February 2010 | www.theprofitpicture.com
In this Issue: Crossbreeding: A Simple Strategy to Avoid the Genetic Defect Minefield Commercial Producer Adds Pounds and Profit through Gelbvieh Crossbreeding Transitioning the Young Bull The Best Kept Secret in the Commercial Cow Business Today’s Issue: Animal Care and Well-Being Making Dollars and Sense of Across Breed EPDs
Crossbreeding: A Simple Strategy to Avoid the Genetic Defect Minefield By Susan Knights Willmon, American Gelbvieh Association Director of Breed Improvement As we enter the 2010 bull buying season it would be nice to think that as commercial producers we can concentrate on selecting bulls solely for those production genetics that will move programs forward. Unfortunately this is not quite the case. The aftermath of identifying Arythrogryposis Multiple
without being expressed and likely exist in commercial herds in some small frequency. Today’s reality is that many producers have introduced Angus genetics into their herd in the last 10 years either as a means of insuring calving ease for first-calf heifers or to take advantage of the black-hided premiums in the feedlot. A similar case can be made for the use of Red Angus genetics. As such there is a probability that commercial herds have some exposure to these defects as an unintended consequence of those
Probably the easiest way to avoid the genetic defect minefield altogether in a commercial cow-calf operation is to employ a crossbreeding scheme. (AM) or Curly Calf and Nueropathetic Hydrocephalus (NH) defects in the Angus breed and Osteopetrosis (OS) or Marble Bone defect in the Red Angus breed requires some attention to the matter of genetic defects when evaluating herd sire selection for the coming breeding season. While the perception might be that these defects are a seedstock herd problem, the truth is that the recessive genes can be carried for generations
bull selection decisions. In addition, there are genetic defects, identified and testable as well as unidentified, in most major beef cattle breeds today. As such cattlemen may benefit from increasing the documentation kept on bulls and bloodlines they purchase for a reference. In other words, have the registration certificate of a bull transferred to your name so that you will have a document Continued on page 6
American Gelbvieh Association 10900 Dover Street Westminster, CO 80021
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| February 2010
The Profitpicture |
Contents Page Features Crossbreeding: A Simple Strategy to Avoid the Genetic Defect Minefield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 By Susan Knights Willmon
303/465-2333 Main Phone 303/465-2339 fax
Commercial Producer Adds Pounds and Profit through Gelbvieh Crossbreeding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 By Jennifer Scharpe
Director of Administration Dianne Coffman (ex. 479) diannec@gelbvieh.org
Transitioning the Young Bull . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 By Mark Parker
Director of Breed Improvement Susan Willmon (ex. 484) susanw@gelbvieh.org
The Best Kept Secret in the Commercial Cow Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 By Herb Holzapfel
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Director of Breed Promotion Frank Padilla (ex. 480) frankp@gelbvieh.org
Making Dollars and Sense of Across Breed EPDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 By Susan Knights Willmon Good Bulls Equal Good Investments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 By Mark Parker
Director of Communications Jennifer Scharpe (ex. 485) jennifers@gelbvieh.org
Balancer Bulls and Gelbvieh Cows Bring Growth to Howards’ Diverse Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 By Ashley Hughes
Director of Member Services Dana Stewart (ex. 488) danas@gelbvieh.org
News
Production Manager/Graphic Artist Katie Danneman (ex. 486) katied@gelbvieh.org
AGA Hires Frank Padilla as Director of Breed Promotion . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Observe Bulls Closely as Breeding Season Begins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Today’s Issue: Animal Care and Well-Being . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 By Juanita Reed-Boniface Tips for Calving Season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
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Eagle Pass Ranch and Seedstock Plus Forge New Alliance . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Controlling the Breeding and Calving Season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Area Coordinator Commercial Marketing Steve Peddicord stevep@gelbvieh.org
American Bucking Bull Inc. Reaches Historic 100,000 Milestone . . . . . 54 Nutrition, Facility Preparation Vital to Successful Calving Season . . . . 56
Departments
Customer Services Coleen Abplanalp (ex. 482) coleena@gelbvieh.org
President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Guest Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Jr. Voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Dolores Gravley (ex. 481) doloresg@gelbvieh.org
AGA New Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Places to Be . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Ad Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Dear Reader:
We hope you enjoy this edition of The Profit Picture. This twice a year publication focuses on issues important to the commercial cow-calf producer and offers relevant information affecting your bottom line. The American Gelbvieh Association publishes this newspaper in February and October each year. If you wish to be removed from the mailing list for this publication, there are two ways you can reach us. By mail: | February 2010
Area Coordinator Commercial Marketing Don Danell dond@gelbvieh.org
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please cut off the label on the front and mail it 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 send 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 The Profit Picture and would like to know how you like this newspaper. Jennifer Scharpe, Editor
Patti Showman (ex. 478) pattis@gelbvieh.org 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
The Profitpicture |
Crossbreeding: A Simple Strategy to Avoid the Genetic Defect Minefield Continued from page 1
with at least a four generation pedigree to reference in the future. Prior to making the decision on what type and how many bulls may be needed for the 2010 breeding season, a bit of time spent looking at past purchases may go a long way in determining how well you avoid the genetic defect minefield. Part of the challenge this year comes from the fact that bloodlines that are clean for the AM defect have been found to carry the NH defect. Additionally, OS while relatively minimal in its impact in the Red Angus breed has been found in some of the more highly used bloodlines of that breed. So possibly the best place to start is to see in what ways your herd matches the broad program descriptions below.
Herd Type A – I have already
worked back through the suspect bloodlines purchased in the past using registration papers, sale catalogs or information from my bull provider and determined that I have purchased bulls that were descendants of carriers of an identified defect. For these herds the possibility of carriers exists from several sources. First an existing young herd sire, who is possibly a carrier, may still be in your current bull battery. If
this sire has produced calves that are desirable, thus has some merit in being retained as a herd sire in your production scheme, it may be worthwhile to submit a sample for testing to determine whether he is a carrier or free from the defect. Your seedstock bull provider can provide you with assistance in indentifying companies that can get this bull tested. If he comes back “Free” of the defects then your challenge comes down to continuing to choose carrier free sire genetics in your 2010 bull purchase. If he is a carrier your homework is not quite done. A bull that is a carrier can be continued to be used with caution, or as an alternative, crossbreeding might be solution worth considering. If the carrier bull has been used for several years it is probable that some of his daughters that remain in the herd are carriers as well. Since multi-sire pastures are the norm in most herds it may be difficult to assess which and how many females are potential genetic defect carriers. In this case, testing all replacements kept since the carrier bull was introduced in an operation is not an economic reality. Instead, cattlemen may want to look at a crossbreeding scenario to manage the outcome of breeding to probable carriers. A second scenario exists in this situation where a bull had been
Box A Carrier Dam Defect D Free D DD Sire D DD
purchased but has been disposed of so it is not possible to determine if he might have been a carrier or not. In this instance where daughters have been retained it is possible best to assume that some, albeit small, percentage of females might be potential carriers of the defects. The 2010 breeding season should be planned with this in mind.
Herd Type B – I have purchase bulls with Angus or Red Angus genetics in the past but do not have documents to trace back bloodlines on these animals to determine if the bulls are out of some of these problem pedigrees.
The conservative approach in this situation is to assume that some small portion of replacement females may be carriers for the genetic defects. Again if the bulls are still in your bull battery those bulls could be tested prior to this year’s breeding season and then a breeding strategy can be planned based on a known status. Otherwise the crossbreeding strategy is an effective solution.
Herd Type C – I have purchased replacement females through a variety of sources over the past few years. These females contain Angus or Red Angus genetics but I have no means of determining their actual bloodlines.
These purchased replacement females of unknown defect status create another area of possible exposure to defect risk. This group should be treated as containing possible carriers and avoid being bred to any known or possible carriers through a crossbreeding program. There is less risk of having a genetic defect expressed in next year’s calf crop with a crossbreeding program or through
| February 2010
d Dd Dd
D = Dominant Normal Gene d = Recessive Defect Gene DD= Free of Defect Dd= Carrier of Defect the use of outcross genetics than breeding possible carriers.
Minimizing Defect Risk with Crossbreeding Probably the easiest way to avoid the genetic defect minefield altogether in a commercial cowcalf operation is to employ a crossbreeding scheme that allows for carriers of defects to be on one side of the breeding equation (bulls or females) but not both. A majority of the identified defects are inherited as simple recessive genes; simply speaking that means in order for the defect to be expressed the animal must inherit a recessive gene from both the sire and dam. An animal identified as a carrier is not impacted by the defect and looks and performs as a normal animal. So the easiest means of avoiding expression of a defect is to insure that the possibility for carriers exists on only one side of the pedigree. In the situation described above, where the younger generations of females in a herd have the possibility of being carriers, using a totally divergent bloodline, such as a Purebred Gelbvieh or Balancer bull, keeps the defect and subsequent financial loss from being expressed in the next generation. This does not eliminate the possibility of the recessive gene being passed to subsequent generations from the female carrier. See Box A – the progeny of this mating has a 50 percent chance of being a carrier. Thus you may always have some small percentage of carriers. However continuing to employ the crossbreeding strategy, with the sire side of the equation always being deemed defect free,
eliminates the risk of these known defects from being expressed in your calf crop and keeps the carrier risk on the dam side of the pedigree. Using bulls that are known carriers creates a greater impact. Because he can pass the recessive gene to 50 percent of his offspring, the carrier-sire’s ability to increase the frequency of carriers of a defect in a herd is magnified and can increase the potential future risk
Top AI sires in the Gelbvieh breed were tested for AM as a means of evaluating the potential risk in our purebred population. All the bulls tested attained an AM-Free status. of expression of the defect if not managed properly. Use of carrier genetics from the sire side should, from a best practices perspective, be limited to a terminal cross situation where all resultant offspring end up in the feedlot, none of the females in his breeding pasture are from suspect pedigrees and no daughters are retained or sold as replacements. Again knowledge and proper breeding season use of the carrier animals allows a producer to recoup some economic value out of a carrier animal prior to disposal. In a perfect world testing of all breeding animals would provide the quickest means of eliminating these known defects from our current
beef cattle population. This is not an economic reality. Though with the new DNA testing tools we are able to make educated breeding decisions, based on testing done by seedstock and commercial producers that minimize the risk of these defects being expressed in subsequent generations. Most seedstock producers have “gone to school� on these recently discovered genetics whether they produce the breeds impacted or not. Rely on that knowledge base as you evaluate the best strategy for your operation.
