Raile Gelbvieh/Balancer Production Sale by American Gelbvieh Association

RAILE

GELBVIEH/BALANCER Production Sale

RAIL Mr Yarborough 496B -- Lot 30 Member of the NWSS Champion Get of Sire

Thursday--March 12th, 2015 12:30 p.m. MDT

Burlington Livestock Exchange Burlington, Colorado

Welcome to our 2015 Sale

We would like to take this opportunity to welcome all of you to our annual production sale. Also, a special thanks to those of you who have purchased bulls in the past and have confidence in our program. Most of the bulls again this year are Balancers. The Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) proclaims that crossbred females are 30% more productive over their lifetimes. The advantages of crossbreeding effect cow efficiency, longevity, lifetime productive, weaning performance and yearling performance. Remember, Balancer is a trademark name that the Gelbvieh breed has given to the Gelbvieh-Angus cross in which both parents are registered in their respective breed associations. If one parent wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t registered, the offspring could not have a meaningful set of EPDs and other valuable information. In addition this year there are a few purebreds and reds in the sale offering. In order to keep improving and stacking the genetics in our favor we try to use herd sires that are balanced in their traits for calving ease, growth, milk and the carcass traits. This year we have a new sire group in the sale from an exciting new herd sire, 3G Yarborough 186Y, we co-own him with Emily Griffiths of Indiana. Yarborough was the 2013 NWSS National Champion Senior Balancer Bull Calf and the 2012 Ring of Gold Winner for the entire year. There are bulls in this sale that offer calving ease as well as performance. We look forward to seeing you on sale day to evaluate this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s set of bulls. The sale this year is again in Burlington, Colorado, a full service community along I-70 that has most major motel chains. If you are interested in a bull, let us know and we can help you with the purchase or put you in touch with someone that will help bid on the bull for you. Please do not hesitate to call or stop by if you have questions on any of the offerings.

Sincerely, â&#x20AC;&#x192; The Railes

There will be a $75/bull discount for taking them home sale day. Please join us for a complimentary lunch on sale day.

Raile Gelbvieh/Balancer Production Sale Thursday March 12th 2015 12:30 p.m. MDT Burlington Livestock Exchange Burlington, Colorado Sale Day Phone: 719-346-8900

Selling 38 Lots (35 Balancers. 3 Purebreds)

36 Black and 2 Reds (several Homo Black and some Homo Polled) Spring and Fall Yearling Bulls Auctioneer: Joe Frazier McCook, NE 308-340-5682 First Season Breeding Guarantee: Buyers of all bulls selling for $3,000 or more injured the first breeding season will have credit at the next sale at the value of the purchase price minus salvage value. Contact Raile Gelbvieh promptly so the decision to return the bull to Raile Gelbvieh or sold by buyer may be made. First breeding season begins at turn out and ends September 1st of the year of the purchase. Death loss is the buyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s risk as one can purchase mortality insurance. We will feed the bulls free of charge until April 1st at the purchaserâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s risk; $3/day thereafter. Trucking: Free trucking on bulls of $3,000 or more within a 200 mile radius. Otherwise to a central location. If bulls are taken home sale day there is a $75 per head discount. Viewing: Bulls may be viewed at home or online at www.railegelbvieh.com All bulls have been ultrasounded DNA Tested: All bulls have had a DNA test for coat color and BVD-PI negative and some for the homozygous polled trait. Herd Health: All bulls have had shots, been poured and will have passed a semen test by sale day. Necessary health papers will be supplied with each sale animal. Registration papers will be transferred. Other information such as scrotal measurements will be available sale day. All announcements from block take precedence over all written material. Accommodations: Burlington is on I-70 and is served by most major motel chains. Contact Information:

Delbert Raile Matt Raile 755 Road U 755 Road U St. Francis, KS 67756 St. Francis, KS 67756 785-332-2756 Cell 785-332-8399 Cell 785-332-4347 railematt@yahoo.com dmraile@gmail.com

SPRING YEARLING BULLS 1

RAIL MR WATCHMAN 403B

Homozygous Black/Double Polled BA50 Calved: 1/24/2014 Reg. #: 1289461 Tattoo: RAIL 03B DVA Scout 553 VRT LAZY TV WATCHMAN W021 VRT Lazy Tv Ms Peterblt T309 EGL U409 DMRS MS NET WORTH 2134Z DMRS Tabatha 754T

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

83 707j. 1196 3.10

REA Adj. 12.73 IMF Adj. 3.513

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

12 -0.2 76 108 26 64 -0.20 34 0.47 0.64 90.89 - AI’d Watchman son out of a first calf heifer that goes back to Net Worth and New Design 1407 - Maternal Grand Dam was a Dam of Merit - Low BW EPD but above average on CED, WW and YW EPDs - Weaning ratio 104, IMF ratio 118 - FPI (Feeder Profit Index) 90.89 is in the top 3%

LOT 1

RAIL MR WATCHMAN 405B

Homozygous Black/Double Polled BA50 Calved: 1/26/2014 Reg. #: 1289463 Tattoo: RAIL 05B DVA Scout 553 VRT LAZY TV WATCHMAN W021 VRT Lazy Tv Ms Peterblt T309 EGL Freightliner X137 ET WIGS MS FREIGHTLINER 273Z RBS W11

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

65 673j. 1213 3.15

REA Adj. 12.58 IMF Adj. 2.772

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

12 -1.1 70 105 24 59 -0.20 31 0.41 0.49 84.63 - Another Watchman son out of a Freightliner first calf heifer. - Only 65# actual birth weight - His BW EPD is in the top 20% percentile rankings - Growth traits are above average, Marbling in the top 15% and FPI in the top 10% - The AI sire Watchman has a Marbling EPD that is in the top 3% for all Balancer sires

RAIL MR FINAL ANSWER N 407B

Double Black/Double Polled BA25 Calved: 1/26/2014 Reg. #: 1289465 Tattoo: RAIL 07B Sitz Traveler 8180 S A V FINAL ANSWER 0035 S A V Emulous 8145 TAU Mr In Focus 18W DMRS DMRS MS FOCUS 203Z DMRS Ms N. Improvement 032X

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

65 676j. 1273 3.31

REA Adj. 13.18 IMF Adj. 2.882

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

21 -3.9 62 95 28 58 -0.07 20 0.39 0.50 85.71 - Calving ease deluxe with Final Answer on the top side and Focus on the bottom - His CED of 21 puts him in the upper 1% and BW of -3.9 in the upper 2% for all Balancers--should be great for heifers - Feeder Profit Index in the top 10%

