-684-7858 mtrctco@vcn.com
We sell females private treaty and our Silent Auction Bull sale is mid-March 2011; offering Balancer®, Gelbvieh and Angus bulls.
News
Microbial Breakthrough Impacts Health, Agriculture, Biofuels For the first time ever, University of Illinois researchers have discovered how microbes break down hemicellulose plant matter into simple sugars using a cow rumen bacterium as a model. “This is ground-breaking research,” said Isaac Cann, associate professor in the U of I Department of Animal Sciences and member of the Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI) in the Institute for Genomic Biology. “The implications are very broad, yet it all started with a simple rumen microbe. It’s amazing how we can draw inferences to human health and nutrition, biofuel production, and animal nutrition because of our new understanding of how a microbe works.” The cow rumen is an excellent model to study as it’s one of the most efficient machines to deconstruct plant matter, Cann said. Microbes in the rumen break down plant matter into glucose and xylose to use as nutrients for fermentation and energy acquisition. U of I researchers utilized DNA sequencing and transcriptomics (RNAseq approach) to determine all of the enzymes the organism, Prevotella bryantii, uses to deconstruct hemicellulose into simple sugars. “If you don’t completely understand what is happening, you can’t improve it,” Cann said. “The U of I’s strong history in anaerobic microbiology and genomics, and the EBI’s substantial funding enabled us to achieve this milestone. To my knowledge, this was the first time that anyone has systematically demonstrated the deconstruction of the plant cell wall hemicellulose.”
Breaking down hemicellulose is one of the biofuels industry’s greatest bottlenecks. Currently, the industry has microbes that can ferment simple sugars into liquid fuels such as ethanol and butanol. But they have struggled to break down feedstocks such as corn stover, switchgrass and miscanthus. “U of I’s research has created an enzyme cocktail that can release simple sugars from hemicellulose and in turn, help the biofuels industry progress,” Cann said. Even though researchers used a bacterium from the cow stomach, their results apply to microbes in the human large intestine, too. Human health and nutrition researchers are interested in the similar strategies certain rumen bacteria and human intestinal bacteria use to capture energy from dietary fiber. “By fermenting the fiber in our diets, the microbes in our large intestine help to provide about 10 percent of our daily energy requirement,” he said. “The microbial fermentation products or short-chain fatty acids provide nutrition to the cells that line our intestines.” Cann added that a greater understanding of the large population of microbes in the large intestine can impact a person’s health and nutritional status. For example, a simple change in the colon’s microbial population can contribute to the development of inflammatory bowel diseases. “Understanding how different microbes obtain energy may allow us to modify our diets to select for beneficial microbes to promote better health,” he said.
The same principles hold true for livestock, he said. “It’s not possible to understand the nutrition of farm animals without understanding the lifestyle of the microbial populations in their gut,” Cann said. “Cattle depend on microbes to obtain their energy from both grass and concentrate diets. A better understanding of how microbes capture nutrients from plant matter can help us to make animal agriculture more efficient. U of I researchers are building on the knowledge gained from this study to understand how two
other major rumen bacteria capture energy from cellulose and cellulose/ hemicellulose. This study, “Transcriptomic analyses of xylan degradation by Prevotella bryantii and insights into energy acquisition by xylanolytic Bacteroidetes,” was published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. Researchers include Dylan Dodd, Young Hwan Moon, Kankshita Swaminathan, Roderick Mackie and Isaac Cann of the Energy Biosciences Institute in the Institute for Genomic Biology at the University of Illinois.
The Profitpicture | 33
Junior Voice Selecting Your Replacements while Saving Time and Money in the Long-Run Janelle Hayek, AGJA Secretary Selecting replacements and culling cattle can be one of the toughest and most crucial parts in having a cattle operation. Phenotype of the animal has a huge role when it comes to picking out replacement females or deciding what cattle should be kept around for another year. However, to make everyone’s lives easier on the farm a lot of other things besides appearance should be taken into consideration when selecting your herd. Have you ever thought of ways you can save time and money? I know I have, and through my experiences in college, jobs and internships, I have had the opportunity to learn simple ways to save both time and money. Issues such as fly problems, hoof trouble, reproduction, docility, and calving ease can be improved for the long term of your cattle operation. At the Iowa State Beef Teaching Farm, where I have worked with Marshall Ruble, I have learned a lot about selecting cattle based on
their reproduction, calving ease and docility. Working with a grassland specialist within the USDA-NRCS I learned fly’s attraction to cattle can be genetic. Working amongst other farms and talking to other producers, I have also learned hoof trimming and feed efficiency can also be changed by simply picking out replacement cattle, and getting rid of cattle with these issues. In Iowa this past summer, flies pestered the cattle and the main reason behind the increased amount of flies on the cattle was due to the wet year. Have you noticed in your herd there are some cattle that seem to attract flies more than the other cattle? This happens because those cattle genetically have repellence towards flies. It is beneficial to select those cattle that have repellence towards flies. Doing so will cut cost on fly products and reduce time in caring for the cattle. As long as all the cattle are treated to the same degree this will hold true and can be a useful piece of information when selecting those replacement cattle.
At the Iowa State Beef Teaching Farm I have learned a lot about picking cattle that will be easy to work with and not cause problems when it comes to calving. Selecting these cattle based on docility, calving ease, and reproduction will help the workers and students feel safe, and be able to learn in a safe environment. Every calving season, both spring and fall, we score all the cattle based on the calving ease and on how the cow acted during and after she calved. If there are difficulties or attitude problems the cow will be gone before next calving season. This reduces the trouble of wild cattle and possible injuries. It also reduces the amount of assistance cattle need during the calving season. At the farm we also synchronize the cattle and A.I. everything one time. About ten days after A.I., we send the cows out to pasture with the bull for about 42 days. At the end of those 42 days the bulls are removed and then eventually the cattle are preg-checked. Whatever is
open after weaning is then removed from the farm. This allows calving seasons to be short, and reduces the amount of time we feed a cow who is not going to reproduce. The same roles can be played when it comes to feed efficiency and hoof trimming. Feed efficiency can often vary due to the genetic background of the cattle. Hoof problems in cattle can often be genetic, but can also be from past foot rot or fast feeding. It is important to ask your hoof trimmer the reason behind the bad feet. They should be able to tell you if it is a genetic or an environmental issue. Time and money is always a big help when it comes to the operation you run. So taking out small problems reduces both time and money each year. Phenotype does play an important role, however it is not the only characteristic you should pay attention to. So remember to take these factors into consideration when it comes time to selecting your herd for the coming years.