Crossbreeding for Heterosis sake The benefits of crossbreeding through heterosis have been documented through the years, though the added benefit of minimizing the risk of expression of genetic defects was rarely illustrated. Maternal longevity and productivity, increased weaning and yearling weights, and breed complimentary for traits like improved ribeye size, maternal milk and fertility have long made Gelbvieh genetics the Continental breed of choice for crossbreeding. Avoiding the genetic defect minefield by choosing Gelbvieh and Balancer bulls for the 2010 breeding season and beyond seems to make this an even more logical choice. Top AI sires in the Gelbvieh breed were tested for AM as a means of evaluating the potential risk in our purebred population. All the bulls tested attained an AM-Free status. Giving Gelbvieh breeders added confidence that their genetics offer a simple roadmap for the commercial cow-calf producer to avoid this challenge for this and future breeding seasons. More information on the Genetic Defect Testing policy adopted by the American Gelbvieh Association can be found at www. gelbvieh.org. If you have questions on managing genetic defects in your herd, Susan Knights Willmon can be reached by calling the American Gelbvieh Association at 303-465-2333 or by email at susanw@gelbvieh.org. The Profitpicture |
President’s Message The American Gelbvieh Association: A Membership Driven Organization By Al Knapp By now the 2010 AGA Convention and the National Western Stock Show are faded memories. The American Gelbvieh Association is a membership driven organization and your voice was heard at the convention; in the various committees, and at the annual meeting. The AGA Board of Directors spends a great deal of time reviewing all the discussions, actions and motions coming out of committees. In addition to our proactive efforts to keep the AGA on the leading edge, we focus attention on issues raised and brought to our attention. So please feel free to pick up the phone and call a board member or send an e-mail if something is troubling you. If it’s deemed to be within the board’s purview and the matter is of significance to a majority of our members, the board will take action. As an active member of a member driven organization, you are the AGA!
The AGA’s primary purpose is to protect the herd book. By establishing rules and regulations, the information and data that goes into each mating provides for a reliable, meaningful registration certificate. The other primary purpose for the AGA is to provide registry services to its members. The secondary purpose is to provide value added services for our members and their customers. We accomplish this with our breed promotion and advertising campaigns, genetic trends analysis, genetic research, sire summary and many other useful tools and programs. The new position of Director of Breed Promotion will revitalize the AGA’s presence within the commercial cattle industry. By marshalling our Area Coordinators and hiring a third in the Midwest, the AGA will have four sets of “boots on the ground” adding value for our members. Their focus will be to increase the demand for Gelbvieh influenced cattle thus adding value to you,
the AGA members and your customers. We have a very diverse membership with only a few members with more than 200 cows and a majority with 50 to 200 cows. Then there are many with fewer than 50 cows including myself. With such a diverse membership, it is difficult, if not impossible to make a “one size fits all” solution to every problem. We hear often that the AGA does not serve its members because they can’t sell their stock. It is not the AGA’s job to market cattle for our individual members. The AGA can and will provide data and tools to assist with marketing, but ultimately the individual breeder member must market their own cattle. With this in mind the AGA has launched a fee based breeder program to assist breeders in developing promotional material for your program. Contact AGA’s Jennifer Scharpe Director of Communications if you are interested in promoting your program or seed stock offering.
Another program that may be of interest would be the development of small cooperative groups made up of smaller breeders that would allow the pooling of cattle and allow for some economy of scale for feeding and marketing of a larger group of bulls, steers or replacement heifers. I am starting my 6th and final year on the AGA board. It has been a very rewarding experience. I have learned much, grown stronger friendships, and have enjoyed every minute. If you have any interest in serving on the board, I would encourage you to contact Vaughn Thorstenson, chairman of the nominating committee, 2011 will be here before you know it. Al Knapp is the American Gelbvieh Association President. He owns and operates Triple K Gelbvieh in Bonner Springs, Kansas, with his wife, Mary. He can be reached at knappa@swbell.net.
American Gelbvieh Association Area Coordinators — Commercial Marketing
Don Danell Western Region dond@gelbvieh.org Office: (406) 538-5622 Cell: (406) 366-6953
| February 2010
“On a recent trip through South Dakota, I enjoyed visits with six registered breeders, a feedlot, and a commercial Gelbvieh-influenced female sale. The demand was solid for Gelbvieh-influenced cattle.“
— Don Danell
Steve Peddicord Eastern Region stevep@gelbvieh.org Office: (606) 387-8579 Cell: (606) 688-4492
“Here in Kentucky and Tennessee I’m getting calls more frequently from Angus producers wanting to know the advantages Gelbvieh can offer as a second breed. A crossbreeding program with Gelbvieh makes sense.”
— Steve Peddicord
The Profitpicture |
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Commercial Producer Adds Pounds and Profit through Gelbvieh Crossbreeding By Jennifer Scharpe, American Gelbvieh Association Director of Communications After experimenting with several different breeds, Jim Miller was looking for the right combination of genetics for his commercial cow-calf operation. Jim’s herd started off many years ago with Hereford, black and black-baldy cows, which he tried breeding to Hereford, Limousin, Brangus, and Beefmaster, but about 25 years ago he was convinced to try Gelbvieh. He bought three Gelbvieh bulls and was really impressed with the calves. You could say that he hasn’t looked back since. At the age of 72, Jim has a commercial cow-calf operation which now consists of about 1,200 Gelbvieh and Red Angus cross cows on three ranches located in Ashland, Kansas; Clayton, New Mexico; and Elkins, New Mexico. The cows are either ¾ Red Angus bred to a Gelbvieh bull or ¾ Gelbvieh bred to a Red Angus bull. “We maintain a two-way cross of Gelbvieh and Red Angus and feel this is the premier cross in all livestock.” 12 | February 2010
Jim first experienced the success of Gelbvieh cattle as an owner and manager of a feedyard in Satanta, Kansas. One pen of cattle he received one time was from a banker in Missouri. This pen really impressed Jim in that they fed well, graded well, and overall were high performing. Jim was so impressed by this pen that he wanted to know the breeding of the cattle. As it turns out those calves were from cows representing just about every breed, from Holstein to Angus, but the one common denominator was all the calves were sired by Gelbvieh bulls. “After seeing how those Gelbvieh-sired calves could perform in the feedlot, I was convinced to buy those first three Gelbvieh bulls and I’ve been a Gelbvieh fan ever since,” said Miller. “The Yield Grade of a Gelbvieh is outstanding.” One of the reasons Jim has continued with Gelbvieh for so many years is the fertility of the Gelbvieh female. As any good commercial cow-calf producer knows, an open cow doesn’t turn a profit. The conception rates Jim gets with his Gelbvieh cross
“You have to buy a good bull if you want to improve your cows. It is amazing the difference in weaning weights we have made by purchasing quality bulls.”
females are outstanding and are probably higher than any other breed of cattle. “This year the herd in Clayton, New Mexico had a conception rate of 97.4 percent and that ranch was in a very tough drought with less than three inches of rain,” commented Jim. “The conception rate of the herd at the Kansas ranch, with good grass, was 97.25 percent. The third ranch had a 93.25 percent conception rate.” Producing calves with added pounds of weaning weight is another strength of the Gelbvieh breed that Jim takes advantage of. Jim says when he weaned his 2009 steer calves, they averaged 663 pounds for all three ranches with no creep feed, had a 95 percent calf crop, and the cows breed back like clockwork. Buying and managing bulls is something Jim is very Jim Miller experienced at as he buys on Miller Ranches average eight or more bulls each year. This last breeding season he ran 77 Gelbvieh and Red Angus bulls on his 1,200 cows. Over the years, he has developed a theory on buying bulls: buy the good ones. “If you plan to run one bull per 20 cows, then a good bull is worth 20 times the cost of a cow as the bull contributes half the genetic makeup of the calves,” Jim notes. Now this doesn’t mean that Jim spends $20,000 on a bull, but he says a good bull is
well worth spending the money. When Jim looks to purchase his next set of herd sires, he only buys from the top 10 to 15 percent of the offering from a seedstock breeder. Additionally, those bulls must ratio 100 or 100 plus in every department. “You have to buy a good bull if you want to improve your cows,” Jim adds. “It is amazing the difference in weaning weights we have made by purchasing quality bulls. It’s been money well spent as over 25 years of only buying the best Gelbvieh bulls we have been able to double our weaning weights compared to the weights of our calves 35 years ago.” For anyone who may still be questioning what a Gelbvieh bull can do in a commercial herd, Jim offers up a challenge: “For commercial producers who have a straight Angus cow herd and consistently use straight Angus bulls, put a good black Gelbvieh bull on those cows this spring and you will get at least 50 pounds more of weaning weight on those calves.” Jim has been in the business long enough and has seen firsthand the added pounds and profit of Gelbvieh, not only in his herd but in his neighbors as well, that he is confident you will be more than impressed with Gelbvieh-sired calves. The Profitpicture | 13
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Guest Editorial
Carcass Ultrasound & DNA Technology: A Progress Report The science and technology that has infiltrated the beef cattle business within the past decade is mind boggling. The tools available to seedstock breeders and commercial producers seem to grow by the day. In a competitive business world, breeders can find themselves marketing the science before anyone really knows if the science will impact the market. Nonetheless, it’s important for cattle producers to remain diligent in their quest to produce a protein source desired by the consumer. Recent developments in carcass ultrasound and DNA technology offer breeders an unparalleled “package” of science to use in beef cattle production. By the time this article reaches publication, it’s likely that a new piece of the genetic puzzle will be discovered. Every trait in a beef animal, whether it be the length of their eyelashes or the size of their ribeye, is controlled by genes. Some traits are influenced by environmental conditions or the management scheme of the livestock’s caretaker. Other traits are controlled by only one gene, like genetic abnormalities. DNA tests can be developed to identify these genes, and thus, cattlemen can use DNA technology to manage their herd away from those genes. Carcass traits, however, appear to be controlled by many genes, and the expression of each gene is influenced by environment. Ultrasound technology can measure the level of expression of all the genes that influence ribeye area (REA), marbling or % intramuscular fat, and subcutaneous fat deposition or backfat. DNA technology is currently trying to identify the 16 | February 2010
number of genes involved, the amount of influence each gene has on the trait, and whether the presence of a gene has a positive or negative impact on a trait. Recent studies published in the 2009 Beef Improvement Federation Proceedings indicate that genetic markers, often referred to as SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms), can do a reasonably good job of identifying a level of gene effect on a trait of one breed, but the same SNP has no effect on the same trait of another breed or population of cattle. For example, if a DNA company tests a group of cows from breed “A” for 50,000 SNPs, they may find 100 SNPs appear to influence marbling via live animal ultrasound. If they mate those breed “A” cows to breed “B” bulls, the resulting F1 progeny will likely show different levels of effect in marbling for some SNPs, other SNPs will still work very well, and some SNPs will show no impact at all on marbling. If breed “B” is tested for marbling using the same 100 SNPs, its likely very few SNPs will show an influence on marbling. As a result, larger populations of distinctly different cattle (breeds) need to be tested with a larger number of SNPs in order to develop more accurate DNA tests. As the research populations are collected, a “line” of tests for each breed may surface, even though the same SNPs are being tested in all breeds. Mike Goddard, DVM, Ph.D., suggested that >300,000 SNPs may be needed in order to accurately develop and validate DNA tests that work across breeds and composite lines of cattle (BIF 2009 Proceedings, 86). Cost may be an increasing concern; the 50,000 SNP chip discussed
earlier in the article currently costs approximately $200 per animal. The drive of DNA technology has changed a bit of focus in regards to Expected Progeny Differences (EPD). In traits where phenotypic data is readily collected (i.e. weight and carcass traits), DNA tests can be used to increase the accuracy values of EPDs for young, unproven sires. For example, a DNA test for Weaning Weight may offer a yearling bull the same level of accuracy as a 2 year-old that had sired 10 calves. Genetic information from DNA testing will continue to migrate into traditional performance EPDs as more tests are independently validated. Ultrasound has proven to be the most accurate tool to assess carcass value on the live animal over the past decade. New and improved ultrasound machines and computer software are further streamlining the process and creating a competitive market for breeders. The technician training and certification programs are ensuring that only accurate measures are being submitted to breed associations for genetic evaluation. Ultrasound Guidelines Council (UGC) Board Member Matt Spangler, Ph.D., reported recent statistical analysis of ultrasound image quality. The study showed that images with some “guesswork” still accurately predicted carcass traits (BIF 2009 Proceedings, 145). The highlytrained eye of a lab technician interpreting images continues to be important. The current struggle for ultrasound is penetration into the commercial sector. Gains in technology and speed have been offset by rising transportation costs. Market conditions and input costs
make it more difficult to justify spending additional live animal carcass evaluation dollars in some cases. Still, numerous feedlots and commercial cow-calf producers are finding a niche where ultrasound can help them capture profits or reach end product goals within their operation. The future of DNA technology as it pertains to carcass evaluation is largely unknown, but rapidly changing. Buzzwords like “wholegenome selection” and MBVs, or Molecular Breeding Values, will increasingly be under your nose in the beef trade press. It’s important to understand the limitations of technology. Breeders will never know the size of a bull’s ribeye or how much marbling is within it from a DNA test alone. The environment will always have a major impact on phenotype or gene expression. Likewise, ultrasound will not determine the number of SNP markers present or absent in any beef animal. New tools to beef cattle breeding do not appear likely to replace old tools just yet. A herd sire can have all the positive alleles for every trait we measure, ultrasound off the charts, and still not be any good! In a tough world economy, consumers are purchasing protein sources they can afford instead of maybe what their taste buds desire. Beef cattle breeders undoubtedly have all the genetic resources needed to satisfy their appetite without emptying their wallet. This editorial was provided by Walter & Associates, LLC d.b.a. The National CUP Lab™ & Technology Center of Ames, Iowa. Marvin J. Walter, President, may be reached at 515-233-4050 or by email at cuplab@cuplab.com.