RAIL MR FINAL ANSWER N 411B

Double Black/Double Polled BA25 Calved: 1/31/2014 Reg. #: 1289469 Tattoo: RAIL11B Sitz Traveler 8180 S A V FINAL ANSWER 0035 S A V Emulous 8145 TAU Mr In Focus 18W DMRS MS FOCUS 258Z DMRS Ms Net Worth 065X

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

71 664j. 1183 3.08

REA Adj. 11.89 IMF Adj. 2.733

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

19 -3.3 62 95 27 58 -0.05 22 0.44 0.55 86.00 - Another calving ease son of Final Answer on the top and Focus on the bottom. - CED EPD in the top 1% and BW EPD in the top 3% - He also is in the top 10% for Marbling EPD and FPI Index

LOT 4

Feeder Profit Index (FPI)

An economic selection index designed to aid producers in selecting sires whose progeny will perform in the feedlot and are sold on grade and yield. Well ranking sires for FPI have higher marbling and carcass weight than their contemporaries. As a terminal index, little emphasis is put on maternal traits such as stayability and calving ease.

RAIL MR GOOD NIGHT 415B

Homozygous Black/Homozygous Polled BA38 Calved: 2/2/2014 Reg. #: 1289472 Tattoo: RAIL 15B CTR Good Night 4743P CTR GOOD NIGHT 715T CTR Poll Star 5160E Lee’s Outline 7047 DMRS MS OUTLINE 274Z DMRS Nancy

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

83 718j. 1275 3.36

REA Adj. 13.99 IMF Adj. 2.734

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

9 1.5 69 104 23 57 -0.19 33 0.24 0.07 69.60 - A homo black and homo polled son of Good Night and out of a first calf heifer that did real well when he hit the ground - He had above average ratios for weaning wt, yearling wt and ribeye area - Maternal great Grand Dam (Nancy) was past Dam of Merit

LOT 5

RAIL MR GOOD NIGHT 418B

Double Black/Homozygous Polled BA50 Calved: 2/3/2014 Reg. #: 1291069 Tattoo: RAIL 18B CTR Good Night 4743P CTR GOOD NIGHT 715T CTR Poll Star 5160E EGL U409 DMRS MS NET WORTH 2126Z DMRS Tidy 774T

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

71 600j. 1066 2.76

REA Adj. 12.37 IMF Adj. 2.900

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

13 0.2 66 93 20 53 -0.27 27 0.35 0.14 72.06 - A homo polled son of Good Night out of a first calf heifer - His sire Good Night has worked real well on heifers - His maternal Grand Dam was a Dam of Merit

RAIL MR GOOD NIGHT 420B

Homozygous Black/Double Polled BA50 Calved: 2/5/2014 Reg. #: 1291071 Tattoo: RAIL 20B CTR Good Night 4743P CTR GOOD NIGHT 715T CTR Poll Star 5160E Eagle Pass Total 0007 ET DMRS MS TOTAL 2132Z DMRS Sugar’N Spice 663S

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

55 651j. 1157 3.03

REA Adj. 12.42 IMF Adj. 2.424

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

12 -1.4 68 103 25 60 -0.26 29 0.30 0.20 77.47 - Full brother (twin) to Lot 7 - Maternal Grand Dam was a Dam of Merit this past year

RAIL MR GOOD NIGHT 419B

Homozygous Black/Double Polled BA50 Calved: 2/5/2014 Reg. #: 1291070 Tattoo: RAIL 19B CTR Good Night 4743P CTR GOOD NIGHT 715T CTR Poll Star 5160E Eagle Pass Total 0007 ET DMRS MS TOTAL 2132Z DMRS Sugar’N Spice 663S

Lee’s Outline 7047 DMRS MS OUTLINE 2135Z DMRS Rich Girl 61R

83 728j. 1221 3.22

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH American Gelbvieh Association Spring 2015 International Cattle Evaluation

Gelbvieh Non-Parent Animals AVERAGE

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

9 1.8 70 96 30 65 -0.26 29 0.48 -0.17 64.13

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

REA Adj. 12.39 IMF Adj. 2.925

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

9 0.9 76 110 29 67 -0.35 36 0.59 -0.01 73.87 - Sired by Edison, the Balancer Futurity Champion in 2012 - Above average EPDs for WW, YW and REA - He weaned off above average with a ratio of 106 and a ratio of 109 on yearling wt - REA and IMF were also above average

REA Adj. 13.15 IMF Adj. 2.673

12 -1.4 68 103 25 60 -0.26 29 0.30 0.20 77.47 - Out of a first calf heifer that had twins and saved them both without assistance - He grew up to be quite a stud and had an above average weaning wt - His maternal Grand Dam was a Dam of Merit this past year

RAIL MR EDISON 426B BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

71 736j. 1250 3.30

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

Double Black/Homozygous Polled BA50 Calved: 2/8/2014 Reg. #: 1293736 Tattoo: RAIL 26B CTR Good Night 715T DLW DLW EDISON 6718X DLW Ms Kingpin 6718S

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

LOT 9

RAIL MR GOOD NIGHT 427B

Homozygous Black/Double Polled BA38 Calved: 2/10/2014 Reg. #: 1293737 Tattoo: RAIL 27B CTR Good Night 4743P CTR GOOD NIGHT 715T CTR Poll Star 5160E TAU Mr Manitoba 13X DMRS MS MANITOBA 2129Z DMRS Miss Whitman 8112U

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

80 622j. 1028 2.67

REA Adj. 12.23 IMF Adj. 2.706

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

12 -0.1 70 101 20 55 -0.23 30 0.27 0.07 73.00 - Out of a first calf heifer that has a well balanced set of EPDs - His great Grand Dam (Agnes 335N) was a past Dam of Merit

RAIL MR GOOD NIGHT 429B

Homozygous Black/Double Polled BA50 Calved: 2/12/2014 Reg. #: 1305391 Tattoo: RAIL 29B CTR Good Night 4743P CTR GOOD NIGHT 715T CTR Poll Star 5160E TAU Mr In Focus 18W DMRS DMRS MS FOCUS 241Z DMRS Ms Northern Wind 047X

GA Whitman 510 DMRS MISS WHITMAN 893U DMRS Pooh-Bah 426P

83 672j. 1180 3.35

REA Adj. 13.52 IMF Adj. 2.645

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

10 0.8 64 94 28 61 -0.27 27 0.28 0.11 69.58 - Mr Yarborough 436B is out of our newest herdsire, GGGE 3G Yarborough 186Y - His sire was the 2013 National Champion Senior Balancer Bull Calf and Ring of Gold winner in 2012 - There are several half brothers in the sale - We’re very excited about Yarborough’s future here