What is the AGJA? The American Gelbvieh Junior Association (AGJA) provides members up to 21 years of age the opportunity to participate in youth activities. With 500 plus members, the AGJA is a growing, thriving organization that is large enough to offer leadership opportunities but small enough to make each member feel he or she has a voice in the direction of the association. The vision of the AGJA is to unify, educate, and develop leaders of the beef industry. The AGJA holds its national junior Gelbvieh show, the Junior Classic, each July. In addition, two regional shows are held in June. Both the national show and the regional shows are rotated to different locations each year. The
34 | October 2010
Gelbvieh and Balancer® cattle shows aren’t the only part of the Junior Classic. With a mission to develop leadership skills and cultivate many talents of AGJA members, many educational contests are held during the week-long event. The AGJA is governed by a nine-member Board of Directors. Policies are discussed and made during the AGJA annual meeting, held in conjunction with the Junior Classic. During the Junior Classic, the AGJA also encourages fun and socializing with an organized Fun Day and other activities. Many AGJA members make friends for a lifetime at the Junior Classic. Older active AGJA members can apply for college scholarships. The key is to take an active part in
the AGJA and its events. The AGJA teaches lifetime skills through its programs. The goal is to provide an AGJA member with a foundation of skills to meet his or her career goals – whether in the agriculture field or another career path. If you want to develop leadership skills, travel to new places, meet other youth in the cattle industry and challenge yourself, then join the American Gelbvieh Junior Association. First year membership fee is $30. Subsequently, annual dues are $20. Don’t wait another year, call the American Gelbvieh Association office at 303-465-2333 to request more information or to join the AGJA.
The Profitpicture | 35
Breeder's corner
Grant Thayer, Owner
(303) 621-2058 Grant@JumpingCowGelbvieh.com
Brad Ridinger, Manager
Arizona
G E L B V I E H
Office: (719) 764-2327 Cell: (303) 810-0582 Brad@JumpingCowGelbvieh.com
CATTLE THAT MEET THE CHALLENGE Ramah, Colorado
www.JumpingCowGelbvieh.com
Fullblood Polled Gelbvieh Polled Hereford
Merle E. Lewis
812/863-7701
James L. Lewis
812/863-2970
RR1 Box 1360 • SpRingviLLE, in 47462
Iowa
The Prosser Family
928/477-2458 Summer
GS
928/289-2619 Winter Winslow, AZ Website: www.bartbar.com Email: info@bartbar.com
Angus, Gelbvieh, Balancer & Commercial Replacement Females
Arkansas
Ridge Top Ranch
Gelbvieh-Angus-Balancer
Illinois
MeMber
Neola, Iowa
Black & Polled Private Treaty Sales
Breed-leading Performance from Quality Genetics
Kevin: 402-510-8103 Al: 402-676-5292
Ricky Linquist
“Realizing the Value”
th inquist 1135 190 Street Fonda, IA 50540
arms (712) 288-5349
Skyler Martin
1200 S. Blackhawk Rd. Oregon, IL 61061-9762 815•732•7583
Gelbvieh & Red Angus
Email: rickylin@ncn.net www.linquistfarms.com
LGone o ak e L b v i e h • Polled Purebreds
hornsandthorns@netins.net Eric Ehresman (319) 489-2275 20963 30th St. (319) 480-1564 Mechanicsville, IA 52306
• Red • Black
Double D Farm
Skyler Martin
9937 Warren Rd. Winslow, IL 61089
1200 S. Blackhawk Rd. Oregon, IL 61061
(815) 367-4116
(815) 732-7583
Colorado
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. Dave & Dawn Bowman 55784 Holly Rd. • Olathe, CO 81425
(970) 323-6833 www.bowkranch.com
Indiana 3 G Ranch
Gelbvieh Cattle For Sale Carl, Rebecca & Emily Griffiths 1577 N 600 E • Kendallville, IN 46755
260/897-2160 • ggge3g@embarqmail.com
Your call or visit is Always Welcome
36 | October 2010
Send all items to: Editor, Gelbvieh World 10900 Dover St., Westminster, CO 80021 jennifers@gelbvieh.org
Get ready for upcoming sales! Advertise in Gelbvieh World or the Profit Picture
McCabe Cattle Co.
Two Step Ranch
563-543-5251
563-543-4177
Lacey McCabe
Pat and Jay McCabe
Kentucky
Gelbvieh Farley, Iowa Balancers Annual Spring Bull Sale 60-80 Bred Females Each Fall
• 417-628-3000 • Email: hartb@leru.net Fall Sale: Oct. 9, 2010
(E-mail): twostepranch@netins.net (web): www.mccabecattle.com
Kansas
Range Ready SimanguS, BalanceR (gv x an), anguS BullS
Purebred Gelbvieh & Balancer Cattle High Quality Genetics for Every Cattleman.
Bar Arrow Cattle Company Stuar t Jar vis 26 E. Limestone Rd. • Phillipsburg, KS 67661 e-mail: bararrow@ruraltel.net • 785/543-5177
Owners: David Butts Wayne Butts
Contact David Butts: 270-365-3715 (H) 270-625-4700 (C) Princeton, KY • Email: ddcmbutts@wildblue.net
18-30 mo. age, all forage tested, calving ease, semen tested, guaranteed, large selection of top genetics, utilize hybrid vigor for more $, more longevity, more forage You can utilize the benefits of heterosis! genetics. Quality bred heifers & cows. John Rotert/Bob Harriman 50 yrs. of reputation Montrose, MO seedstock. 660-693-4844 • 660-492-2504
www.rotertharriman.com
Minnesota Brandywine Farm Tom Scarponcini
30474 Brandywine Road Rushford, MN 55971
507-864-2063
John & Carla Shearer
2815 Navajo Road • Canton, KS 67428 (620) 628-4621 • circle_s@hometelco.net Annual Production Sale 1st Saturday in April
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 e-mail: knappa@swbell.net
gelbvieh Gary and Kenny White 3140 SE Colorado • Topeka, KS 66605 785.267.1066 or 785.554.4744
Promote for Success! Upcoming Advertising Deadlines: December Gelbvieh World: Oct. 25 January Gelbvieh World: Nov. 24
Call 303-465-2333 today!
Gelbvieh
SFI Schafer Farms, Inc.