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Transitioning the Young Bull By Mark Parker Glenn Selk calls it the worst-case young bull management scenario: You buy a well-cared for young bull and immediately kick him out with a bunch of cows. Well, heck, that’s what you bought him for, right? The problem is that most young bulls purchased from a breeder, or through a bull test sale, are probably used to a fairly high level of nutrition, one that you’ll have a tough time matching out in the pasture. Add the fact that, if he’s doing his job, he’s going to be getting plenty of exercise and you may have a real wreck on your hands. “If you turn that young bull out immediately with 40 cows and a 100 percent roughage diet, he’s going to be on a downhill slide right when you want him at his best,” says Selk who is Oklahoma State University’s animal reproduction specialist. “You really want your cows settled as early in the breeding season as possible and a young sire that is rapidly losing condition isn’t going to achieve that.” The answer, Selk explains, is to transition that well-conditioned bull gradually rather than overnight. He suggests that, prior to turn-out, the bull’s diet be stepped down over a
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three to four week period, decreasing the concentrate portion to a more roughage-based ration. That, Selk points out, will help avoid a rapid loss of condition and acclimate the bugs in the young bull’s rumen to the forage-based diet he’ll consume in the breeding pasture. “He’s going to lose some bloom and that’s okay if we can do it gradually,” the animal scientist says. “We do want to keep in mind his protein needs as we step-down the diet. If he’s already at the edge of what he requires, in terms of protein, we can end up making him protein deficient. So, we might have to increase the protein portion of that stepped-down diet even though we are reducing the concentrate.” Selk emphasizes that situations differ and he asserts that it’s critical to consider the type, and stage, of the forage the bull will be consuming in the pasture. “Keep in mind the type of grass you have and where it will be, nutritionally speaking, when you turn the bull out,” he recommends. “If you have native grass, for example, and the bull is going to the pasture in April, green-up hasn’t really gotten going yet and there won’t be a lot of high-quality forage for him to consume. That’s a time frame you
really want to watch.” Selk notes that, ideally, it would be best to supplement the young bull’s diet early in the breeding season but acknowledges that practice is difficult and not a practical solution for most operations. The compromise—and best answer for most cow-calf operators—is to gradually transition the young bull from the higher quality diet he likely received in development to the roughage-based diet he’ll get when he goes to work. To facilitate that transition, Selk suggests that bull buyers find out what the bull has been consuming so that they can better adjust the ration. “Some purebred breeders offer a sack of feed with the purchase of a bull,” he notes. “I think that’s a great idea because then you know exactly what he’s been getting and it also helps transition the bull into an allnew environment.” Another young bull management recommendation Selk offers is that, if you have more than one bull, try to put young bulls with young bulls and mature bulls with mature bulls. “Put the bulls together a month or so before you turn them out so they can establish a social hierarchy and won’t spend all their time fighting when you turn them out with the cows,” he says. “Mixing young bulls
with old bulls is generally not a very good idea. Not only do you risk injury but you can have a young bull that gets whipped so bad that he’ll be a shy breeder for life.” Also prior to turn-out, Selk advises a recent breeding soundness examination for both young and mature bulls. “There’s some Colorado State University data that indicates that, out of 10,000 bulls they looked at, about one in six didn’t pass a breeding soundness examination,” he points out. “That sounds an awful lot like playing Russian roulette to me. Getting that bull checked out before you put him in with the cows is just a very good idea—plain and simple.” And, finally, Selk encourages producers using young bulls to keep an eye on them. “If you have a bull you don’t know anything about, you need to watch them if you can,” he concludes. “Take a cup of coffee out to the pasture and spend some time watching the bull and making sure he can physically mount a cow, as well as monitoring his health and condition. It’s a busy time for cattlemen but if you have a young bull out there that can’t get the job done, you need to know about it right away instead of finding out when you preg-check the cows.”
News American Gelbvieh Association Hires Frank Padilla as Director of Breed Promotion The American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) is pleased to announce the addition of Frank Padilla as the Director of Breed Promotion to the association’s staff. Padilla begins working for the AGA on January 20, 2010. Padilla, of Henderson, Colo., has 42 years of diversified, hands on experience in all aspects of the beef cattle industry. Most recently, Padilla was the Director of Member and Commercial Services for the North American Limousin Foundation for four years. Prior to that experience, he was the General Manager of Operations for Schroeder Cattle Company in western Nebraska for over 20 years. With his extensive knowledge of the beef industry, Padilla has spoke
at numerous industry seminars, university workshops and Beef Improvement Federation meetings. In addition, he has judged many of the nation’s top livestock shows across the country including the National Western Stock Show. “We look forward to the experience and expertise in cattle marketing that Frank brings to the American Gelbvieh Association,” said Al Knapp, American Gelbvieh Association newly elected President and chair of the search committee. In his duties as AGA Director of Breed Promotion, Padilla will be responsible for the development and implementation of AGA marketing strategies, objectives and programs creating maximum value for Gelbvieh genetics for AGA members and their
commercial customers. The Director of Breed Promotion is the official spokesperson for the AGA and its members. Padilla will work closely with the Director of Administration Dianne Coffman and the Director of Breed Improvement Susan Knights Willmon in a newly developed three-way organizational matrix to assure the smooth operation of the American Gelbvieh Association. In addition, Padilla will work with the AGA Area Coordinators, who are the field staff representatives for the association. He will also collaborate on promotional and advertising materials with the Director of Communications. “One of Frank’s first responsibilities will be to hire a third Area Coordinator to cover the Midwestern
Frank Padilla AGA Director of Breed Promotion region of the country,” commented Knapp. The AGA’s Western region Area Coordinator is Don Danell and the Eastern region Area Coordinator is Steve Peddicord. “The three AGA Area Coordinators are available to assist commercial producers identify marketing opportunities for Gelbvieh influenced cattle and to help producers add Gelbvieh genetics in a crossbreeding program,” noted Knapp. Frank Padilla will work out of the AGA headquarters in Westminster, Colo., and is available by calling 303-465-2333 or by email at frankp@gelbvieh.org.
The Profitpicture | 21
News Observe Bulls Closely as Breeding Season Begins A good manager keeps an eye on his bulls during the breeding season to make sure that they are getting the cows bred. Occasionally a bull that has passed a breeding soundness exam may have difficulty serving cows in heat, especially after heavy service. Inability to complete normal service and low fertility are more detrimental than failure to detect cows in heat. Such problems can best be detected by observing bulls while they work. Therefore producers should (if at all possible) watch bulls breed cows during the first part of each breeding season. If problems are apparent, the bull can be replaced while salvaging the remainder of the breeding season and next year’s calf crop. Likewise a small
proportion of bulls can wear out from heavy service and lose interest. These, too, will need to be replaced. The greater the number of cows allotted to each bull in the breeding pasture the more critical it is that every bull be ready to work every day of the breeding season. Injuries to bulls during the breeding season are relatively common. When a bull becomes lame or incapable of breeding, because of an injury to his reproductive tract, he needs to be removed from the breeding pasture and replaced with another bull. In order to be a successful breeder, a bull must produce adequate amounts of fertile semen and must be able to deliver that
12th Annual
State Opportunity Sale Central Livestock Market, Albany, Minnesota
Sunday, March 7, 2010 • 1:00 p.m. All Minnesota cattle will have a Negative Whole Herd TB Test
✦ Bulls & Heifers ✦ Breds and Opens ✦ Reds and Blacks ✦ Gelbvieh and Balancers ✦ All Polled
We invite you to join us March 7 for an elite set of “Genetic Opportunities.” The Minnesota Gelbvieh consignors have dug deep into their programs to offer cattle that are both functional and profitable. With a diverse set of sires and a premier set of breeders represented, there are bulls and females that can complement any herd.
Featuring Progeny from these Sires and others:
RID R Collateral
Mytty In Focus
For a sale book contact: Mary Swenson (320) 632-5848 or Email: swen@clearwire.net or see www.minnesotagelbvieh.com
22 | February 2010
semen to the reproductive tracts of cows. There are a number of injuries a bull can sustain that can damage his reproductive tract to the extent that he is not capable of successfully breeding.
Reproductive tract problems: Persistent frenulum: A thin band of tissue, or frenulum, connects the penis to the prepuce of a bull at birth. This band of tissue normally disintegrates by about one year of age, but in some yearling bulls it is still present at the start of their first breeding season. A persistent frenulum will pull the penis into a rainbow shape and will prevent breeding. Correction of this problem can be achieved with a simple surgery. Penile hair ring: Body hair can accumulate on the penis due to riding activity. This hair can gather into a ring near the end of the penis. In some cases the ring can cause enough constriction to severely damage the penis. This condition can be discovered by routine examination of the penis during a breeding soundness examination. Treatment consists of removing the hair ring, but if damage is extensive, the bull may not return to service. Preputial lacerations with prolapse of the prepuce: The prepuce can be lacerated during mating or from damage to the sheath; the deeper the laceration, the more serious the prognosis. Superficial tears will commonly heal with only 30 days sexual rest. Hematoma of the penis: This condition is often referred to as a broken penis, but it is actually a tear in the fibrous, elastic layers that surround the penis. The bull will have a swelling immediately in front of the scrotum. This swelling
is due to blood forming a clot around the penis. The injury occurs during mating and is considered very serious.