REA Adj. 12.60 IMF Adj. 3.648

15 -0.6 61 90 23 54 -0.27 22 0.26 0.10 69.85 - Homo black son of Good Night out of a first calf heifer - Calving ease EPD of 15 (top 10%) - IMF score 3.65 - Maternal great Grand Dam was a Dam of Merit

RAIL MR YARBOROUGH 436B BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

83 675j. 1204 3.16

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

Double Black/Double Polled BA50 Calved: 2/18/2014 Reg. #: 1294642 Tattoo: RAIL 36B GGGE 3G Warlock 928W GGGE 3G YARBOROUGH 186Y GGGE 3G Cowgirl Ultrabright

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

LOT 12

Member of NWSS Champion Balancer Get of Sire: RAIL Ms Yarborough 457B Record high selling female in the Kansas Pick of The Herds Sale Half sister to all the Yarborough sons in the sale

RAIL MR YARBOROUGH 437B

Homozygous Black/Scurred BA50 Calved: 2/19/2014 Reg. #: 1294643 Tattoo: RAIL 37B GGGE 3G Warlock 928W GGGE 3G YARBOROUGH 186Y GGGE 3G Cowgirl Ultrabright

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

TC Total 410 DMRS MS TC TOTAL 057X DMRS Penny 443P

97 695j. 1347 3.77

REA Adj. 14.95 IMF Adj. 2.871

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

6 2.4 80 127 24 65 -0.27 46 0.46 0.27 79.84 - Yarborough son that is probably the deepest, thickest and heaviest muscled bull in the sale - Weaning ratio of 102 and Yearling ratio of 110 - Top 10% for WW EPD and top 4% for YW EPD - His 14.95 Ribeye had a ratio of 110 - One of the highest WDA of 3.77 - Dam has Weaning ratio of 110 on 3 calves

RAIL MR BRILLIANT 442B

Homozygous Black/Homozygous Polled BA38 Calved: 2/20/2014 Reg. #: 1294648 Tattoo: RAIL 42B S A V Brilliance 8077 BABR 114Y ET BMB 7061T

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

GA Whitman 510 DMRS WINTER 944W DMRS Nanny

83 676j. 1248 3.53

REA Adj. 15.31 IMF Adj. 3.056

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

12 0.2 68 107 31 65 -0.25 33 0.51 0.36 80.04 - Homo black and homo polled son of BABR 114Y ET who was a flushmate to Guenivere (The National Champion Balancer Female in 2013) - Yearling wt ratio of 102, 15.31 Ribeye (ratio 113) and IMF ratio of 103 - Above average on YW EPD and top 20% on FPI (Feeder Profit Index)

LOT 13

RAIL MR YARBOROUGH 445B

Double Black/Double Polled BA50 Calved: 2/22/2014 Reg. #: 1294651 Tattoo: RAIL 45B GGGE 3G Warlock 928W GGGE 3G YARBOROUGH 186Y GGGE 3G Cowgirl Ultrabright

BW Adj. WW Northern Improvement 4480 GF Adj. YW DMRS MISS NORTHERN 863U WDA DMRS Rosette

10 1.2 65 91 25 57 -0.28 28 0.28 0.15 70.32 - A Yarborough son out of a Northern Improvement dam - These Yarborough sons are all half sibs to the record high selling open heifer we had at the Pick of The Herds Sale in Salina this past November - He is above average on weaning weight and had an IMF ratio of 107 - Great Grand Dam was a Dam of Merit

RAIL MR RED OAK 451B

TAU Mr Freedom 920 175P ET DMRS URSULA 883U DMRS Panama 482P

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

83 728j. 1255 3.49

REA Adj. 12.11 IMF Adj. 3.190

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

Red/Homozygous Polled PB88 Calved: 2/23/2014 Reg. #: 1294655 Tattoo: RAIL 51B BCFG Butlers Cherokee 504T ET BCFG BUTLERS RED OAK 908W BCFG Butlers Rose 908T

83 688j. 1134 3.22

REA Adj. 13.56 IMF Adj. 2.678

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

7 4.1 71 97 28 63 -0.36 33 0.42 -0.03 65.30 - A Purebred Homo Polled red bull out of the AI sire Butlers Red Oak - Very growthy bull that had a weaning ratio of 107 and yearling ratio of 103 - There is predictability in his weaning performance because of 482P and 961J who were Dam of Merits on his dam’s side

LOT 15

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH American Gelbvieh Association Spring 2015 International Cattle Evaluation

Balancer Non-Parent Animals AVERAGE

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

11 0.5 67 100 27 60 -0.15 30 0.44 0.23 74.09

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

RAIL MR YARBOROUGH 452B

Homozygous Black/Double Polled BA50 Calved: 2/23/2014 Reg. #: 1294656 Tattoo: RAIL 52B GGGE 3G Warlock 928W GGGE 3G YARBOROUGH 186Y GGGE 3G Cowgirl Ultrabright GA Whitman 510 DMRS MS WHITMAN 7133T DMRS Rikki 52R

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

83 653j. 1135 3.23

12 0.6 64 92 30 62 -0.27 27 0.28 0.11 70.20 - Another Yarborough son out of a Whitman (TC Freedom) daughter. The Whitman daughters were very nicely uddered and made very good mamas. - Above average on Ribeye area

RAIL MR SUPER DUTY 463B

Double Black/Double Polled PB94 Calved: 2/25/2014 Reg. #: 1294664 Tattoo: RAIL 63B JRI Secret Instinct 254U83 JRI SUPER DUTY 9Y53 JRI Ms Tator Chip 9W13 JCGR Bar GT Mach One 54L DMRS RAWANDA 21R DMRS Katee 855H

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

89 723j. 1187 3.26

REA Adj. 12.96 IMF Adj. 2.888

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

11 0.9 47 58 32 56 -0.51 6 0.49 -0.33 49.21 - We used a purebred AI sire (JRI Super Duty) on some purebred cows because a few still want purebreds. But I really believe Super Duty would work well on heifers because of his calving ease. - 463B had a weaning ratio of 107 and his dam Wanda 21R had 8 calves with an average weaning ratio of 101

RAIL MR YARBOROUGH 456B

Homozygous Black/Double Polled BA50 Calved: 2/24/2014 Reg. #: 1294659 Tattoo: RAIL 56B GGGE 3G Warlock 928W GGGE 3G YARBOROUGH 186Y GGGE 3G Cowgirl Ultrabright

REA Adj. 13.89 IMF Adj. 2.842

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

F A R Krugerrand 410H DMRS STARLIGHT 619S DMRS Nancy

GA Whitman 510 DMRS MS WHITMAN 7136T DMRS Whiskey Girl 427P

83 718j. 1185 3.39

RAIL MR BRILLIANT 468B

Double Black/Double Polled BA38 Calved: 2/27/2014 Reg. #: 1294748 Tattoo: RAIL 68B S A V Brilliance 8077 BABR 114Y ET BMB 7061T Hopps Look At Me DMRS MS LOOKER 136Y DMRS Rikki 52R

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

83 674j. 1246 3.43

REA Adj. 13.24 IMF Adj. 3.000

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

9 1.4 72 111 29 65 -0.20 38 0.47 0.34 79.19 - When you look at 468Bs picture I think you’ll admire his shape and kind - Since his sire goes back to SAV Brilliance it really bumps his growth and carcass EPDs to the plus side - We were saddened this past fall when we had to put his sire down because of a broken leg. But we do have a bank of semen on him which we’ll use in the future.