Balancer®
37740 240th Ave., Goodhue, MN 55027 Brian Schafer Lowell Schafer 1-888-226-9210 651-923-4587 brian@schaferfarm.com www.schaferfarm.com Private Treaty Bull Sale — Last Sat. in February Annually
Missouri
B/F Cattle Company
Specializing in Forage Raised 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
RogeRs Valley FaRm gelbVieh Breed for Tomorrow’s Cattle Today!
A Breed Leader in Tenderness & Marbling– With herd sires profiling a perfect 10 in Tenderness and carrying the 316 Tenderness Gene! 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
Juniors! Check www.gelbvieh.org often for show information and results on regional shows and the Junior Classic!
The Profitpicture | 37
Breeder's corner
k leinschmidt f arms g elbvieh
Randy Kleinschmidt 402/ 759-4660 (H) 402/ 366-1605 (Cell)
Bill Kleinschmidt
402/ 759-4654 www.kleinschmidtfarms.com
G E n E va • n E B R a S k a • 6 83 6 1
Annual Sale 1st Monday in February
Dale & Jeannette
308/826-4771
Mike & Renee
308/826-5185
23685 Sartoria Rd. • Amherst, NE 68812 www.taubenheimgelbvieh.com
Montana
N. Carolina
Mark & Patty Goes 39414 SW 75th Rd. Odell, NE 68415 (402) 766-3627
Pope Farms Gelbvieh Gelbvieh’s Powerful New Perspective
P
Jeff and Jeanne Pope 26075 Willow Rd., Ravenna, NE 68869 Phone & Fax: (308) 467-BEEF popefarms@nctc.net
Producing Black, Polled Genetics for Today & Tomorrow.
www.popefarms.com
Pritchard Gelbvieh Jeff & Janelle Pritchard 50476 817th Road Spalding, NE 68665
Nebraska
H: 308-497-2249 C: 308-750-1544
Private Treaty Balancer® Bulls Black Bulls with Performance, Calving Ease, Carcass and Function
Walter & Lee Teeter 1380 French Belk Rd. • Mt. Ulla, NC 28125 (704) 664-5784
Mick & Dave Ainsworth P.O. Box 154, Jackson Springs, NC 27281
J. J. Boehler
70948 L Rd. , Orleans, NE 68966 308-473-7342 • 308-999-0207
38 | October 2010
Jeff Swanson • 308/337-2235 72408 I Road • Oxford, NE 68967 Annual Sale—Last Saturday in February
GELBVIEH
BALANCER
910-652-2233 Cell: 910-639-4804 Mick’s email: longleaf@etinternet.net Dave’s email: longleaf@dsslink.net
S. Dakota ADKINS GELBVIEH
N. Dakota
Gelbvieh & Balancer Performance Genetics Blacks & Reds A select group of heifers available each fall Bulls available year around (605) 354-2428 Cell (605) 546-2058 Home Gerald Adkins
Ohio
402 4th Ave., Iroquois, SD 57353 www.adkinsgelbvieh.com
Beastrom Gelbvieh Ranch
Chimney Butte RanCh
Registered Gelbvieh & Balancer Cattle Bulls • Heifers • Embryos • Semen
Doug and Carol Hille 701/445-7383
Jim & Barb Beastrom Brandy Ludemann, Brittney Spencer
3320 51st St., Mandan, ND 58554
chimneybutteranch@westriv.com www.chimneybutteranch.com Annual Production Sale 1st Friday in March
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
Proven Genetics with Balanced Traits!
Ph: 605-224-5789 • 605-280-7589 (Cell) jimbeastrom@mncomm.com • www.beastromranch.com
Oklahoma LeGRAND
cj_llivestock@yahoo.com Hermosa, SD Quality Gelbvieh & Balancer® Genetics from a Trusted Source
Ed LeGrand
809 S. Redlands Rd. • Stillwater, OK 74074
405-747-6950 • alane@c21global.com Homo. Black, Homo. Polled • Breeding Stock Available
6700 County Rd. 19 S. Minot, ND 58701 (701) 624-2051 (H) (701) 720-8823 (C)
Rob Arnold
Email: RLAGelbvieh@aol.com
Registered Gelbvieh & Balancers®
Add Pounds. Add Profit. Visit
www.smartcross.org to find out how to Add Pounds and Add Profit to your next calf crop.
Julie Maude 605.381.2803 (C) Lori Maude 303.809.3789 (C)
Hojer
G GelbvieH elbvieH r rancH ancH 43968 208th Street Lake Preston, SD 57249 605/847-4155 605/860-1326
ExcEpTionaL BULLS & HEiFERS
TRUcKinG aVaiLaBLE
Alan & Pam Blake, Nikki, Christian
Email: hojerranch@rapiddatasystems.net Website: www.hojergelbviehranch.com
Oregon
“Performance Genetics for Your Tomorrow”
Looking for bulls or females? Have bulls or females to sell?? Maple Lake Livestock Company Madras, Oregon
M /L
High Desert Black Gelbvieh & Balancer® Cattle doug@maplelakelivestock.com www.maplelakelivestock.com
Find it all with the free listing service on the AGA website. Go to
www.gelbvieh.org
541 - 475 - 9335
The Profitpicture | 39
Breeder's corner
Texas
W L
H
F
Jim & Pat Dromgoole
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
4403 Winding River Dr. • Richmond, TX 77469 Home
(281) 341-5686 • Ranch (979) 561-8144
www.dromgoolesheaven.com Show Cattle Managers: James & Shannon Worrell • (325) 258-4656
Washington NN Bar Ranch, Inc. Registered Angus, Gelbvieh and Balancers®
Kris, Dawn and Laren Nelson 21200 Watson Road East Creston, WA 99117
509-636-2343
Virginia Ron Hughes 276-637-6493
NN
Email: nnbarranch@accina.com
Brad Hughes 276-637-6071
121A Lavender Dr. Max Meadows, VA 24360 Purebred Gelbvieh & Balancers®–all Black, all Polled
W. Virginia
1800 W. 50th St. • Sioux Falls, SD 57105
Steve Schroeder 605-334-5809 (O) • 605-363-3247 (H)
QUALITY POLLED GELBVIEH Red House, VA 23963
Thorstenson Gelbvieh
Selby, South Dakota Annual Bull Sale 1st Saturday in March Ken & Jo Vaughn & Wendy 605-649-7304 605-649-6262
Office (434) 376-3567 James D. Bennett Paul S. Bennett Jim G. Bennett Brian R. Bennett
Fax (434) 376-7008 434/376-7299 434/376-5675 434/376-5760 434/376-5309
www.Balancerbulls.com
Tennessee Quality Gelbvieh & Balancer® Cattle
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
40 | October 2010
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
Looking for a sale or upcoming event? Check Places to Be on the website: www.gelbvieh.org
Are you a livestock photographer, an auctioneer, aspire to be a sale manager or graphic designer? Put your ad in Service Center and promote your services!.