Deviations of the penis:
Earlier trauma can cause deviations of the penis after the initial damage has healed. Laceration of the prepuce or hematoma of the penis can cause scar tissue to form between the penis and the prepuce, which can produce a deviation. Spontaneous deviations are due to an abnormality of the fibrous ligament that runs along the top of the penis. This ligament is supposed to keep the penis relatively straight during erection. Three types of deviations can occur. Spiral: The most common of this group is a spiral deviation, which occurs when the ligament slips off to the left side of the penis causing a counterclockwise spiral. A similar condition is commonly seen when using an electroejaculator to collect semen samples. But it is not considered a problem unless it occurs in natural breeding situations. Ventral: If the ligament along the top of the penis is thin and stretched, it cannot hold up the end of the penis, and the penis takes on a rainbow shape. S-shaped: The S-shaped deviation occurs in older bulls with an excessively long penis. The ligament along the top of the penis is strong enough but is too short. Therefore, during an erection, the penis is pulled into an S-shape. Surgical correction has been described for spiral and ventral deviations, but long-term return to breeding is not expected. Each of these injuries to the penis or prepuce can cause an otherwise fertile bull to fail to impregnate cows.
The Profitpicture | 23
The Best Kept Secret in the Commercial Cow Business
By Herb Holzapfel Herb Holzapfel spoke at the National Association of Animal Breeders (NAAB) Symposium in conjunction with the 2009 Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) annual meeting in Sacramento, Calif. Holzapfel is a rancher in Willows, California.
Herb Holzapfel Willows, California
24 | February 2010
I’ve been in the commercial cow business all my life. My mother and father started our ranch in 1943. And I’m proud we are still in the cow business. Each new year brings new calves, better bulls, more productive cows. So what’s all this about the best kept secret in the commercial cow business? How about—Artificial insemination –NO —that’s not the real secret – the real secret is that any of you commercial cattleman can do it. There are 3 myths of an AI program. It is too expensive, too time consuming and you need great facilities. The reality is it is VERY do able for the average cowman. But it must be a secret because so few of us are using it. My wife Ginger and I started breeding yearling heifers in 1973 and for us some things don’t change, she still heats detects and I stay out of her way. The big difference now is we have children and grandchildren that help. We got away from AI for many
years because there was a lack of information on the bulls. We were limited by lack of progeny data or progeny performance accuracy. We would drive around the cows with my Dad and he would say the natural calves were better and I agreed. AI gave us no advantage. But I always knew that someday, it would be an advantage to our operation. Today, there is accurate EPD data kept on every bull allowing you to get exactly what you want. So what brought us back to AI? The high cost of good bulls. In the late 80s, Dad and I were still going to bull sales and not being able to afford the top bulls. Economics told us, it was time to start our AI program up again. We did just that and we have not looked back since. I think as an industry we have made people think that AI is very difficult. I happen to be living proof that it is NOT! Facilities are always talked about and how perfect they have to be and the better they are the easier it is. But for a lot of us commercial cowmen, we simply don’t have an elaborate AI facility. Ranchers may not think they have the time, but really the average amount of time for a synchronization program is 3-5 minutes per cow. That is including 3 trips down the chute, not including the sorting and gathering. Don’t let time be a deterrent. Ginger and I have bred cows in
Teco squeeze chutes in snow storms to Powder River panels in a shed and we could always get the job done. Facilities can be whatever you have on the ranch. Any chute set-up that you are presently using can be made to work for an AI program. Over time, we have built breeding chutes at most locations but we still do breed in what I would call plain ole commercial ranch facilities. If you are thinking about starting AI, you should know that there are many people out there from all of the stud services to help you. These people are not only dedicated to your personal success but dedicated to the industry. One individual has been helping me breed cows for over 20 years and I not only count him as a great personal friend but a great source of information. Handling the cows is often talked about and it is true that the easier the cattle are handled; your odds for success and a higher conception rate are improved. But when starting out, remember this is your cow or heifers first time too. Ginger and I take the time to train all of our heifers to go down chutes. The heifers know where to go and that training stays with them forever. That means less trouble on breeding day. Over time your cattle will get better and better to handle. As we work to make sure everything is quiet and perfect, I think about that last cow in the herd that comes into heat with 5
bulls chasing her all over the ranch. It makes you realize that a few trips down the chute must be better and easier on her in the long run. So don’t let your facilities hamper your decision to AI. I know that AI not only saves us money but makes us money as well. Herd improvement for the future is one large advantage. There is a pride and a feeling of assurance when calving heifers who are all half sisters bred to the same bull. The prize is—Value Added—to our calf crop. Our steers consistently
“I think as an industry we have made people think that AI is very difficult. I happen to be living proof that it is NOT!” sell above the average market price and our heifers are sought after. AI has given us the advantage of raising our own bulls and having them be all half brothers. That gives us the consistency in genetics for the whole herd. Another added benefit is we market a few bulls to friends and neighbors who order their bulls in advance. None of this would be possible without AI. I believe if you are going to be in the ranching business in the future, your very existence will depend on your ability to supply a better more consistent product. The genetic accuracies are there and the genetics proven. This is not a guessing game anymore. I don’t know of any other way to get such a superior product except with AI. When I look into the future, I always feel excited about the progress my family can make with this great tool. The genome research that is going on will be one
more tool that we can capitalize on because of AI. I have used almost every synchronization program over time and they all seem to work. One thing I can assure you though, none of them will be as good as you think they should be when you are starting out. Don’t get discouraged at first. Be in it for the long term. Over time, both you and your cows will become better and your conception rates will improve. In our operation, we consider 60% conception on the first heat for heifers to be good. In our cow herd, on a synchronization program, 70% would be good. The message I want to convey is that if you start out with heifers, do not be disappointed with 50% on a synchronized program or 60% on your cows. Rome wasn’t built in a day. This process takes time to evolve and mature. But the best things are always worth the sacrifice and work. The best conception rates will be with natural heat detecting. It is time-consuming and probably hard to implement for most operations. However, with some planning it can be done. We do one group of cows this way at home because we get the highest conception rate of any of the methods. Because heat detecting takes a few hours, it is also a great opportunity for training and educating the younger generation. When you synchronize, time is of the essence, whereas natural heat detecting there is always time to train and help new technicians. Bull selection is one of the most difficult things I do because we are looking at a long term direction for our cow herd. If you are looking at a terminal cross, there are also many options. In either case, the one most important question you need to ask your semen salesman first is — IS THIS A HIGH CONCEPTION RATE BULL? All bulls are not created equal when it comes to conception rate. We discovered this fact when we did a progeny test for a registered breeder. We bred 100 cows randomly to each of 4 different sires. We got from 38 percent to 70 percent from the top Continued on page 26 The Profitpicture | 25
The Best Kept Secret in the Commercial Cow Business from page 25
bull. Now it’s easy to decide which bull I would breed to. Just think of the loss because that cow went another heat. There is money to be
made from a high conception bull. Getting your cows bred on that first heat returns you extra profit more than anything else you can do. Take the time to insure your bull choice has high conception and all the
semen reps know this fact. Make sure you ask. It’s critical to your bull choice. In my family, we have been doing AI for so long, my children and grandchildren think it is
just part of the operation- just like marking calves or bangs vaccinating heifers. And I’m encouraged by that. Who knows what the future will hold, but I know my family is in a position to not only survive but to capitalize on all of the genetic improvement that is coming to our industry. We must stay on top of innovations to survive not only for our own operations but for our industry.
Using AI in your commercial operations takes a lot of planning, but if you have a 60 day calving season, a good mineral program and vaccination program you are ready to go. The more efficient our ranches are and our ability to produce a better product, the longer we can stay in the ranching business. If we don’t use every tool available to us, will the next generation be able to make it in these uncertain times? Using AI in your commercial operations takes a lot of planning, but if you have a 60 day calving season, a good mineral program and vaccination program you are ready to go. I hope I have convinced you it is something you need to do to insure your survivability in the future. I know you all have the corrals. Plan to be busy for 3-5 minutes a cow and you will reap a huge benefit in 9 months. You will have the best of the best in beef genetics in your herd. Genetics you can’t always buy at the auctions. Let the registered breeders do the leg work of raising the superior bulls, then go breed your whole cow herd to those bulls. High powered genetics and higher profits are within your grasp. Reach for them. 26 | February 2010
The Profitpicture | 27
News
Today’s Issue: Animal Care and Well-Being By Juanita Reed-Boniface The Election Day vote by Californians to adopt state Proposition 2 has served as a “WAKE UP” call to agriculture. Nearly every agriculture related news source that I have seen since November has given attention to this topic. Proposition 2 is an initiative that outlaws contemporary food animal practices, including use of gestation stalls, veal stalls, and layer cages. The Humane Society of the U.S (HSUS) and Farm Sanctuary, two national animal rights organizations, led the effort. HSUS leverages its public image as a dog and cat spay/neuter/pet adoption group, positioning itself as “moderate” in comparison to the PETAs of the movement. But in reality HSUS is anything but moderate, and not too radically different than that of PETA. Animal activist groups have large memberships and are well financed. HSUS claims to have about 10 million members–20,000 per congressional district –and has an annual budget in excess of $130 million (Source: Steve Kopperud, Senior V.P. Policy
Directions.) According to Animal Agriculture Alliance research, charitable donations to animal rights groups rose 11 percent, providing activitist groups with more funds to develop wide-ranging activities such as California’s Proposition 2, undercover video operations, legislative initiatives and legal actions. Total donations to the most significant domestic and international animal rights groups reached nearly $330 million in 2007. Unfortunately many people who donate to these organizations think that they are contributing to a group that works to improve animal care, yet their funding is primarily spent on campaigns to ban or restrict essential uses of animals such as being raised for food or for research to find cures for diseases. Even worse, many of their campaigns demand changes that are actually harmful to animals’ overall health and well-being. How do we in agriculture meet the challenges that the animal rights groups present? Here are a few ideas.
Recognize that this is an industry wide issue.
Keith Olsen, President of the Nebraska Farm Bureau in his president’s message states, “This is
an issue that all of agriculture must be involved in. This is not a pork issue, poultry issue, beef issue or dairy issue: this is an agriculture issue and all of us must be involved to prevent unreasonable restrictions being put in place that have a negative impact on the production of livestock.” Many states have already formed state and regional organizations that work to “tell the real story of animal agriculture.” The Ohio Livestock Coalition and the Minnesota Foundation for Responsible Animal Care are two examples. Other states are or have organized agriculturebased coalitions around the animal care issue.
Understand how society listens to the messages food animal producers are sending.