REA Adj. 12.25 IMF Adj. 2.967

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

14 -1.8 64 99 30 62 -0.27 26 0.53 0.40 81.17 - 469B is above average on calving ease and below average for birth wt. EPDs, yet he adjusted to 718 lbs at weaning - He’s out of a Whitman daughter (7136T) who averaged 104 for weaning wt ratio on 5 calves. And all 5 of her calves were below average for birth wt.

REA Adj. 13.15 IMF Adj. 2.613

8 2.6 74 113 20 57 -0.15 42 0.25 0.07 70.96 - Homo black Yarborough son out of a FAR Krugerrand 410H daughter - WW and YW EPDs are ranked in the top 20% - Maternal Grand Dam was a Dam of Merit

RAIL MR YARBOROUGH 469B BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

77 599j. 1085 3.09

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

Double Black/Double Polled BA38 Calved: 2/27/2014 Reg. #: 1289426 Tattoo: RAIL 69B S A V Brilliance 8077 BABR 114Y ET BMB 7061T

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

LOT 20

RAIL MR OUTLINE M 470B

Red/Double Polled BA50 Calved: 2/27/2014 Reg. #: 1294749 Tattoo: RAIL 70B Lee’s Outline 7047 DMRS MR OUTLINE 0163X DMRS Ellen S A V Net Worth 4200 DMRS MS NET WORTH 065X DMRS Nanny

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

89 735j. 1336 3.75

REA Adj. 12.91 IMF Adj. 3.000

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

8 0.4 65 101 33 66 -0.12 30 0.48 0.31 75.07 - Here’s a RED meat wagon out of a Net Worth daughter - Weaning wt ratio of 108 and Yearling wt ratio of 109 - Above average EPDs for YW, MK, REA and MB - Above average FPI Index 75.07 - 3rd highest WDA 3.75

LOT 22

RAIL MR YARBOROUGH 471B

Double Black/Double Polled BA50 Calved: 2/27/2014 Reg. #: 1294750 Tattoo: RAIL 71B GGGE 3G Warlock 928W GGGE 3G YARBOROUGH 186Y GGGE 3G Cowgirl Ultrabright SCC Legend 542 DMRS MISS LEGEND 815U DMRS Snowbunny 631S

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

95 729j. 1262 3.58

REA Adj. 13.91 IMF Adj. 2.834

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

10 1.4 67 102 20 54 -0.24 33 0.36 0.16 71.17 - Yarborough stamps his offspring with a look that is very appealing: square hipped, muscling and guts - Out of a dam that goes back to OCC Legend - Weaning wt ratio 107, Yearling ratio 103 and REA ratio 102

LOT 23

RAIL MR OUTLINE M 473B

Double Black/Double Polled BA50 Calved: 2/27/2014 Reg. #: 1294752 Tattoo: RAIL 73B Lee’s Outline 7047 DMRS MR OUTLINE 0163X DMRS Ellen GA Whitman 510 DMRS WYNETTE 951W DMRS Speechless 629S

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

77 671j. 1135 3.21

REA Adj. 13.79 IMF Adj. 3.111

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

12 -1.3 53 78 38 64 -0.21 16 0.44 0.20 68.76 - Sire goes back to Outline and dam goes back to TC Freedom - His BW EPD ranks him in the top 15% - He was above average on REA and IMF scores

RAIL MR MANITOBA 481B

Homozygous Black/Double Polled BA38 Calved: 3/2/2014 Reg. #: 1294759 Tattoo: RAIL 81B TAU Mr Grid Topper 43T TAU MR MANITOBA 13X TAU Ms Junior 3303K 7149T DMRS Wassup 923W DMRS MS WASSUP 149Y DMRS Miss Legend 815U

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

83 653j. 1136 3.10

REA Adj. 12.89 IMF Adj. 2.692

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

10 1.7 69 98 15 49 -0.28 31 0.56 0.26 73.34 - 481B is like his sire in that he has lots of muscle and that natural fleshing ability - His sire, Manitoba, has nudged his EPDs for WW and YW once again this year. They are now in the top 3% for WW and the top 5%-6% range for YW.

RAIL MR YA MAN M 482B

Homozygous Black/Homozygous Polled BA50 Calved: 3/3/2014 Reg. #: 1294760 Tattoo: RAIL 82B EGL U409 DMRS YA MAN 138Y DMRS Tinker 752T Lee’s Outline 7047 DMRS WINEFRED 977W DMRS Playgirl 003K

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

82 717j. 1263 3.58

REA Adj. 16.27 IMF Adj. 3.319

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

9 1.9 72 110 30 66 -0.11 38 0.53 0.25 76.01 - Homo Black and Homo Polled son of Ya Man that probably should have went to Denver. His maternal half sib (Ms In Focus 114Y) did go to Denver in 2013 only to stand 3rd in a class of 9 that had the National Champion Balancer Female (Guenivere) and the National Junior Champion Balancer Female. - He’s also a paternal half brother to King James who won his division as a yearling and went back to Denver this year to become the National Champion Balancer Junior Bull. - He had a weaning ratio of 106 and a yearling ratio of 103 - Over 16 inch REA (ratio 120) and IMF ratio of 111 - His dam 977W has raised 4 calves with a Weaning ratio of 104

LOT 26

RAIL MR SECRET BRAND 488B

Homozygous Black/Double Polled BA50 Calved: 3/3/2014 Reg. #: 1295545 Tattoo: RAIL 88B S A V Brand Name 9115 BABR SECRET BRAND 2100Z ET BABR Secret Crush S A V Final Answer 0035 TAU FINAL ANSWER 9143W TAU Miss Rodeo Drive 188L