Place your ad today!
303-465-2333
Service center 120 Shadydale Lane • Coppell, TX 75019 972-471-1233 • www.doaklambert.com
Send for catalog listing semen on over 75 bulls Eldon Starr
210 Starr Drive, Stapleton, NE 69163
(308) 587-2348 • 1-800-535-6173 www.bullbarn.com
SubScription rateS: A one-year subscription to Gelbvieh World may be purchased for $35. Members of the AGA pay $35 of their membership dues to receive a subscription to Gelbvieh World. Gelbvieh World mails on or around the 25th of the month prior to publication date. Canada and Mexico - $60 U.S. for one-year. Other foreign - $85 U.S. for one-year.
Ronn Cunningham AuCtioneeR P.O. Box 146 • Rose, OK 74364 918-479-6410 office/fax 918-629-9382 cellular
Promote for Success! Upcoming Advertising Deadlines: December Gelbvieh World: October 25
Cattlemen’s Connection
January Gelbvieh World: November 24
Call 303-465-2333 today!
Specializing in
• Gelbvieh Semen Sales • Consulting • Order Buying (all purchases guaranteed) Roger & Peg Gatz (785) 742-3163 Call Toll-Free:1-800-743-0026 Visit our Web Site: www.cattlemensconnection.com
Subscription and Advertising Information
Gelbvieh World advertising rates StanDarD iSSueS:
Full Page 1/2 Page 1/3 Page 1/6 Page
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Contact Don, Brandon or Steve to discuss your options.
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$675 $450 $275 $30
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Advertise Your Operation in Gelbvieh World or the Profit Picture
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Special production such as photo retouching is billed at cost at the rate of $60/hr. CLOSING DATE: Ad materials and editorial deadline is the 20th of the month two months prior to publication date. (December issue deadline is October 20th). Ads for sale dates prior to the 15th of the month of publication are discouraged. For Feb./Oct. (Commercial Editions) and June/July (Herd Reference Edition) please call for rate specials and deadline information.
call today: 303/465-2333
Don
Brandon
Steve
406/538-5622 Western
970/520-3020 Midwestern
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ADVERTISING CONTENT: The Editor and/or the Director of Administration reserve the right to reject any or all advertising on any reasonable basis. Gelbvieh World and/or American Gelbvieh Association assumes no responsibility for the advertising content as submitted. Advertisers assume all responsibility for the accuracy and truthfulness of submitted advertising containing pedigrees or statements regarding performance. Advertisers shall indemnify and hold harmless Gelbvieh World and American Gelbvieh Association for any claims concerning advertising content as submitted.
The Profitpicture | 41
Carcass Ultrasound 101 Volume 19
Ultrasound for the 40-Cow Herd
For a herd of 40 cows, the most value for ultrasound is found on the female side of the calf crop, especially when heifers are retained as replacements.
42 | October 2010
Everything from agriculture to the competitive business world is experiencing vertical integration to some degree. While economies of scale seem to win out in many cases, the beef industry should not try to act like Wal-Mart. A few of their consolidation efforts can be effectively applied to beef cattle production, but striving to be a “one-stop shop” for every producer in the country is a bit of a lofty goal. The vast majority of herds in the U.S. have far less than 100 cows with no aspirations of growing to record numbers. However, every cowboy with 40 head can be just as progressive with their breeding program as the neighbor with 4,000 cows. As beef technology has expanded and become more cost-effective, small-scale operations now have the same opportunities as the big operators. This article focuses on effectively using carcass ultrasound technology in a typical 40-head seedstock operation.
Find a technician. Economies of scale can intimidate breeders into thinking they cannot afford new technology. While it doesn’t make sense to own a 36-row planter for 40 acres, there’s plenty of logic for using ultrasound in a small herd. Just 10 years ago, ultrasound was commercialized with just a handful of technicians and a process that took weeks to complete. Today, the www.cuplab.com website lists the contact information for over 110 certified technicians from 34 states and 10 from Canadian provinces. The struggle to find someone to scan your cattle is largely over. Plus, the competitive market allows you to solicit bids from multiple technicians hoping to earn your business. Computer speed, software updates, and internet advancements have eliminated the need for postal/parcel service and huge stacks of paper. Images can be received faster than ever before, interpreted more accurately than ever before, and received by the breeder’s inbox in less than 48 hours on average. The CUP Lab offers the same level of service to every breeder at the same cost; it’s been $4 per head since the doors opened.
Organize a scan session. If mileage fees, costs, or scheduling a technician is still a challenge, a little creativity can go along ways
in your wallet. You may have to swallow some pride and call a competitor for help. A group of 20-30 head might not be enough to entice a busy technician, but including 3 or 4 neighbors would make the trip worth while and spread some cost. Better yet, call the large-scale breeder you’ve bought bulls from over the past 5 years and see if he/she will let you haul yours in to get scanned the same day he/she plans to do it. Your bull supplier stands to benefit from the additional scan data, contributing to his/her genetic base as well as your own. County cattlemen’s association meetings are also great resources; you can seem pretty progressive to the commercial cattlemen in the audience if you spearhead the first ever ultrasound scan in your local area. If your kids’ 4-H program can successfully organize a countywide steer weigh-in every year, it’s likely you could arrange a day to scan bulls and heifers from the same geographic region. Congregate at the local vet clinic and lump in a semen evaluation for the bulls and pelvic exam for the heifers. This also increases the likelihood of using a safe cattle handling facility and a squeeze chute ideal for carcass ultrasound.