Wes Jamison, an expert on how society views animals, recently stated “there has been a tectonic shift in the role of animals in the lives of your consumers as evidenced by annual spending of $70 billion on pets in the U.S.” According to Jamison, U.S. society exhibits the four factors that are essential to an animal protection ethic: • Urbanization – people experience animals as companions.
• Anthropomorphism – people project human qualities onto animals. • Societal belief in evolution – that people are biologically similar to animals and not that different from them. • Belief in equality – an urban public that views animals as children expands its idea of whom or what has rights. Animals are the perfect family members because they supply whatever is lacking in our human relationships. A recent Ohio State University study found that 81 percent of respondents believe farm animals well-being is as important as pet well-being. Food animal producers make a mistake when they use economic arguments to respond to consumers’ concerns. Animal agriculture needs to reclaim its legitimacy, Jamison said. “We need to lead with a moral argument—that what we do is morally right.” Food animal producers provide good care to their animals and do the work that consumers don’t or won’t do to have meat on the plate. “What you don’t’ want to do is buy into
Colorado & Nebraska
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MLM Gelbvieh Marlin Meyer 824 Road 3000 Superior, NE 68978 402-879-4976 mlm68978@yahoo.com www.gelbviehbulls.com
28 | February 2010
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News Let consumers know that farmers and ranchers strive to give animals humane, healthy and caring treatment while providing safe and nutritious food products for a hungry world. the animal rightist’s strategy of getting producers to accept small incremental changes in production practices,” he said. “They’ll increase your costs inch by inch until you lose efficiencies and go out of business.”
Institute an animal welfare assurance program on your farm or ranch.
Utilize good production, transporting and processing standards following industry guidelines. Set your standards high and maintain that quality. Properly vet all employees, including day labor. Be vigilant in hiring practices; check applications, work history, backgrounds and references thoroughly. Fully train employees in basic animal care practices and the priority of these practices in everyday husbandry. Take swift and appropriate action if unacceptable animal handling occurs.
Keep informed.
Know who the leading activities and anti-agriculture groups are— check out their web sites. Become
familiar with their agendas; know who the leaders are and how they are funded.
Be a legislative “watch dog.”
Activist groups have well designed strategies and resources for influencing legislation at all levels. Many states report a flurry of bad legislation and court cases led by anti-animal agriculture groups. Prominent law schools around the nation are preparing lawyers by offering courses on animal rights. Agriculture leaders need to stay alert and work to defeat bad legislation both state and federal.
Speak up for animal agriculture.
Let consumers know that farmers and ranchers strive to give animals humane, healthy and caring treatment while providing safe and nutritious food products for a hungry world. Provide accurate, science-based information while inspiring positive emotion among consumers toward farming and ranching. In an article, “The Faces Behind
Websites for animal care programs: Beef: Dairy: Pork: Eggs: Chicken: Turkey: Veal: Sheep: Markets:
www.bqa.org www.dbqa.org; www.dqacenter.org; www.dairywellbeing.org www.pork.org www.uepcertified.com www.nationalcheckencouncil.com www.eatturkey.com www.vealfarm.com www.sheepusa.org www.imaweb.com/alerts
Your Food,” Lyn Messersmith, writer/cowboy poet, has some sound advice: “Your best assets are the sincerity in your smile, the conviction in your voice and the firmness of your handshake. That is putting a face on agriculture, a face that people will remember long after our words have faded.” The challenge of marginalizing the animal rights movement is not easy, but it is winnable. All segments of agriculture—feed
industry, equipment companies, animal health companies, animal science friends, veterinary medical community, processors and retailers must put aside our commodity squabbles and differences and come together to speak with one clear voice. For more information about animal care and well-being and how you can become involved visit www. animalagalliance.org.
The Profitpicture | 29
30 | February 2010
News Tips for Calving Season February, March, and April are heavy calving months, and management decisions during this period will have dramatic effects on the operation’s productivity. Following are tips and items needed for calving.
a sick calf to culture and identify the causative organism. • Prevent dehydration, because this is usually the most
immediate concern with scours. Your veterinarian can outline a fluid therapy to be used.
All products and tools should be on hand well in advance of the calving season.
Assemble supplies and equipment: • Warm water supply • Plastic sleeves • Obstetrical lube • Halter, cow restraint mechanisms • Obstetrical chains • Fetal extractor • Ear tags and applicator • Tatoo set and ink • Frozen colostrum • Calf feeding bottle/esophageal feeder • Iodine to treat navels • Birth weight scales Provide calving facilities: • Sheltered area for pulling calves • Clean bedding • Comfortable maternity pens • Sufficient lighting • Facilities for warming chilled calves • Electrolytes for dehydrated calves Dealing with a scour outbreak: Sometimes, no matter how many preventive measures you take, calf scours show up in the bestmanaged herds. Still, you should be prepared for an outbreak every year, developing a program with your veterinarian focusing on detection, isolation, diagnosis and treatment. • Pre-plan a course of action with
your veterinarian and implement it immediately when the first case occurs. • Isolate affected calves immediately and do not expose healthy calves because scours organisms are highly contagious and spread rapidly through contact and even inhalation. • Identify the causative organism. Your veterinarian may recommend sampling the stool of The Profitpicture | 31
Judd Ranch 32 Gelbvieh, Red nd
at the ranch, Pomona, Kansas • Saturday, March 6,
32 | February 2010
Angus & Balancer Bull Sale ®
at 1 p.m. • 1 hour southwest of Kansas City
The Profitpicture | 33
Junior Voice AGJA Members – Are you Using All the Tools? By Dustin Aherin, AGJA Director The next few months are some of the most important to many beef producers. Calving is beginning or close to starting for most breeders. Shortly after, breeding season begins and mating selections for next year’s calf crop must be made. And it is no different for AGJA members. Deciding what sire to use on your cattle is a big decision. With all of the technology offered today, selection of that next sire incorporates a huge amount of data and criteria. EPDs, DNA testing, performance data, and phenotype combine to form a complete picture of an animal.
34 | February 2010
EPDs have long been a vital part of sire selection. They can greatly contribute to the prediction of a bull’s performance and effectiveness. Seeing the full list of data for what it’s worth and not just that single, desired trait is the most important aspect of EPDs. This also includes negative traits. Consider this. Is a bull completely useless if he has a poor number for one category and a solid list of remaining EPDs? Surely it can be incorporated into a breeding program that builds upon its strengths and corrects its weaknesses. Everyone has heard the horror stories of single trait selection, however the trap still
remains easy to fall into. Used correctly, EPDs should play a significant role in determining the value of a bull. Two of the more recent advancements in gathering statistics include DNA testing and RFI feeding systems. DNA testing has allowed a more accurate in-depth analysis of individuals without relying so much on that bull’s parentage or contemporaries. DNA allows forecasting information to be compiled on traits that were previously almost unidentifiable; such as, tenderness, marbling, and other carcass traits. The ability to use computerized feeding systems to collect individual growth and
efficiency data has also provided extremely useful information while limiting variables and personalizing the data from a large group to an exact bull. Perhaps the most important set of data someone can have when selecting a bull is the living, breathing, breeding animal that forms the foundation of all those numbers. When selecting bulls, getting lost in all the facts and figures and forgetting about the physical creature cannot be allowed. In many cases you won’t have the opportunity to actually see an A.I. sire, but if you have the opportunity to evaluate some of his previous progeny make sure to
take advantage of it. Numbers and papers aren’t everything. So don’t forget the basics: soundness, depth, and width. Regardless of data, if a bull or his progeny do not possess these key characteristics should it even be considered? Is using a bull with the best marbling and weaning weight scores worth it if he produces cattle that are structurally incorrect?
Deciding what sire to use on your cattle is a big decision...EPDs, DNA testing, performance data, and phenotype combine to form a complete picture of an animal. The amount of information on hand when choosing a prospective sire can be tremendously helpful in making an informed decision. However, it also makes things a little more complicated. Organizing all the data one has available when selecting a bull can pose a daunting challenge, but it can be simplified by setting priorities and goals. What do you expect from that bull? Is he to be used on heifers or cows? When navigating the seemingly endless sea of information associated with bull selection, don’t be afraid to utilize all the data, but don’t forget to see the big picture.
Mark Your Calendars for July 4-9th for the 2010 AGJA Lone Star Classic in Bryan-College Station, Texas Thank you to the Texas Junior Gelbvieh Association for hosting this event. Entry packets will be mailed later this spring. Watch your mailboxes for more information, entry forms, and rules for the Lone Star Classic and the AGJA Eastern and Western Regional Shows.
Award Sponsors are still needed! To sponsor an award, contact the AGA office at 303-465-2333 or complete the award sponsorship form that was sent with your 2010 Herd Assessment Packet.
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Making Dollars and Sense of Across Breed EPDs By Susan Knights Willmon, American Gelbvieh Association Director of Breed Improvement During bull sale season, using across breed EPDs can be a valuable tool. However, understanding how to make adjustments with across breed EPDs and ultimately find the bull with the desired EPD profile you are looking for can be a challenge. Bull buyers that have purchased Angus bulls or some other breed for the last several years and are now looking to make a change to Gelbvieh or Balancer bulls often ask: “I know the EPD profile of the type of Angus bull I want to buy. How do I find a Gelbvieh or Balancer bull that has comparable EPDs for a couple of critical traits but gives me some improvement in others?” Since the mid 1990s the Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) has published an across breed EPD table that allows producers to compare EPDs of animals of different breeds to one another. This table, usually presented as part of the annual Beef Improvement Federation meeting, provides a set of numbers to be added to a breed’s EPDs to get to a common base. In this case the common base is Angus and thus bulls of different breeds could be compared on a more or less level playing field. While simple in concept, translating this table between two breeds other than Angus involved a couple of extra steps. In an effort to provide a more useful tool for bull buyers to compare a set of EPDs from another breed to a Gelbvieh or Balancer bull, Table A is provided for reference. This table was created by taking the MARC across breed table and recalculating the numbers to a base of Gelbvieh EPDs, instead of Angus EPDs. To use this table simply take the EPD from another breed, add the appropriate factor and you will have a comparable Gelbvieh EPD. Currently there are only across breed EPD conversions to Gelbvieh EPDs for birth, weaning weight, yearling weight and milk.
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Table A. Across breed EPD reference using a Gelbvieh base.
Add to Current Breed to Get Gelbvieh Value
BW
WW
YW
Milk
Angus
-4.5
-1.7
12.6
-9.9
Hereford
-1.6
-4.5
-16.1
-27.4
Red Angus
-1.6
-7.1
8.2
-12.9
Limousin
-0.3
1.7
-16
-24.1
Simmental
1
23.3
35
3.8
Charolais
5.2
36.5
64.5
-4.3
Salers
-1.1
21
64.9
3.2
Shorthorn
1.6
18.2
65.4
13.2
To help producers understand how to make across breed EPDs work for you, below are a couple of scenarios of how this table might be used to identify desirable EPD profiles to look for in your Gelbvieh or Balancer bull purchase.