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

95 715j. 1198 3.39

REA Adj. 13.36 IMF Adj. 2.893

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

7 1.8 75 110 23 61 -0.32 40 0.70 0.30 78.97 - 488B is out of the 2013 Balancer Bull Futurity Champion, BABR Secret Brand 2100Z ET, and one heck-of-a consistent producing female, TAU Final Answer 9143W - Dam’s weaning ratio on 4 calves is 109; and all 4 have been in our production sale - In 2013 she had King James who was a division winner as a yearling and was this year’s National Champion Balancer Junior Bull

DMRS Ms In Focus 114Y Maternal half sister to Lot 26

RAIL MR SUPER DUTY 494B

Double Black/Double Polled PB94 Calved: 3/4/2014 Reg. #: 1295550 Tattoo: RAIL 94B JRI Secret Instinct 254U83 JRI SUPER DUTY 9Y53 JRI Ms Tator Chip 9W13 BDCG Upper Limits 14M DMRS TEASER 7111T DMRS Monica

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

85 645j. 1230 3.42

REA Adj. 13.39 IMF Adj. 3.119

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

11 1.8 65 101 29 62 -0.45 30 0.58 -0.24 61.63 - Another purebred by Super Duty and out of an Upper Limits daughter 7111T - His dam 7111T was a new Dam of Merit this past year and his Grand Dam was also a Dam of Merit - IMF ratio 105

LOT 28

RAIL MR TOTAL 495B

Homozygous Black/Double Polled BA50 Calved: 3/4/2014 Reg. #: 1295551 Tattoo: RAIL 95B TC Total 410 EAGLE PASS TOTAL 0007 ET EGL Miss New Design 1171 BDGC Upper Limits 14M DMRS MS UPPER LIMITS 797T DMRS Prissy 437P

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

89 679j. 1242 3.53

REA Adj. 13.95 IMF Adj. 3.602

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

7 1.4 65 105 33 66 -0.21 34 0.76 0.46 78.19 - If you are feeding cattle, don’t overlook this guy. He goes back to TC Total 410 who has great carcass traits - 495B has a REA EPD in the top 5% and Marbling EPD in the top 15%. Also a FPI index above average - His REA ratio is 103 and IMF ratio is 1.21

LOT 29

RAIL MR YARBOROUGH 496B

Double Black/Homozygous Polled BA38 Calved: 3/4/2014 Reg. #: 1296631 Tattoo: RAIL 96B GGGE 3G Warlock 928W GGGE 3G YARBOROUGH 186Y GGGE 3G Cowgirl Ultrabright Lee’s Outline 7047 RHRG MS OUTLINE 023X RHRG Miss Legend 825U

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

83 744j. 1374 3.85

REA Adj. 16.09 IMF Adj. 3.647

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

11 -0.6 62 100 29 60 -0.23 26 0.34 0.24 73.74 - 496B is an awesome son of Yarborough and was a member of the Balancer Get of Sire Champions at the NWSS in Denver this year - While he was on his dam last summer, he was one of those bulls that always catch your eye as you pass by - He was an outstanding performer as well—Weaning wt ratio of 110, Yearling wt ratio of 112, REA (16 inch) ratio 118 and IMF ratio 123 - Highest WDA 3.85 - Dam has had 3 bull calves with a weaning ratio of 108

LOT 30

RAIL MR MANITOBA 4104B

Double Black/Double Polled BA38 Calved: 3/8/2014 Reg. #: 1295619 Tattoo: RAIL 104B TAU Mr Grid Topper 43T TAU MR MANITOBA 13X TAU Ms Junior 3303K 7149T SCC Legend 542 DMRS WENDY 921W DMRS Teaser 7111T

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

95 697j. 1252 3.56

REA Adj. 13.74 IMF Adj. 2.978

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

11 1.1 70 101 14 49 -0.31 31 0.63 0.27 75.33 - Manitoba son and out of an OCC Legend grand daughter, Wendy 921W - Above average EPDs for WW, YW, REA and MB - He also was above average on weaning, yearling and REA ratios

RAIL MR MANITOBA 4107B

Double Black/Double Polled BA38 Calved: 3/8/2014 Reg. #: 1295626 Tattoo: RAIL 107B TAU Mr Grid Topper 43T TAU MR MANITOBA 13X TAU Ms Junior 3303K 7149T TAU Mr In Focus 18W DMRS MS IN FOCUS 137Y DMRS Miss Outline 993W

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

77 671. 1304 3.60

REA Adj. 14.09 IMF Adj. 2.887

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

12 1.3 70 107 21 56 -0.26 32 0.51 0.32 77.16 - We really like this Manitoba son out of a Focus dam - From a low Birth wt of 77 lbs to an adjusted Yearling wt of 1304 lbs and combines it all to scan a 14 inch Ribeye that ratios 104 - His EPDs are above average on CED, WW, YW, REA and MB

LOT 32

RAIL MR BRILLIANT 4124B

Homozygous Black/Double Polled BA38 Calved: 3/13/2014 Reg. #: 1295712 Tattoo: RAIL 124B S A V Brilliance 8077 BABR 114Y ET BMB 7061T EGL U409 DMRS MS NET WORTH 054X DMRS Treasure 780T

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

77 767j. 1319 3.67

REA Adj. 12.64 IMF Adj. 3.365

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

11 0.6 79 118 28 68 -0.21 40 0.60 0.43 87.01 - Homo black son of BABR 114Y ET and out of a Net Worth daughter - WW EPD in the top 10%, YW EPD top 15%, top 20% for both REA and MB and top 5% for Feeder Profit Index (FPI) - Above average for yearling wt and IMF score - Ratio of 113 on Weaning wt - Has 2 Dams of Merit on his dam’s side

RAIL MR YARBOROUGH 4127B

Homozygous Black/Double Polled BA50 Calved: 3/14/2014 Reg. #: 1295715 Tattoo: RAIL 127B GGGE 3G Warlock 928W GGGE 3G YARBOROUGH 186Y GGGE 3G Cowgirl Ultrabright Lee’s Outline 7047 DMRS MS OUTLINE 1146Y DMRS Mabel

77 719. 1186 3.31

REA Adj. 13.66 IMF Adj. 3.723

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

10 0.7 67 105 22 55 -0.28 33 0.48 0.27 74.85 - Another homo black son of Yarborough - Above average EPDs for YW, REA and MB - Weaning wt ratio 106 - One of the highest IMF scores of all the sale bulls

REA Adj. 15.10 IMF Adj. 2.985

8 1.6 70 103 26 61 -0.23 35 0.34 0.14 72.09 - Homo black son of Yarborough and out of an Outline daughter - Excels in performance, he had the highest Adj. Weaning Wt of all the bulls in the sale at 800 lbs, ratio 118 - Above average EPDs for WW and YW - 15 inch REA - Two Dams of Merit on the dam side