What should I scan? How many? Every person with a university or breed association name badge will tell you to “scan ‘em all,” for the sake of their next grant proposal or EPD run. Yes, larger contemporary groups are better for EPD calculations since they are dependent on relative differences. However, feeding a heifer you never intend to breed defies all economic sense. Worse yet, keeping the nuts in your poorest bulls for the sake of a contemporary group will likely compel you into selling them as bulls. You can be sure if forced to sell a bull for $1,000 just to get him off the farm you’ll have a repeat customer, only next time trying to buy your best bull for the same money. For a herd of 40 cows, the most value for ultrasound is found on the female side of the calf crop, especially when heifers are retained as replacements. Since the herd size is smaller, each individual female placed in the herd is critical to the success of the carcass program you desire. If you only choose to scan the bulls good enough to sell as herd sires, the earliest opportunity to receive any carcass information from your cow herd is when she’s bred back as a 3 year-old. If the ultrasound results from her first bull calf are very poor, you have a situation with a yearling bull nobody wants, a calf you likely won’t keep, and a bred cow you really don’t want. Keep in mind, to this point you haven’t collected a single a dime of income from the cow! In this
scenario, spending $20 on each of your potential replacement females seems like a good bargain or a solid insurance policy. Please don’t misconstrue that bull ultrasound data is less important for small herds. If you intend to sell bulls, buyers often demand to see the scan results before they ever start the truck. Though the significance of actual data is downplayed in the world of genetic evaluation, it still matters immensely to the typical bull buyer. And it should matter to you as well. If every potential bull buyer on the place wants to see 4% IMF before they go look at a bull, you should do your best to provide it, and it starts by keeping heifers that are at least 4% or better.
What’s good? Many breeders only seem to be satisfied if the average for every carcass ultrasound column on their report goes up. It’s a sign that the breeding program is working, right? Unfortunately, bigger is not always better with ultrasound traits. Progress in actual data can be realized by simply emptying the grain bin a little more each year. The Achilles heel of technology is that it
gives us the tools to make mistakes faster than ever before. For example, you may win the race to raise the bull with the largest ribeye in the county, but it’s possible you would also receive the award for feeding his dam more hay than any other cow on record! Independent of herd size, breeders should strive to raise cows that thrive in their environment and compliment them with bulls that generate progeny desired by their customer base. Since most folks buy commercial bulls and females locally, it’s likely that animals that work in your environment will work for your neighbors’ too. Some programs take pride in having every cow on the farm look the same, inside and out. However, this only ensures success if every buyer is looking for the same thing. Opinions of what the “ideal” beef animal should look like on paper and in the pen vary, so a little variety in the cow herd can be a marketing advantage. Remember, carcass ultrasound traits are not adjusted for frame score or weight, only age. As a result, two bulls can be identical in how they scanned yet phenotypically be very different.
Kentucky & North Carolina Full Circle Farms Registered Gelbvieh Cattle Brad Burke 989 Metcalf Mill Road Ewing, KY 41039 (H) 606-267-5609 • (C) 606-782-1367 gbb789@windstream.net
“Breeders of Quality Gelbvieh Genetics for over 11 years; purebred bulls and females available spring and fall”
Breeders Gentle G. Farm
Mike Moore 624 Hwy 577W Annville, KY 40402 (H) 606-364-3260 • (C) 606-438-3261 Cathiet@prtcnet.org
For Sale: Black and Red Bulls and Heifers from some of the top Gelbvieh sires. Selling Private Treaty.
Purebred Gelbvieh & Balancer Cattle
David Butts / Wayne Butts 10819 Dawson Road Princeton, Ky 42445 (270) 625-4700 (C) (270) 365-3715 (H) ddcmbutts@wildblue.net
High Quality Genetics for Every Cattleman
Gelbvieh, Red Angus, Balancers®
Steve Peddicord 4737 KY Hwy. 639 South, Albany, KY 42602 (606) 688-4492 Email: speddicord@windstream.net “Call us for your bred heifer needs”
The Profitpicture | 43
Adding Value to a Weaned Calf Marketing System By Mike John The following proceedings are from Mike John, MFA Inc. and John Ranch Inc., presented at the 2010 Beef Improvement Federation research symposium and annual meeting held June 28 through July 1, 2010 in Columbia, Mo. There has been much debate regarding the profitability of preconditioning calves. The debate seems to be similar to the one surrounding creep feeding and the question is always “does it pay?” My answer to those questions has always been “well, that depends.” Sounds like a copout but here’s what I think it depends on. The factors I have come to understand both on our own operation and through
nearly 400,000 head through the MFA Health Track program are season, genetics, critical mass, health, condition, shrink, and finally actually capturing any marketing program premiums.
Season In recent history in the Midwest USA, barring some exceptional corn price fluctuation, I would argue that the best you can do is to market an 850 pound steer around August 15. From then until the end of the year the price spreads between 500 and 900 pounds narrow to negligible. Since feed cost trends downward through summer and many times through new crop corn harvest, this tells me that the ability to profit from added weight on spring born calves should be significant.
Genetics Calves that are bred to perform well in feedlots will also do well in a preconditioning program. Cross breeding with bulls that have some frame and muscle, as well as feed efficiency and weaning growth accuracies should pay off in this type of program. The more consistent a group of calves are the easier they are to feed. In other words, genetic similarity AND a 60 day calving period are worthwhile goals.
Critical Mass Since the average herd size in most of the country is less than 40 head, people tend to turn a deaf ear to this discussion. Even though we all know that a large draft size or truckload quantities increase efficiency and garner higher prices. Backgrounders figured this one out decades ago. Tighter calving periods, combining producers, preconditioning programs that allow pooling, are some of the options available to anyone looking to capture more market value.
Health Although I didn’t put this one first, it doesn’t mean it isn’t extremely important in a preconditioning program. We have kept records of Health Track calves that get sick during the 45 day preconditioning period. In our dataset, morbidity ranges from .35 percent to nearly 5 percent based more on when the vaccinations are given, than on what brand. Using MLV 4-5 way pre-weaning as a first round provides the absolute best protection. Adequate nutrition plays a key role in developing immunity.
Condition In the last 10 years I have worked with Health Track, there has been a significant change in the type of condition most buyers are looking 44 | October 2010
for. Thin and fleshy are both negative terms now. The right genetics can provide calves that can gain well and still not get fleshy. Medium fleshed calves that have frame and muscle will perform well and stay healthy; it’s as simple as that. Maximizing weight gain into the appropriate season’s market without getting them too fleshy is the best advice you’ll get.
Shrink Is it the opposite of compensatory gain? Maybe, but it can also be a harbinger of health wrecks. If you do the math five percent shrink on a 500 pound calf is 25 pounds. At $1.25 per pound that’s $31.25. If you can save that much shrink, you can save that much money per head. Preconditioned calves shrink less than bawling calves, it is a fact and easy to understand. If you don’t believe me go to an auction and watch the behavior of both groups.