Maintain Calving Ease, Add Muscle and Heterosis: In this first scenario, Producer Bob has typically bought a calving ease Angus sire to use on his first-calf heifers. While calving ease is still important, he would like to add a shot of heterosis from a Gelbvieh or Balancer bull to gain some pounds at weaning along with adding muscle and increasing rib eye size. Based on the conversion in Table B we now can direct Producer Bob to look for a Gelbvieh or Balancer bull with a BW EPD of -2.5 or less. From there we could next look at weaning weight. The EPD Breed Averages for
Across breed EPDs can be a useful tool for bull buyers. The AGA is providing an across breed EPD reference adjusted to a Gelbvieh base to help producers identify desireable EPD profiles for your Gelbvieh or Balancer bull purchase. Table B. Target EPD profile for an Angus bull and comparable Gelbvieh or Balancer EPDs using across breed adjustment. Target EPD Profile for Angus Bull Comparable Gelbvieh or Balancer EPDs
Table C. EPD Breed Averages Gelbvieh and Balancer Sires.
BW
WW
YW
MK
2.0 or less
38 or better
65 or better
20
Gelbvieh Sire Average Balancer Sire Average
-2.5 or less
36 or better 78 or better
10
(from Table B) is a value that works for Producer Bob’s management scheme then it probably makes sense to not overshoot the milk EPD by too wide a margin and find a bull in the mid-teens for this first purchase. A secondary goal was to increase muscle and rib eye size with this sire selection. Gelbvieh average ribeye EPD of .09 translates roughly to a 13 inch ribeye. As such, selecting a bull with a carcass value EPD slightly above breed average, $4.50 or better with a Ribeye EPD at or above .09, will give those crossbred calves that added shot of muscle that Gelbvieh cross calves are known for.
Gelbvieh and Balancer Sires are presented in Table C. Since Producer Bob’s initial target weaning weight EPD is at or below the Gelbvieh and Balancer breed averages and as improving weaning weight is a production goal, setting the WW EPD target in the upper 30s to lower 40s should give him ample choices in most production sales. Additionally most Gelbvieh and Balancer bulls will have milk EPDs above Producer Bob’s target level. An added bonus will be replacement females that might have somewhat greater milk production, thus higher weaning weights, than his current cow herd. If the target milk EPD profile
WW
YW
Milk
41 35
74 74
17 17
Continued on page 38
The Profitpicture | 37
Dollars and Sense... Continued from page 37
Maintain Weaning Weight and Moderate Cow Size: A second scenario is Producer Steve. Producer Steve has been buying Simmental bulls for use on his mature cows for several years. While he likes the muscling and growth that the Simmental influenced genetics have given him, he feels like his cows have gotten a bit too big over time. Bottom line he is looking for a bull that will keep the pounds on through weaning but will make a more moderate female to use as a replacement. In looking at Producer Steve’s situation, the prior Simmental bulls
Table D. Target EPD profile for a Simmental bull and comparable Gelbvieh or Balancer EPDs using across breed adjustment.
BW
Target EPD Profile for Simmental Bull 1.1 Comparable Gelbvieh or Balancer EPDs 2.1
WW
YW
Milk
38 61
67 102
8.1 12
were selected basically to meet Simmental breed average for birth weight and roughly in the top 20 percent for weaning weight, yearling weight and milk. To accomplish Producer Steve’s objective of reducing his mature cow size, the target might be to find him a Gelbvieh bull with EPDs initially in the mid-80s for a yearling weight rather than jump him down to Gelbvieh breed average which is a 74. That would give him the opportunity to evaluate those females and take a couple smaller steps down to where he wants those females to be rather than one big jump while allowing him to keep weaning weights in an acceptable range. With an 85 yearling weight EPD, which is above Gelbvieh breed average, we would look for a spread of 30-35 pounds between the weaning weight and yearling weight EPDs. This would put Producer Steve’s target around 45-50 for weaning weight, roughly the top 30th percentile for Gelbvieh and Balancer bulls. Using and comparing bulls of different breeds is manageable using the MARC table as a guide. Introduction of a new breed can produce significant gains from heterosis in a single generation. Using complementary traits between breeds in a crossbreeding scenario may make more sense than trying to find every desired characteristic within a single breed. Producers of Gelbvieh and Balancer genetics have long believed in the advantages of crossbreeding and can provide valuable assistance to a producer looking to tweak his genetics to meet management challenges and market trends alike. Using past bull EPD profiles even from bulls of different breeds can be a great starting point in a discussion with a Gelbvieh breeder to narrow down the selection criteria to a group of bulls that will work towards accomplishing your production goals in the next and subsequent calf crops. Gelbvieh breeders in your region can be found by using the Member Locator on the American Gelbvieh Association website www.gelbvieh.org/ members/.
Kansas, Missouri & Oklahoma Breeders
Al & Mary Knapp 18291 158th Street Bonner Springs, KS 66012 913-219-6613 knappa@swbell.net www.triplekgelbvieh.com
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Lincoln Gelbvieh Chris Markes 200 W. Flynn Rd., Waukomis, OK 73773 580-554-2307 Chris@MarkesFamilyFarms.com www.MarkesFamilyFarms.com
Exceptional Bulls and Replacement Heifers Available. Oklahoma’s Largest Gelbvieh Breeder.
Richard Lincoln 24292 Hill Road Linneus, MO 64653 660-895-5008 (H) • 660-412-3475 (C) lincoln@grm.net 25 Bulls (many herdsire prospects) sell 2nd Saturday in March at Midwest Beef Alliance Bull Sale, Tina, MO
New Members The following individuals and operations joined the American Gelbvieh Association and American Junior Gelbvieh Association during the month of December.
New Adult Members
American Gelbvieh Junior Association are $20 annually. The American Gelbvieh Association provides members up to 21 years of age the opportunity to participate in the American Gelbvieh Junior Association (AGJA). AGJA members enjoy the
same benefits as AGA members in addition to participate in AGJAsponsored regional and national shows. AGJA provides leadership opportunities with competitive and practical contests along with opportunities for scholarships.
To learn more about the American Gelbvieh Association, American Gelbvieh Junior Association or the Gelbvieh breed, request an inquiry packet by calling 303-465-2333 or by emailing a request to info@gelbvieh.org.
Arizona
The Triple Step Ranch
Illinois HW Farm
Iowa
ABCS Gelbvieh Amanda Hennings
Kansas
Tim and Alicia Rippe
Kentucky
Carrie Ann Tilghman
North Dakota Hedrick Ranch
Missouri REK Farm
South Dakota Nathan B Munger
Tennessee Zach Butler
Washington TAL Gelbvieh
New Junior Members Kansas
Logan Buffo Amy Roecker
North Dakota Thomas Friesz
Washington Rio Mowbray
The cost for an adult membership with the American Gelbvieh Association is $75 per year. Included in those dues is a complimentary yearly subscription to the Gelbvieh World and The Profit Picture. Membership dues for the The Profitpicture | 39
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News Eagle Pass Ranch and Seedstock Plus Forge New Alliance Eagle Pass Ranch of Highmore, S.D. and Seedstock Plus based at St. Catharine, Mo.—two of the most recognized names in the Gelbvieh and Balancer breeds—have formed a strategic alliance. “Since Seedstock Plus began, our members’ bottom line goal has been to provide the industry with genetic solutions and unmatched customer service,” explains John Burbank, Chief Executive Officer for Seedstock Plus. “This alliance helps our members take another step in both areas.” Seedstock Plus—a member cooperative that selects bulls from member programs and then develops and acclimates them regionally—is the largest marketer of Gelbvieh and Balancer genetics in the United States, developing 1,200 to 1,300 bulls from member programs each year; marketing approximately 1,000 bulls annually. “Eagle Pass Ranch has had a commercially focused breeding program since the beginning, selecting primarily for structure, muscling and maternal. Our commercial base is strong and I look for our alliance with Seedstock
46 | February 2010
+
Plus to help expand this base and enhance it with other seedstock producers,” says Steve Munger, Managing Partner of Eagle Pass Ranch. Eagle Pass Ranch is the largest Gelbvieh/Balancer breeder in the nation as measured by annual registrations. The ranch includes 700 registered Gelbvieh cows, 500 registered Balancer cows and 500 registered Angus cows—every female the result of an AI mating. Combined, the two organizations have a treasure trove of the breed’s carcass data, feed efficiency data and overall genetic evaluation information. Eagle Pass Ranch is the breed leader in collecting data for Residual Feed Intake (RFI) through
its own GrowSafe feed intake system installed in 2007. By this spring, Eagle Pass Ranch will have evaluated more than 975 head of Angus, Gelbvieh and Balancer cattle for RFI. The recent addition of feed intake EPDs now allows Eagle Pass Ranch to accurately rank every animal in their inventory for feed efficiency merit. Consequently, they have more Gelbvieh/Balancer genetics with more RFI genetic evaluation than anyone. Seedstock Plus has more data evaluating carcass merit than any other single entity in the Gelbvieh and Balancer breed; including progeny harvest data and thousands of ultrasound records. The organizations’ reputation for carcass merit is backed by
Seedstock Plus sires that are currently ranked #1 and #2 for Carcass Value EPD within the Gelbvieh and Balancer breeds. “By working together via a formal relationship, both organizations can discover meaningful genetics faster and evaluate them more comprehensively,” Burbank says. “Plus, Eagle Pass Ranch currently serves a wider customer base in some parts of the country than Seedstock Plus, and Seedstock Plus currently serves more customers in other parts of the country than Eagle Pass Ranch. By working together, both organizations can serve more customers with broader and deeper genetic selection than on our own.” Seedstock Plus marketed over 1,000 bulls through five sales and private treaty last year, including Southwestern Private Treaty Sales based at Bar T Bar Ranch in Winslow, Ariz. Those bulls went to customers in 27 states. Eagle Pass Ranch marketed 275 bulls into nine states last year through its auction sale, as well as private treaty.
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Good Bulls = Good Investments
By Mark Parker
Robert Campbell Kansas cattleman Robert Campbell credits an emphasis on quality bulls with maximizing the value of his calf crop and continually improving his cow herd.
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Cheap bulls are way too expensive for Robert Campbell. “They cost you money,” the Erie, Kan., cattleman flatly states. “That bull determines your income. Sure, the cows are important. Absolutely. But that bull is responsible for 50 percent of the genetic makeup of the calf crop and if you keep your own replacements like I do, his importance just keeps going up from there. I try to buy a bull that’s better than my cows and then I take good care of him to protect that investment.” Campbell entered the beef business in 1992 by liquidating his father’s black baldy herd and investing in a set of Gelbvieh heifers. Over the years, he’s been a regular bull-buying customer of DeGeer Gelbvieh of Erie, Kan., relying on those herd sire purchases to further his never-ending upgrading program.