RAIL MR YARBOROUGH 4129B

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW EGL U709 RHRG MS NORTHERN WIND 0106X WDA RAILE 1407 New Design 601S

102 800j. 1321 3.63

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

Homozygous Black/Double Polled BA38 Calved: 3/16/2014 Reg. #: 1295717 Tattoo: RAIL 129B GGGE 3G Warlock 928W GGGE 3G YARBOROUGH 186Y GGGE 3G Cowgirl Ultrabright

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

LOT 34

RAIL MR NET WORTH 4173B

Double Black/Double Polled BA38 Calved: 3/13/2014 Reg. #: 1305390 Tattoo: RAIL 173B S A V Net Worth 4200 EGL U409 EGL M276 GA Whitman 510 DMRS TINKER 752T DMRS Puff 465P

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

89 677. 1141 3.26

REA Adj. 12.41 IMF Adj. 3.192

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

10 2.4 76 111 28 66 -0.25 39 0.54 0.34 79.94 - A full brother to our Ya Man herdsire and paternal half brother to King James - His dam (Whitman daughter) Tinker 752T is one great cow. She’s had 7 calves with a weaning ratio of 113. - 4173B is above average in WW, YW, REA and MB EPDs and above average for FPI - Weaning ratio 105 and above average on IMF

Feeder Profit Index (FPI)

FALL BULLS 37

RAIL MR BRILLIANT N 3275A

Double Black/Double Polled BA38 Calved: 11/17/2013 Reg. #: 1266006 Tattoo: RAIL 275A S A V Brilliance 8077 BABR 114Y ET BMB 7061T

BW Adj. WW Northern Improvement 4480 GF Adj. YW DMRS MS N. IMPROVEMENT 032X WDA DMRS Speechless 629S

80 600j. 1068 NA

REA Adj. NA IMF Adj. NA

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

12 0.0 68 108 30 64 -0.26 34 0.49 0.41 81.39 - We never did get BABR 114Y ET renamed and now that he’s gone we can’t. We were going to name him Brilliant because that’s what we always called him because of his sire’s name (Brilliance) - If you notice that most of this guy’s EPDs are above average, it’s because his sire’s (Brilliant) EPDs were very impressive

RAIL MR BRILLIANT N 3276A

Double Black/Double Polled BA38 Calved: 11/25/2013 Reg. #: 1266650 Tattoo: RAIL 276A S A V Brilliance 8077 BABR 114Y ET BMB 7061T EGL U709 DMRS MS NORTHERN WIND 087X DMRS Satin’ N Lace 611S

BW Adj. WW Adj. YW WDA

80 773j. 1315 NA

REA Adj. NA IMF Adj. NA

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

9 1.4 76 120 29 67 -0.21 42 0.63 0.39 82.87 - I think you’ll fall in love with this Brilliant son when you see him. His phenotype is smooth long and muscular. - Above average EPDs for WW, YW--top 10%, MK, REA, MB and Feeder Profit Index (FPI)--top 15% - High indexing weaning and yearling wts

LOT 38

BALANCER REFERENCE SIRES A

3G YARBOROUGH 186Y

Black/Homozygous Polled BA63 Calved: 10/12/2011 Reg. #: 1206620 Tattoo: GGGE 186Y 3G Smoke N’ Mirrors 3G WARLOCK 928W 3G Rocket Queen 566R ET 3G Rio Bravo 564R 3G COWGIRL ULTRABRIGHT 3G Cowgirl Red 594R

BW 65 Adj. WW 679 Adj. YW 1396

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

9 1.7 75 114 20 58 -0.38 40 0.28 0.10 74.40

We purchased Yarborough from 3G Ranch in Indiana in 2013. We liked him not just for his show career; but we thought he would add thickness, depth and style to his offspring along with the growth factors--and we were not disappointed. But several judges liked him also. In 2013 he was the National Champion Senior Balancer Bull Calf and in 2012 Balancer Ring of Gold winner of the year. His sire was a two time Reserve National Champion Balancer Bull and his dam was a NAILE Reserve Grand Champion Female.

BABR 114Y ET

Homozygous Black/Polled BA25 Calved: 2/19/2011 Reg. #: 1203421 Tattoo: BABR 114Y SAV Bismarck 5682 SAV BRILLIANCE 8077 SAV Blackcap May 5270 EXAR Pay Stub 40 5S 7061T 5002R

BW 81 Adj. WW 641j. Adj. YW 1267

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

12 0.1 80 130 28 68 -0.32 47 0.73 0.67 95.55 An exciting new homozygous black Balancer sire we purchased in Beastrom’s sale in 2012. He offers low birth high performance combined with calving ease. He is a flush mate to BABR Guenivere 1015Y ET the National Champion Balancer Female at the 2013 NWSS and American Royal. Guenivere and 114Y’s donor dam was the 2009 National Champion Balancer Female. His IMF score as a yearling was an impressive 4.22.

BABR 114Y ET

DMRS YA MAN 138Y

Black/Homozygous Polled BA50 Calved: 2/16/2011 Reg. #: 1192595 Tattoo: DMRS 38Y SAV Net Worth 4200 EGL U409 M276 GA Whitman 510 TINKER 752T Puff 465P

BW 88 Adj. WW 697. Adj. YW 1268

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

8 4.1 80 121 27 67 -0.07 47 0.59 0.39 80.68 Ya Man was our Balancer Futurity entry in 2012. A grandson of Net Worth who sires thick muscular offspring that will grow, grade and yield. As a sire group, his first calf crop had the highest indexing bulls for REA and IMF.

DMRS YA MAN 138Y

BALANCER REFERENCE SIRES D

TAU MR MANITOBA 13X

Homozygous Black/Polled BA38 Calved: 1/24/2010 Reg. #: 1157078 Tattoo: TAU 13X TC Grid Topper 355 MR GRID TOPPER 43T Miss Ty 3130N 3303K ET MS JUNIOR 3303K 7149T TAU Ms New Design 878 308

BW 88 Adj. WW 732j. Adj. YW 1260

AI REFERENCE SIRES E through J

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

9 2.2 84 123 11 53 -0.44 45 0.77 0.32 83.83 A homozygous black son of Grid Topper and a JBOB Junior dam. Moderate framed but heavy muscled and natural width throughout. His excellent EPD’s for WW and YW put him in the top 3% and 5% for all Balancers.