Value Added Market Access There are many practices that if they are properly documented provide access to market premiums. Notice I said access. There are no guarantees. We all know that the last person with their hand in the air gets the cattle and the price is only based on that. There are well documented premiums for ASV cattle these days but back verification is proof that cow/calf producers don’t always capture it. Weaned, vaccinated, Vac 45 process verified, natural, NHTC, organic, are all examples of value added processes. There is a cost to all of them and you have to determine if you have any chance in your marketing scheme to capture enough premium to pay it. I will summarize this way. Weaning and vaccinating, and “maximizing weight gain into the appropriate season’s market without getting them too fleshy” is still the best advice you’ll get.
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Over the Fence With Scott Coakley
The American Gelbvieh Association’s Frank Padilla sat down with Scott Coakley, Vice President of Cattle Procurement at Laura’s Lean Beef Company LLC (LLB), to visit about America’s most successful natural lean beef company, which markets fresh meat in more than 5,800 grocery stores nationwide. FP: You have had a lot of experience at procuring cattle for natural programs. Please share your personal history.
Scott Coakley Vice President of Cattle Procurement, Laura’s Lean Beef Company LLC
SC: I grew up in northeastern Colorado in a large corporation called Ceres. Ceres ran 10,000 mother cows and had three feedyards with a 15,000-head capacity. I started working for my father at Coleman Natural Meats in 1990. My responsibilities were to gather inventory and paper work and to line up the kill each week. When my father retired in 2007, I was able to move up the ladder to his position as Vice President of Cattle Procurement. Coleman Natural Meats was sold to Meyer Natural Angus (MNA) in June 2008. In October 2008, I started working for LLB as Vice President of Cattle Procurement. I currently have nine cattle buyers who cover all of the United States and four Canadian provinces. The natural claims have stayed constant, but the cattle genetics have spun around completely. I love a challenge and look forward to working with everyone in the Gelbvieh breed. FP: Tell us about the LLB business model. How long has LLB been in business? How is it different than most?
46 | October 2010
SC: The business model is to produce lean, heavily muscled cattle to fill a niche for consumers who want low-fat, low-cholesterol protein that also is antibiotic and hormone-free. LLB has been in the business for more than 25 years and is as strong and profitable as ever. We are working on using genomic testing to identify cattle that have the tenderness gene. LLB is expanding on that idea to guarantee the consumer will have a great eating experience. There is also a program that will use Balancer® cattle, recognizing that those animals probably are the most versatile in today’s industry. LLB and MNA are identifying and contracting Balancer cattle and are developing a program that will sort them to fit the appropriate program. The heavily muscled cattle will go to LLB, and the Balancer animals that tend to have a higher Quality Grade being Choice or Prime could go to MNA. There will be some cattle that cannot be identified visually so they will be DNA-tested for marbling and sent to the program that best suits them. FP: What has been the growth for LLB over the past several years? SC: Over the past three to five years, LLB has grown more than 30
percent. The growth has come from all sides of the business – cattle, production and sales. I think some of the most exciting growth has come from our alliances with Weight Watchers, Good Housekeeping and Healthy Heart. I hope with the new alliance with the American Gelbvieh Association (AGA), LLB can increase its supply of Gelbvieh and Balancer cattle. That will help meet the needs of our growing demand. FP: Do you see the market continuing to grow for LLB products? What are the biggest obstacles in growing market share? SC: Even in these difficult economic times, LLB has seen an increase in market share by increased sales and retail growth. By using the Internet (specifically, Twitter and Facebook), LLB has been able to keep its loyal consumers informed about new products and discount coupons. I see the biggest challenge to growth is finding the greater quantity of heavily muscled cattle that the program requires. If we can find the cattle, the demand is there for us to continue to grow the brand. FP: How does the LLB program create value-added marketing opportunities for commercial cattle producers? SC: It does that by paying premiums for finished cattle and mature bulls. We calculate feeder cattle into our partner feed yards with a breakeven spreadsheet. It is our policy to have 50 percent of
The [LLB] business model is to produce lean, heavily muscled cattle to fill a niche for consumers who want low-fat, low-cholesterol protein that also is antibiotic and hormonefree. the contract variable to the market for the week of harvest. That gives the producers risk protection and an advantage if the market moves up during the feeding stage. We also fix 50 percent of the contract price when the cattle are placed on feed. This works like a natural hedge. The natural premiums to the market usually range from 16 to 18 cents greater than the average of the fivestate and the fixed price. At harvest, carcasses receive bonuses for Select or Standard carcasses, according to the grid. The leaner and more muscular cattle receive the bigger bonuses. Cow-calf producers who provide Vac45 calves are eligible for bonuses even if they do not retain ownership to harvest. The bonus will be $8 per head for all Select and Standard carcasses that are less than final Yield Grade 2. LLB also purchases mature Continental bulls on a weekly basis for a premium. FP: What criteria must cattle meet to enter the program? SC: Producers must raise the cattle from birth without growth hormones or antibiotics. Cattle must
be vaccinated. They must be in truckload-lots, and we can use a combination of several producers to make loads. Finally, the cattle must be a minimum of 75 percent Continental bloodlines. FP: What advice would you give to producers who want to have the greatest success (in terms of
financial reward) for their cattle in your program?
need to utilize the expertise of those two organizations.
SC: Stay focused on a long-range plan and stay connected to the end user so you can adjust your production to fit a specific market. We are here to help producers be more profitable and sustainable. There are free resources available from AGA and LLB and producers
Editor’s note: For more information please contact Frank Padilla, director of breed promotion, American Gelbvieh Association at frankp@gelbvieh.org or by calling the AGA office at 303-465-2333.
under construction DLW Red Power 583U
Popular “Denver Bull”, Red Balancer that will add Power
CTR Good Night 715T
Black Balancer that does it all, Calving Ease, Phenotype and Correctness
HYEK Black Impact
Black Purebred that fixes the issues. Moderate, Soft and Easy Fleshing
Annual Bull and Female Sale: at the ranch, February 1, 2011
At Warner Beef Genetics, we believe that genetic improvement is always under construction. Through powerful pasture sires, a dedicated A.I. program, and an extensive E.T. plan, we work hard not to offer last year’s genetic model for next year’s beef industry!!!!
GENETICS Dan and Kate Warner 42198 Road 721, Arapahoe, NE 68922 (H) 308-962-5485 Monte Warner: 308-268-6020 Darren Warner: 308-268-2031
Commercially focused • Quality minded • Innovatively developed Gelbvieh and Balancer cattle that meet the demands of the future....
The Profitpicture | 47
Replacement Heifer Development Steps are related to the success or failures of their replacement heifers. While research has suggested there are many different ways to be both successful and economical, there are some basic principles and practices which will increase the odds for success.