The maternal characteristics that have brought so many commercial producers to the Gelbvieh breed are at the top of Campbell’s priority list. Fertility and milk production have been critical components of his quest for a high-value calf crop but calf type and growth have kept him going Gelbvieh. “I want a bull that throws calves with muscle and calves that really grow because that’s where my profit is,” Campbell explains. “I’m weaning calves off of just grass and milk that are consistently weighing 600 to 650 pounds and I’m doing it with bulls that don’t cause me any calving problems.” The southeast Kansas beef producer pays attention to the EPDs of the bulls he buys, using them to tweak calf type and keeps traits in balance. He does, however, put a lot of emphasis on bull conformation, looking for young herd sires that will deliver the correctness and muscling that will
maximize the value of those extra pounds of beef at weaning time. Another high priority consideration for Campbell is disposition. “I had a really brushy pasture and we used to have to have a real roundup to gather cattle out of there—they got wild back in that brush. My first Gelbvieh bull changed that and now I consider disposition to be extremely important. It makes handling the cattle so much easier and I think good disposition calves grow a lot better, too.” With so much emphasis on the value of a good bull, Campbell is adamant about taking care of those herd sires. Since he’s constantly keeping back females, he’s replacing bulls every two to three years. The upside is that his bulls maintain their value since they go to other herds rather than going for salvage but he is constantly dealing with young bulls that require extra care.
“We’ll use a bull in both the spring and fall calving herd so we have to keep him in good condition,” Campbell says. “We’ve found that it’s a lot easier to keep him in shape than it is to get him into shape so we feed the bull a little extra grain. That’s a little difficult when he’s out with the cows but a young bull can really go to pot in a hurry if you don’t watch it.” That strategy carries over into the cow herd. Campbell wants top performance from his cows as well as longevity. “I’ve always
thought that if you take care of the mama, she’ll take care of the calf,” he asserts. “I think that’s especially true with these Gelbvieh cows. They’re the best mothers you can find but, I believe, if you want them to really be at their best, you need to keep them in good condition. That doesn’t mean you have to baby them but if you expect top performance, you have to provide the nutrition it takes to get it.” Although Campbell does supplement the cow herd when necessary, quality forage is the real key. He has fescue-based
pastures but puts up primarily bermudagrass and native grass hay. Although the hay is harvested in large round bales, he now stores it inside, having been frustrated for years by going to the effort of producing good quality forage only to see roughly a third of it spoil. “I especially like the bermuda,” he says. “We fertilize it, try to put it up right and put it in the barn. When we put out that hay you can hardly see where the last bale was because they eat the whole thing. And, of course, the important thing is that the cows do really well on it.”
Additionally, Campbell keeps salt, mineral and protein lick tubs available, although the cows tend not to utilize the lick tubs when high protein bermudagrass hay is available. It’s all part of protecting a genetic investment that pays dividends. “I never wanted a huge herd of cattle but I did want a good herd,” Campbell concludes. “I believe in making the most of every calf and to do that you’ve got to have good cows and an even better bull.”
The Profitpicture | 49
News Controlling the Breeding and Calving Season The first step in reproductive management is controlling the breeding and calving seasons. Whichever calving season (winter,
50 | February 2010
spring, or fall) is chosen, the following reasons illustrate why a controlled, seasonal calving schedule is desirable. 1. The culling of cows and
selection of replacements is based on production records; however, accurate comparisons in the production of cows within a herd cannot be made
unless a certain degree of uniformity exists among their calves. Decisions to keep or cull cows should reflect relative performance of calves within the herd. Acceptable performance implies not only weaning weight but also that a cow produce a calf every 12 months. 2. Shortened calving seasons provide a better opportunity to offer improved management and observation of the cow herd, which should result in fewer death losses at calving (a source of reproductive failure among any herd of cows). This is vital because percent calf crop weaned is one of the major profit determining factors in a cow calf operation. 3. Shortened calving periods facilitate improvements in herd health and management. Uniformity in timing of vaccinations and routine management practices result in decreased labor requirements and enhanced efficiency. Pregnancy testing and culling of open cows, which can reduce feed expense and improve herd efficiency, cannot be accomplished with year round calving. 4. Brood cow nutrition can be improved by grouping cows according to stage of gestation and feeding each group accordingly. When cows are strung out in their expected calving dates, it is difficult to provide cows adequate nutrition in a cost effective manner. 5. Calf crops that are uniform in age and size can be marketed to better advantage and thereby exceed returns over calves that lack uniformity in either age or weight. Calves born in the first 21 days of the calving season can weigh 30 pounds more at weaning than those born during the second 21 day period. Calves born 42 days into the calving season have been found to weigh as much as 70 pounds less than those born in the first 21 days and 42 pounds less than calves born in the second 21 days. Data from Cattle Fax indicates a $7 per cwt increase in the value of 7 like calves marketed together compared to marketing a similar calf as a single.
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Balancer Bulls and Gelbvieh Cows Bring Growth to Howards’ Diverse Operation By Ashley Hughes Fall and winter mean shorter daylight hours, but longer days for farmers and Jeffery and Greg Howard of Howard Farms in Shellman, Ga., understand exactly that dilemma. The Howard brothers and their parents, June and Larry Howard, own and operate a 130-head commercial herd now featuring Balancer bulls and cows due to a recommendation by Adam Verner of Verner Farms in Rutledge, Ga. Jeffrey is also the herd manager of a 350-head operation at Curry Farms in Shellman and has added Balancer bulls to that herd as well. Seeing that Greg and Jeffrey are also full-time employees at other farms, their parents help with the daily responsibilities of raising the herd. Along with their cow herd, the Howard family also grows cotton, peanuts, pecans, as well as selling hay, wheat straw and show pigs. “Jeffrey Howard and I have been friends since we met in college and he always told me he had a ‘rainbow herd’ of cattle with several
52 | February 2010
Brothers, Jeffery and Greg Howard operate a commercial herd in Shellman, Ga., and added Balancer bulls as part of their program three years ago. This has led to more consistency in progeny and an increase in both pounds and profit from their calf crop.
different breeds and crosses represented and some eared cattle as well,” says Verner. “I told him I felt the Balancer bulls would add consistency to his calf crop better than any purebred could, based on the success some of our Florida bull buyers had reported.” Howard Farms has always raised good calves out of Angus bulls and commercial cows, most of which have little Brahman-influence; however, they were concerned with the uniformity of their calf crop. After seeing the growth and performance of Verner’s Balancersired calves, they decided to see if they could get some of the same results in their own herd. The Howards have been using Balancer bulls for three years and could not be happier with their calves. Jeffrey said that they are “good, stout, fast-growing calves that are bringing better prices.” In 45 days, the Howard Farms calves gained 3.5 pounds ADG on nine pounds of feed and freechoice grazing. Along with the bulls, the Howards purchased a few Gelbvieh-cross cows as well and bred them to the Balancer bulls. While the Gelbvieh-cross cows were later calving than their commercial herd, Greg mentions that “the calves grew a lot better” by not only catching up to the older calves, but surpassing them in terms of gain. In the same 45 days at Curry Farms, calves from older, Brahman-influenced cows and Balancer bulls gained 40 pounds more and were more uniform in growth compared to the calves from Curry’s younger cows and Angus-sired bulls. The Howards brothers also artificially inseminated a select group of their own herd with a highperformance bull of another breed, and then allowed their Balancer bull to clean up the remaining open cows; they were impressed with the similarity in calf performance from the high-performance AI bull’s offspring and the Balancer bulls’ progeny. Jeffrey and Greg have had tremendous success with their calf crop development since the inclusion of the Balancer genetics.
“We are trying to build reputation cattle and they are helping us with that goal by providing more uniform, better looking calves all the way around,” says Jeffrey. They are also trying to save as many Balancer-sired females as possible due to their performance results and says Greg, “By far, they are the
best looking set of heifers we’ve ever kept.” The Howards have also been impressed with the docility of the Balancer bulls and cows, especially around people. While the Howards will continue to use bulls of several breeds, high quality Balancer bulls have earned a permanent role at Howard Farms.
This article was preprinted with permission from the December 2009 issue of Georgia Cattleman. Ashley Hughes is the Director of Industry Information with the Georgia Beef Board and Georgia Cattlemen’s Association.
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News American Bucking Bull Inc. Reaches Historic 100,000 Milestone! American Bucking Bull Inc. (ABBI) announced the achievement of an enormous milestone. They received the animal registration for embryo cow #952 from Jimmy Chandler of Mt. Airy, N.C., pushing the number of animals registered in their database to the historic 100,000 mark. Originally started as the Rodeo Stock Registry by Bob Tallman in 1994, American Bucking Bull Inc. is the official DNA registry for the bucking cattle industry. Started in 2004, ABBI has since realized one of its key objectives of documenting the bloodlines of the most well-known and influential bucking bulls in the world. By preserving the genetic lineages of these elite bucking bovines through future generations, each year ABBI continues to register the descendants of the most famous bucking bulls of all time. “Bob really had the foresight to understand what a registry could do for the bucking bull industry. The industry has flourished as the value of the animals included in the registry continues to increase,” stated Andee Lamoreaux, General Manager of the ABBI. “The bucking bull events that support the registry are a true testament to the progression of treating bulls as athletes and developing the training methods, health, nutrition and cutting edge veterinarian treatments available to bucking bull breeders. We are proud to be the training ground for the next generation of bulls for the Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR).”
54 | February 2010
From the historic origins of the Rodeo Stock Registry and its first registered bovine – the legendary Bodacious – to today’s entry of the DNA of animal number 100,000 into the database, both Tallman and the ABBI’s dream of documenting and preserving the bloodlines of history’s bucking elite has been achieved. ABBI is dedicated to unifying, developing and promoting the bucking bull industry through pedigree preservation; enhancement and promotion of bucking bull ownership, breeding, and welfare; and development of programs and events showcasing the world’s finest bucking bull stock. The ABBI is registry set up to record and preserve the pedigrees of the world’s premier bucking bull livestock. ABBI is structured to promote participation by those with the biggest stake in the bucking bull industry-the owners, breeders and trainers of the world’s greatest bucking bulls. The ABBI provides an environment where bucking bull breeder’s can introduce and foster the growth of young bucking bulls ensuring the finest animal athletes are available to compete at selected PBR Built Ford Tough and minor league Touring Pro Division events across the United States.
“Being part of the foundation of anything these days should give everyone involved a sense of enormous pride,” said current ABBI President Brad Boyd. “This first base of 100,000 core DNA’d animals is truly the foundation for the heritage and documented ancestry of future generations of bucking bulls and elite females to come. Congratulations to everyone who has bred or owned an animal in the registry. Being a part of the registry and this great business at such a monumental time is really something to be excited about.” Cody Lambert, Stock Director of the Professional Bull Riders, Inc., echoed Boyd’s sentiment over such an illustrious industry accomplishment. “100,000 is quite a milestone, but what I am most proud of is the quality of the bucking bulls these days. There are more good bulls out there than ever before and the ABBI is one of the main reasons for that. Before the ABBI when someone bought a calf and bucked him they could never be 100% sure of that calf ’s pedigree, but now every registered animal in the ABBI is backed up with DNA, so you know exactly how your animals are bred.” To learn more about the bucking bull industry contact the ABBI via their website www. americanbuckingbull.com or through their office at 719-242-2747.