BUTLERS RED OAK 908W

Red/Homozygous Polled BA75 Calved: 9/19/2009 Reg. #: 1132998 Tattoo: BCFG 908W BFCK Cherokee Cnyn 4912 BUTLERS CHEROKEE 504T ET Butlers Ruby Butlers Ole Hickory 359R BUTLERS ROSE 908T Butler Electric Red Rose

BW 73 Adj. WW 736. Adj. YW 1245

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

6 4.9 76 103 17 55 -0.42 37 0.31 0.14 70.34 A red homo polled 3/4 blood that we can use to go on higher percentage cows to produce purebreds or on lower percentage cows to make Balancers. He has great phenotype and puts the grow into his offspring.

BUTLERS RED OAK 908W

LAZY TV WATCHMAN W021

Homozygous Black/Homozygous Polled BA50 Calved: 1/31/2009 Reg. #: 1115408 Tattoo: VRT W021 Woodhill Admiral 77K DVA SCOUT 553 DVA Juanada 33 Lazy TV Peterbilt M491 LAZY TV MS PETERBLT T309 Lazy TV Ms Season P540

BW 82 Adj. WW 792. Adj. YW 1267

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

13 -2.5 74 110 27 64 -0.27 31 0.30 0.80 97.45 An AI sire we used on heifers with good results. Exceptional calving ease, growth, maternal and carcass merit EPD strength.

LAZY TV WATCHMAN W021

DLW EDISON 6718X

Black/Polled BA63 Calved: 10/14/2010 Reg. #: 1180218 Tattoo: DLW 6718X Good Night 4743P GOOD NIGHT 715T Poll Star 5160E Bennett Kingpin K403 MS KINGPIN 6718S Ms Bud 106L

BW 76 Adj. WW 750j. Adj. YW 1316

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

14 -1.4 85 113 24 66 -0.64 33 0.76 -0.14 80.18 Balancer Futurity Champion in 2012. Sired by Good Night and therefore offers good calving ease along with above average growth for WW and YW EPD’s. Another AI sire we use on heifers.

DLW EDISON 6718X

BALANCER REFERENCE SIRES H

CTR GOOD NIGHT 715T

Homozygous Black/Homozygous Polled BA50 Calved: 3/29/2007 Reg. #: 1086538 Tattoo: CTR 715T Ellison 608F GOOD NIGHT 4743P CTR Susan 2907 Sitz Alliance 6595 POLL STAR 5160E 028 K

BW 71 Adj. WW 632 Adj. YW 988

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

15 -1.6 63 92 16 48 -0.40 22 0.11 -0.04 68.73 An AI sire we use on heifers because of his predictability for calving ease. He topped Cedar Top Ranch’s bull sale in 2009.

JRI SUPER DUTY 9Y53

Black/Homozygous Polled Calved: 8/6/2011 Reg. #: 1205339 Tattoo: JRI 9Y53 Top Secret 253M75 ET SECRET INSTINCT 254U83 Ms Extra Sugar 254N72 ET Journey 207S74 MS TATOR CHIP 9W13 Ms Proceed 9K93

CTR GOOD NIGHT 715T

BW 74 Adj. WW 762 Adj. YW 1242

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

15 0.7 62 97 31 62 -0.54 28 0.40 -0.36 60.02 An AI purebred sire we use for calving ease in an awesome fault-free package. He has a very good growth spread from birth to weaning.

DUTYBABR 9Y53 FeaturedJRI SUPER Sire: Secret B

BABR SECRET BRAND 2100Z ET

Black/Homozygous Polled BA50 Calved: 2/23/2012 Reg. #: 1225807 Tattoo: BABR 2100Z S A V Bismarck 5682 S A V BRAND NAME 9115 S A V Blackcap May 5530 CK Bronco 411G SECRET CRUSH PMG Katy 04K

BW 86 Adj. WW 778 Adj. YW NA

CED BW WW YW MK TM YG CW REA MB FPI

4 2.4 72 111 21 57 -0.53 39 0.74 0.35 77.52 Picked by the futurity members, Secret Brand was the 2013 Balancer Bull Futurity Champion. He is sired by SAV Brand Name and out of Secret Crush. He has above average EPDs for WW, YW, REA and MB.

BABR SECRET BRAND 2100Z ET

BABR Secret Brand 2100Z ET

Featured Sire: CTR Sandhills

CTR Sandhills 0065x is a bull we pur

Balancer速

0.013

-0.13

0.36

0.18

-0.03

0.010

0.000

51.83 69.49 215.19

Gelbvieh and Balancer速 Breed Average EPDS (For non-parents, as of the Fall 2014 International Cattle Evaluation) Gelbvieh Balancer速

CED 8 11

BW 1.2 0.1

Gelbvieh Balancer速

DMI -0.031 0.037

YG -0.24 -0.14

Growth and Maternal EPDs WW YW MK TM CEM HP 66 91 29 62 6 64 96 27 59 7 Intake and Carcass EPDs CW RE MB FT ADG RFI 25 0.44 -0.19 -0.06 -0.030 -0.031 27 0.41 0.18 -0.03 0.030 -0.003

PG30

ST MW 7 0 5 0 Index Values $Cow FPI EPI 51.49 61.57 192.14 41.39 72.02 235.00

2 | AMERICAN MARCH 2014 GELBVIEH ASSOCIATION | www.GELBVIEH.org | 303-465-2333 | AUGUST 2014

American Gelbvieh Association

Why Balancers®?

FACT SHEET

Crossbreeding made easy. Wayne Vanderwert, Ph.D.

Hybrids. It started with singlecross corn; it has dominated broiler and swine production, the state conservation department releases hybrid game fish, and now the car companies are promoting hybrids. All for the same reason; there are advantages to hybrids.

The movement to hybrid seedstock in beef production is in its infancy and increased usage in commercial beef production is inevitable. Why…because hybrids simplify many of the challenges a commercial beef producer faces and increase profitability. Hybrids also stabilize breed composition; in turn that provides more, not less, consistency in a calf crop. I remember sitting in Beef Production class and a number of Animal Breeding classes while the professor diagramed crossbreeding systems for beef production. I caught myself wondering how anyone could sleep though such a stimulating lecture. It’s all about heterosis, breed complementarity, maternal heterosis and potentially utilizing terminal breeds, what could be better? I’ve since figured out it was all about maximizing complexity, ignoring simplicity and real-world application…the smartest students may have been the ones napping. Let’s take a look at a basic two-breed rotation. The textbook model assumes that you’ll have bulls of each breed and separate your cows into two breeding groups based on their sire breed. In big herds, where it is feasible, it requires extra labor to sort cows and calves, making sure you don’t split a pair, and it doesn’t fit with improved management practices like rotational grazing. The three-breed textbook model, to take full advantage of maternal heterosis, is just one step more complicated.