Principles Dr. Mark McCann Extension Animal Scientist, Virgina Tech Dr. Mark A. McCann Extension Animal Scientist, Virgina Tech Few management items exert a greater influence on the productivity of your beef cattle herd over time more than replacement heifer selection and development. Many cattlemen’s best and worst memories
48 | October 2010
1. Heifers represent the future of your herd and the fruits of your genetic progress. 2. Breeding as virgin heifers is always more successful than as lactating two year olds. 3. All cattlemen do not need to retain and develop their own heifers.
Practices Decisions • Many small-scale and part-time cow-calf operations are not well equipped to add an additional management group that needs
to be maintained separate from the mature herd. Co-mingling developing heifers or lactating 2-year olds with the mature cow herd can only make targeted management practices or supplementation more difficult or impossible. In these situations, the purchase of bred cows could be the wise solution. • Large scale farms with several diverse enterprises can also be challenged if the timing of breeding or calving heifers conflict with planting, harvest or other farm enterprises. Additional labor could be needed to accomplish the diversity of tasks. Taking advantage of estrus synchronization and A.I. can minimize the amount of time, but it also raises the importance and expertise of labor during these important periods. • Finally, cattlemen who are trying to make large improvements in their cow herd genetics many
times can make faster progress by purchasing superior replacement heifers as compared to improving their genetics by selection alone.
Selection • Any replacement heifer which is retained should be a genetic improvement over the cow herd. Emphasis should be on sire choice and the selection pressure applied. Typically, the top 30-50 percent of heifer calves should be retained to keep herd size constant. • In the absence of records, heavier weights are important criteria since it indirectly selects for earlier born and faster growth. • Functional traits such as disposition, structure and size should also play a role in the selection process.
Management • If identified, do not implant heifers that will be retained as
replacements. • Reproductive tract scores (RTS) and pelvic area measures can be used as screening indicators of sexual maturity and pelvic area relative to body weight or size. • Consult your local veterinarian for recommended vaccinations and schedule.
Development
✦ Maximizes the head start in
calving date compared to the mature cows. ✦ Replacement heifers are excellent candidates for AI and many different synchronization programs will work effectively. • Pregnancy check ASAP after breeding (40-45 days).
✦ Increases market options for
heifers which did not work in your system. ✧ Can be sold or retained as stocker heifers and placed on feed. ✧ Can be bred for other operations or as recipients.
Post-Breeding • Post-breeding daily gain should be approximately .8 pounds per day. • Good rule of thumb is that heifers should calve at about 85 percent of their mature weight and a condition score of 6.
• Post weaning nutrition programs should focus on average daily gain (ADG) which will get heifers to approximately 65 percent of their expected mature weight 2030 days before onset of breeding mature cows. Daily gains of 1.01.5 pounds per day will work. ✦ Average hay and 1 percent of body weight in supplement. ✦ The higher gain level should be the target for operations using an A.I. program. ✦ Research from Kansas and Oklahoma suggest that slower (<1.0lb/d) then accelerated rates of gain (>2 lb/d) were just as effective in percent heifers achieving puberty. This slow then fast approach also reduced dry matter inputs, total feed costs and resulted in heifers cycling earlier. ✦ Research from Nebraska and Montana reports satisfactory success and cost savings when less than the 65 percent of mature weight is the target (5560%). Increasing the breeding season from 45 to 60 days provided similar pregnancy rates for restricted verses conventional feeding programs. ✦ The addition of monensin or bovatec to development rations or mineral mixes will enhance daily gain and the onset of puberty.
Breeding • All service sires should be in the most desirable 40 percent for birth weight (BW) and breed average for weaning weight, yearling weight and milk EPDs. • Keep breeding season short (<45 days) and begin 20-30 days before the cow herd. ✦ Calving season management is compressed.
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Places to Be October 2010 Oct. 2 Oct. 9 Oct. 9 Oct. 9 Oct. 10 Oct. 15 Oct. 15 Oct. 16 Oct. 19 Oct. 20 Oct. 20-23 Oct. 23 Oct. 23 Oct. 30 Oct. 30
Jumping Cow Gelbvieh “Spirit of the West” Production Sale, Ramah, CO Flying H Genetics Grown On Grass™ Fall Bull Sale, Joplin Stockyards, MO KY Gelbvieh Association Field Day, Fredonia, KY Ozark Pride 6th Annual Production Sale, Stella, MO Judd Ranch 20th Annual Cow Power Female Sale, Pomona, KS Greater Montana Select Female Sale, Billings, MT AGJA Calendar date block copy deadline Seedstock Plus Fall Bull Sale, Carthage, MO Data due for fall EPD run DEADLINE: December Gelbvieh World National FFA Convention, Indianapolis, Ind. American Royal Gelbvieh & Balancer Show, MO KY/TN Fall Gelbvieh Classic, Bowling Green, KY Vandervorst Gelbvieh Complete Dispersal, Mobridge, SD Stuecken Brothers Gelbvieh and Balancer Herd Reduction Sale & Commercial Female Sale, Vienna, MO
November 2010 Nov. 6 Nov. 6 Nov. 6 Nov. 11 Nov. 13 Nov. 14 Nov. 17 Nov. 21
Professional Beef Genetics Open House Bull Sale, Montrose, MO HAGA Fall Sale, Springfield, MO Maternal Edge Female Sale, Cross Plains, TN Farmfair International Gelbvieh Open Show, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada C-Cross Cattle Company Fall Bull & Female Sale, Biscoe, NC NAILE Junior Gelbvieh & Balancer Show, Louisville, KY NAILE Eastern National Gelbvieh & Balancer Show, Louisville, KY Green Springs Performance and Efficiency Tested Bull Sale, Butler, MO
New Members The following individuals and operations joined the American Gelbvieh Association and American Junior Gelbvieh Association during the month of August.