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News Nutrition, Facility Preparation Vital to Successful Calving Season Calves with any sort of difficulty at birth are four times more likely to die than those without, which is why conditioning cows for calving is extremely important, said Ron Lemenager, a Purdue University beef nutrition specialist. As the spring calving season approaches, producers should examine critical factors to prepare cows to calve. “The first key factor is to get cows into the right body condition so they have enough energy for normal calving,” Lemenager said. “For most cows we recommend a body condition score of five and for first calf heifers a body condition of 5.5 to 6. “Making sure cows have proper nutrition also will ensure a higher quality colostrum, or first milk after calving, which gives the calf disease protection
56 | February 2010
and a dense nutrient supply.” Proper nutrition includes a diet high enough in energy for the cow to have a normal calving experience, the right protein content, and vitamins and minerals. But with the rainy hay season this past year, poor hay quality may mean producers need to supplement diets. “Most producers probably have enough hay, but the quality is such that it’s likely short in energy,” Lemenager said. “Producers should get an analysis of their hay and then develop a supplementation strategy. It’s also important that the cow has access to a high-quality, free-choice mix of vitamins and minerals, which are commercially available.” Nutritionally speaking, one thing producers need to keep an eye on is the amount of dried distillers grains (DDGs) they’re feeding. Because
DDGs are high in protein, cows should be fed DDGs to meet protein needs, not energy needs. “If producers do feed DDGs, they need to be careful not to overfeed protein because too much protein will increase calf birth weights as well as blood nitrogen levels, which can negatively affect both conception rate and embryo survival,” Lemenager said. “Using distillers grains beyond protein requirements can cause a sulfur toxicity. At high levels, sulfur also can complex with other minerals, like copper, which is a vital mineral for reproduction.”
Facilities In addition to conditioning cows, producers should look at their facilities and make sure they are prepared to house newborn
calves in inclement weather - something Lemenager said is critical to calf survival. Even with conditioned cows and proper facilities, some operations may still deal with calf scours, or neonatal diarrhea. “This will be on an operationby-operation basis, but if there is a history of calf scours, producers will want to work with a veterinarian to come up with a vaccination strategy for the cows that will provide passive immunity to the calf through highquality colostrum,” Lemenager said. Cattle producers can find additional information and keep up with the latest beef news on the Purdue Animal Sciences Beef Blog at http://www.thebeefblog.com. This article was written by Jennifer Stewart of Purdue University and is available through www.extension.org.
Places to Be February 2010 Feb. 1 Feb. 2 Feb. 4 Feb. 6 Feb. 16 Feb. 16 Feb. 18 Feb. 21 Feb. 22 Feb. 24 Feb. 26 Feb. 27 Feb. 27 Feb. 27
Taubenheim Gelbvieh 20th Annual Production Sale, Amherst, NE Warner Beef Genetics, Arapahoe, NE Black Hills Stock Show Gelbvieh Show and Salle, Rapid City, SD Seedstock Plus Tennessee Bull & Female Sale, Columbia, TN Cedar Top Ranch Annual Bull Sale, Burwell, NE Iowa Beef Expo Gelbvieh Gold Sale, Des Moines, IA Gustin’s Diamond D Bull & Female Sale, Mandan, ND Kal-Kota Annual Bull Sale, Steele, ND Beastrom Gelbvieh 30th Annual Bull Sale, Fort Pierre, SD Grund Beef Genetics 15th Annual Bull Sale, Oakley, KS “Pot of Gold” Gelbvieh, Angus and Balancer Bull Sale, Olathe, CO Seedstock Plus North Missouri Bull Sale, AB Farms, Lathrop, MO Schafer Farms, Inc. 25th Annual Bull Sale, Goodhue, MN Swanson Cattle Company 23rd Annual Production Sale, Oxford, NE
March 2010 Mar. 1 Mar. 1 Mar. 4 Mar. 5
Hojer Gelbvieh Ranch Annual Production Sale, Huron, SD MLM Gelbvieh & Great River Ranch Private Treaty Kick-Off Sale, Superior, NE RLV Gelbvieh Generations at Work Bull Sale, Belle Fourche, SD Handel Farms 17th Annual Gelbvieh & Balancer Bull Sale, Platte, SD Continued on page 58
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Places to Be Continued from page 57 Mar. 6 Mar. 6 Mar. 6 Mar. 6 Mar. 6 Mar. 6 Mar. 6 Mar. 7 Mar. 7 Mar. 9 Mar. 12 Mar. 13 Mar. 13 Mar. 13 Mar. 13 Mar. 17 Mar. 18 Mar. 18 Mar. 20 Mar. 20 Mar. 20 Mar. 20 Mar. 20 Mar. 20 Mar. 25 Mar. 27 Mar. 27
Flying H Genetics 30th Annual Roughage & Ready Herd Bull Sale, Arapahoe, NE Thorstenson Gelbvieh & Angus Annual Bull Sale, Mobridge, SD Seedstock Plus Montana Opening Day Private Treaty Bull Sale, Hysham, MT Judd Ranch 32nd Annual Bull Sale, Ponoma, KS Davidson Gelbvieh & Lonesome Dove Ranch 21st Annual Bull Sale, Ponteix, SK SEGA Gelbvieh Private Treaty Open House Sale, Pierce, CO Circle M Farms 4th Annual Production Bull Sale, Woodbury, TN Minnesota State Opportunity Sale, Albany, MN McCabe Cattle Co./Two Step Ranch Annual Bull Sale, Dyersville, IA Bar Arrow Cattle Company 20th Annual Quality Performance Sale, Agra, KS Tennessee Agribition Gelbvieh/Balancer Show & Sale, Murfreesboro, TN Rippe Gelbvieh Annual Bull Sale, Hubbell, NE J Bar M Gelbvieh and J & K Gelbvieh Bull and Commercial Female Sale, Springfield, MO Midwest Beef Alliance Bull & Female Sale, Tina, MO Overmiller Gelbvieh & Red Angus Production Sale, Smith Center, KS Eagle Pass Ranch RFI Tested Bull Sale, Highmore, SD Elk Creek Gelbvieh 17th Annual All Black Production Sale, Belle Fourche, SD Triple Play 5th Annual Bull Sale, Huron, SD Oklahoma Sooner Select Sale, Stillwater, OK Schwang Cattle Co. Bull Sale Post Rock Cattle Co. Cowman’s Kind 25th Annual Sale, Barnard, KS Flying H Genetics Missouri’s Grown on Grass Bull Sale Pearson Cattle Co. Annual Bull Sale, Lake City, SD OK Gelbvieh Association Sooner Select Sale, Stillwater, OK Kicking Horse Ranch Annual Production Sale, Great Falls, MT 15th Annual Central Montana Gelbvieh Genetics Bull Sale, Lewistown, MT Seedstock Plus South Missouri Bull & Female Sale, Carthage, MO
April 2010 April 2 April 3 April 3 April 3 April 3 April 7 April 9 April 10 April 10 April 10
Midwest Performance Bull Sale, Bloomfield, IA Jumping Cow Gelbvieh Bull and Commercial Female Sale, Brush, CO Circle S 3rd Annual Going to Grass Production Sale, Canton, KS Seedstock Plus High Altitude Bull Sale, Monte Vista, CO Schroeder Ranch 12th Annual Gelbvieh & Balancer Production Sale, Mitchell, SD Midland Bull Test Gelbvieh Sale, Columbus, MT Cranview Gelbvieh Genetic Progress Sale, Rugby, ND Four State Gelbvieh Association Annual Bull/Female Sale, Springfield, MO Southwest Iowa Bull & Female Sale, Creston, IA Bluegrass Gelbvieh Sale, Mt. Sterling, KY
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. 58 | February 2010
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Ad Index 2R-2B Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 3G Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 ABS Global . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Adkins Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Bar Arrow Cattle Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17, 41 Bar IV Livestock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Bar T Bar Ranch, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 40 Beastrom Gelbvieh Ranch . . . . . . . . . . 15, 43 Black Hawk Cattle Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Boehler Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Bow K Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26, 28, 40 Brandywine Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Cattlemen’s Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 C-Cross Cattle Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Cedar Top Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Central Montana Gelbvieh Genetics . . . . 36 Chimney Butte Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Circle M Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Circle S Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 CJ&L Livestock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Clinch Mountain Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Cranview Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43, 62 Cunningham, Ronn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 CUP Lab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Danell Diamond Six Ranch . . . . . . . . . 36, 42 Davidson Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 DDM Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 DoLally Cattle Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Eagle Pass Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 18 Elk Creek Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Ellison Gelbvieh & Angus Ranch . . . . . . . 43 Flying H Genetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Forbes Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
60 | February 2010
Gallagher Animal Management Systems . . . 58 Gallaway Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Gelbvieh Bull Barn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Gelbvieh Guide Magazine . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Gelbvieh Profit Partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Goettlich Gelbvieh Ranch . . . . . . . . . . 36, 42 Golden Buckle Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Green Hills Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Grund Beef Genetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 GS Ridge Top Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 H & H Farms Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Handel Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14, 44 Harriman, Bob . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Hart Farm Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Hartland Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Hickory Hill Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Hill Top Haven Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Hojer Gelbvieh Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 H-Squared Genetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Iowa Beef Expo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 J & D Kerstiens, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 J & K Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35, 40 J Bar M Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35, 41 Judd Ranch, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32-33 Jumping Cow Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Kalina Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Kansas Artificial Breeding Service Unit . . . 25 Kicking Horse Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42, 52 Kitley Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Kleinschmidt Farms Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . 42 Knoll Crest Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Lambert, Doak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Ledgerwood Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Lemke Cattle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Leonhardt Cattle Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29, 44 Lincoln Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38, 54 Linhart Angus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Little Bull Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Little Windy Hill Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Lone Oak Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Lonesome Dove Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Longleaf Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 M&P Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Maple Hill Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Markes Family Farms . . . . . . . . . . . 25, 38, 43 Martin Cattle Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 McCabe Cattle Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Merial Igenity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Middle Creek Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42, 57 Midland Bull Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Midwest Bull Sale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Miller Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Minnesota Gelbvieh Association . . . . . . . 22 MLM Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 28, 42 MMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20, 35, 39, 45, 46, 63 NN Bar Ranch, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 NS Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Oklahoma Sooner Select Sale . . . . . . . . . . 38 Oswald Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Overmiller Gelbvieh & Red Angus . . . . . 55 Paulsen Cattle Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Pearson Cattle Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44, 59 Pine Ridge Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Plateau Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Poker City Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Pope Farms Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Post Rock Cattle Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Pritchard Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28, 42 Register Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Ricky Linquist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Rippe Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Ritchey Tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 R-Jar Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Rogers Valley Farm Gelbvieh . . . . . . . 42, 49 Rotert, John . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 S. W. Iowa Bull Sale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Schafer Farms, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41, 47 Schroeder Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31, 44 Seedstock Plus, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18, 19 SEGA Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Seuferer Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Spring Valley, Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Swanson Cattle Company . . . . . . . . . . 42, 60 Taubenheim Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 The 88 Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Thorstenson Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 44 TJB Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Treble W Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Triple K Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38, 41 Triple Play Bull Sale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Two Step Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 VanWinkle Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Volek Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Warner Beef Genetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Wildwood Acres Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Wilkinson Gelbvieh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Williams Land & Cattle Auction Co. . . . . 45
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