The Crossbreeding Reality The reality approach in most herds is to buy a bull of one breed use him two years and then replace him with one from the second breed. This is especially true

in small, single herd sire cowherds, but for simplicity even many big herds rotate breeds every other year. Keeping replacement females every cycle in this system means the resulting calf crop has a variety of percentages, from 50% and up, of the sire breed used in that cycle. How does that provide consistency? The temptation might be to consider straight breeding commercial cows. But the merits of crossbreeding are too great for a commercial cattleman to ignore. Crossbreeding provides heterosis in many traits but in particular the traits that are the most difficult to apply selection pressure for improvement. Cow longevity, lifetime productivity and calf survivability, are examples where heterosis can give a 25 percent or higher advantage.

some Gelbvieh influence in a majority of my cowherd. At that point, I’d switch to Balancers® to stabilize the level of Gelbvieh and British in my herd at a desirable level. Under this scenario, the skeptics argue that somehow the parent breeds will genetically segregate in the offspring, yielding more variability, but this just isn’t the case. Consistency in the calf crop comes from the progeny being very similar in breed composition. The data from the Gelbvieh Alliance and Meat Animal Research Center agree that combining continental and British influence at the right levels pay big dividends in feed efficiency and targeting a desirable, and profitable, level of Yield and Quality grades.

The heterosis advantages in growth and milk are smaller, and in carcass traits we see little hybrid vigor. In these traits breed complementarity, combining breeds with offsetting strengths and weaknesses comes to play.

In the pasture, Gelbvieh influence in your cowherd that will provide great fertility, milk and growth, while keeping mature cow size in check. There is a reason commercial beef producers appreciate the advantages of Balancer bulls. They take the headaches out of crossbreeding, provide heterosis, and let producers focus on the windows of acceptability for feedlot performance and end product merit. Balancers are the easy shortcut to profitability.

The Balancer® Advantage As a commercial producer, if I had straight-bred or high-percentage British cattle, I’d use Gelbvieh bulls until I had

American Gelbvieh Association | (303) 465-2333 • Fax: (303) 465-2339 • www.gelbvieh.org • info@gelbvieh.org

| FACT SHEET

Good Bulls Don’t Cost...They Pay By Frank Padilla

COST CUTTING HAS become a survival tool for most cow-calf producers for many years. In current economic times, producers are looking hard to reduce input costs in any phase of their operations where they can. But when it comes to the bottom line, lower costs will get you only half of the equation. Herd sire selection is directly attributable to 80 percent of herd improvement. What you can afford to pay for a bull depends on more than finding one at the lowest price. Let’s compare two Gelbvieh bulls, Bull A and Bull B. Each bull’s expected progeny differences (EPDs), plus the breed average for Gelbvieh sires are listed in table 1. If both bulls sire 40 calves (20 heifers and 20 bulls) from the same cow herd for four consecutive years, how much more can you afford to pay for a bull with better genetics?

Growth Growth trait EPDs are expressed in pounds. If the steer and heifer calves are sold at weaning, what advantage does Bull A have over Bull B? Bull A has a weaning weight EPD of 50 pounds; Bull B, 30 pounds. Based on these EPDs, you can expect Bull A, on average, to sire calves that weigh 20 more pounds at weaning than Bull B when bred to the same cows. If 15 percent of the 40 calves are kept for replacement females, 34 calves multiplied by the additional pounds sired by Bull A results in 680 pounds of additional weaning weight per year. If these pounds are valued at $150 per hundredweight (cwt), yearly gross sales from calves sired by Bull A amounts to an increase of $1,020 per year. That annual gross sales amount ($1,020) multiplied

over four years results in a $4,080 of increased gross sales from Bull A when compared to Bull B.

Maternal Daughters from Bull A should not be overlooked when adding productivity and dollars. Bulls with superior maternal genetics sire daughters that have increased performance. Increased milk production and growth are passed on to daughters of superior genetic bulls. One way to compare a sire’s ability to transmit milk and growth rate to his daughter is to calculate maternal weaning weight. The maternal weaning weight is expressed in pounds and is equal to the sire’s milk EPD plus one-half of his weaning weight EPD. Bull A’s maternal weaning weight would be one-half 50 plus 22 or 47 pounds (1/2 x 50WW + 22Milk = 47 pounds of maternal weaning weight). Bull B’s calculated maternal weaning weight would be one-half of 30 plus 12 or 27 pounds (1/2 x 30WW + 12 = 27 pounds of maternal weaning weight). Using this example, you can expect Bull A’s daughters, on average, to raise calves that are 20 pounds heavier at weaning than Bull B’s, assuming they are bred to the same bull. If twenty-four females, 15 percent of the total calf crop each year, are retained out of Bull A and these cows stay in the herd six years, there will be an additional 2,880 pounds of weaned weight compared to Bull B’s daughters. If this weight is valued at $150 cwt, there will be extra gross sales of $4,320 for Bull A’s daughters’ lifetimes compared with that to that of Bull B’s. Take note that optimum selection for milk production needs to take place in

consideration of environmental differences and nutrition. Producers should analyze their requirements and make breeding decisions accordingly.

Herd sire selection is directly attributable to 80 percent of herd improvement. What you can afford to pay for a bull depends on more than finding one at the lowest price. Easy math tells us that Bull A has returned $8,400 more over his lifetime used than Bull B. This example does not necessarily suggest that you pay an extra $8,400 for Bull A but it does help explain why a sire’s genetic potential is such an important factor when selecting bulls to purchase. Purchasing a bull is a long-term investment that has great influence on your herd’s productivity. Consider all the factors when you decide to purchase a bull. Remember as well that EPDs of different breeds cannot be compared without across breed adjustments being calculated. Take the time and do the math. Good bulls don’t cost…. but rather they pay you back big in the long run. Note: Frank Padilla is the director of breed promotion for the American Gelbvieh Association. He can be reached at frankp@ gelbvieh.org or 303-465-2333.

Table 1. Sire A and B’s EPDs Compared with Gelbvieh Breed’s Average

Trait

Birth Weight Weaning Yearling (BW) Weight (WW) Weight (YW)

Milk

Gelbvieh Breed Averages

1.2

Bull A

1.0

Bull B

1.0

American Gelbvieh Association • (303) 465-2333 • www.gelbvieh.org • info@gelbvieh.org • February 2012

We have a <STEAK> in your future

Champion Get of Sire by 3G Yarborough 186Y

RAIL King James 3127A Champion Balancer Junior Bull

755 Road U St. Francis, KS 67756

RAILE GELBVIEH