Adult Members
Junior Members
Alabama
Arkansas
Kittle Gelbvieh Farms, Geraldine
Edward Potts, Norfork Javier Rivera, Witts Springs
Arkansas Triple S Ranch, Crossett
Indiana Douglas R. Schmitt, Loogootee
Missouri Nyberg Farms, Buffalo 50 | October 2010
Mississippi Matthew B. Legge, Sardis
Oregon Emily Hopfer, Days Creek
Nov. 24 Nov. 24 Nov. 25 Nov. 27 Nov. 27
DEADLINE: January Gelbvieh World Canadian National Gelbvieh Show, Regina, Saskatchewan Canadian National Gelbvieh Sale, Regina, Saskatchewan KS/NE Gelbvieh Association’s “Pick of the Herds” Female Sale, Salina, KS Rea Family Complete Gelbvieh Dispersal Sale (in conjunction with KS/NE sale), Salina, KS
December 2010 Dec. 4 Dec. 4 Dec. 6
Eagle Pass Ranch Female Sale, Highmore, SD Little Windy Hell Farms You-Pick-Em Bull Sale, Max Meadows, VA DEADLINE: February Profit Picture
January 2011 Jan. 7-8 Jan. 8 Jan. 9 Jan. 9 Jan. 10 Jan. 29 Jan. 31
AGA Annual Convention and 40th Anniversary Celebration, Denver, CO National Gelbvieh Junior Heifer Show, Denver, CO National Gelbvieh & Balancer Pen Show, Denver, CO National Gelbvieh & Balancer Sale, 1 P.M., Livestock Center Auction Arena, Denver, CO National Gelbvieh & Balancer Show, Denver, CO Lemke Cattle Bull Sale, Lawrence, NE North Dakota “Golden Rule” Sale, Mandan, ND
February 2011 Feb. 1 Feb. 5 Feb. 7 Feb. 15 Feb. 15 Feb. 23 Feb. 26 Feb. 28
Warner Beef Genetics Annual Bull & Female Sale, Arapahoe, NE LeDoux Ranch Production Sale, Agenda, KS Taubenheim Gelbvieh 21st Annual Production Sale, Amherst, NE Cedar Top Ranch Annual Production Sale, Burwell, NE Iowa Beef Expo “Gelbvieh Gold” Sale, Des Moines, IA Grund Beef Genetics Annual Bull Sale, Oakley, KS Schafer Farms, Inc. 26th Annual Bull Sale, Goodhue, MN Beastrom Gelbvieh 31st Annual Bull Sale, Fort Pierre, SD
March 2011 Mar. 4 Mar. 5 Mar. 5 Mar. 5 Mar. 5 Mar. 8 Mar. 12 Mar. 19 Mar. 19 Mar. 26
Handel Farms 18th Annual Bull & Female Sale, Platte, SD Judd Ranch 33rd Gelbvieh, Balancer & Red Angus Bull Sale, Pomona, KS Thorstenson Gelbvieh & Angus Annual Bull Sale, Mobridge, SD Flying H Genetics 31st Annual Roughage ‘N Ready Herd Bull Sale, Arapahoe, NE Davidson Gelbvieh & Lonesome Dove Ranch 22nd Annual Bull Sale, Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada Bar Arrow Cattle Company 21st Annual Production Sale, KS J Bar M Gelbvieh and J & K Farms Gelbvieh Bull Sale, Springfield, MO Post Rock Cattle Co “The Cowman’s Kind” Bull & Female Sale, Barnard, KS Flying H Genetics Grown On Grass Bull Sale, Joplin, MO Boehler Gelbvieh Bull Sale, Orleans, NE
Editor’s Note: If you have sale or event information for this listing, please email the information to jennifers@gelbvieh.org. This includes tours, expos, field days and other Gelbvieh events. Places to Be at www.gelbvieh.org contains additional contact information for each event.
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Ad Index 2R-2B Gelbvieh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 3 G Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Adkins Gelbvieh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 AGA Area Coordinators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 B/F Cattle Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Bar Arrow Cattle Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17, 37 Bar IV Livestock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Bar T Bar Ranch, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Beastrom Gelbvieh Ranch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Blackhawk Cattle Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Boehler Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Bow K Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Brandywine Farm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Cattlemen’s Connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 C-Cross Cattle Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 38 Cedar Top Ranch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Chimney Butte Ranch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Circle S Ranch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 CJ&L Livestock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Clinch Mountain Gelbvieh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Cranview Gelbvieh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Cunningham, Ronn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 D & W Farms, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37, 43 Danell Diamond Six Ranch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32, 38 DDM Gelbvieh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Diamond L Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31, 39 Dromgoole’s Heaven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Eagle Pass Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Ellison Gelbvieh & Angus Ranch. . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Flying H Genetics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Full Circle Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Gelbvieh Bull Barn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Gelbvieh Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Gelbvieh Profit Partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Gentle G. Farm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Goettlich Gelbvieh Ranch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Golden Buckle Gelbvieh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Green Hills Gelbvieh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 GS Ridge Top Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18, 36 H & H Farms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Handel Farms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Hart Farm Gelbvieh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Hartland Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Heart of America Gelbvieh Association. . . . . . 49 Hill Top Haven Farm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Hojer Gelbvieh Ranch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 H-Squared Genetics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 J & K Farms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 J Bar M Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Judd Ranch, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Jumping Cow Gelbvieh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36, 55 Kicking Horse Ranch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32, 38 Kleinschmidt Farms Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Knoll Crest Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Lambert, Doak. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 52 | October 2010
Laura’s Lean Beef . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Ledgerwood Gelbvieh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Lemke Cattle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Leonhardt Cattle Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Lincoln Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Linquist Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Little Windy Hill Farms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Lone Oak Gelbvieh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Longleaf Station. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 M&P Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Maple Hill Farm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Markes Family Farms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18, 33, 39 Martin Cattle Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Maternal Building Blocks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Maternal Edge Female Sale. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 McCabe Cattle Co./Two Step Ranch. . . . . . . . . 37 Merial Igenity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 5 Middle Creek Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32, 38 Miller Gelbvieh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Mitchell Marketing Service. . . . . 13, 41, 49, 54, 55 MLM Gelbvieh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24, 38 MTR Cattle Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 National CUP Lab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 NN Bar Ranch, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 NS Ranch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Pearson Cattle Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Performance Feeds LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Plateau Gelbvieh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24, 36 Pope Farms Gelbvieh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Post Rock Cattle Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Pritchard Gelbvieh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24, 38 Professional Beef Genetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Register Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Rippe Gelbvieh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Rogers Valley Farm Gelbvieh. . . . . . . . . . . . 37, 53 Rotert/Harriman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21, 37 Schafer Farms, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Schroeder Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Seedstock Plus Genetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Seedstock Plus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 SEGA Gelbvieh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Springhaven Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Stuecken Brothers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Swanson Cattle Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38, 44 Taubenheim Gelbvieh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 The 88 Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Thorstenson Gelbvieh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 TN/KY Fall Classic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Treble W Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Triple K Gelbvieh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18, 37 Vandervorst Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Warner Beef Genetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 White Brothers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Wildwood Acres. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Wilkinson Gelbvieh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 36
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54 | October 2010
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56 | October 2010