Gelbvieh and Balancer bred heifers

[bandit80]

Took some pictures of the bred heifers this morning after feeding some alfalfa. Pictures were with my cell phone, so the quality isn't the best, and none are really posing properly. Just brought them in off of corn stalks this past weekend, and are giving them some brome hay, 2 lbs of DDG's/day, and 4 lbs of alfalfa/day. Will stop the alfalfa after calving, but continue the DDG's as their only supplement. They are due to start Feb 1. Some are just starting to bag up a little bit, but can't really tell from the pics.

 

[HOSS]

Those are some good looking heifers. I love the Gelbvieh and Balancer cattle. Right now I am using Balancer bull. I have been seriously considering getting into the registered Gelbvieh and Balancer business. Right now the Gelbvieh influenced cattle are hard to beat. It seems that there are allot of Gelbvieh breeders in Kansas, Nebrasa and the Dakotas. It takes a hearty animal to survive those prarie winters.

 

[3waycross]

Nice lookin girls Bandit, can't wait to see the calves.

They look like they did real good on those cornstocks. I just got back from hunting down by Liberal KS, saw a lot of cattle on cornstocks and winter wheat. I sure wish we had some of that kind of winter pasture around this country.

 

[bandit80]

They look like they did real good on those cornstocks. I just got back from hunting down by Liberal KS, saw a lot of cattle on cornstocks and winter wheat. I sure wish we had some of that kind of winter pasture around this country.

The corn stalks are really nice. We put up a single strand of hot wire around the field, and turn 'em loose. As long as there is good water, they do just fine. What is sometimes overlooked, is we have a lot of waterways, grass backed terraces, and grass around timber that the cows utilize as well. It is hard to put a value on that. Come December and January, we will give them a little alfalfa for a little protein. Have to feed some hay if we get ice or snow cover which has happened a few times this year. Cows are still out on stalks, and will be for a couple more weeks before they are brought to their calving place.

 

[LoveMoo11]

Nice looking heifers...look like they've been eating well and taking care of themselves. Good luck with your calving.
This may sound like a silly question to some of you, but up here, pretty much all we have are the basic breeds (Angus, Hereford, Shorthorn, etc.) what is Balancer? Is it a breed or a sire? I assumed it was a sire name at first but then saw that you had Gelbvieh and Balancer written so I thought maybe its a breed???

 

[HOSS]

A Balancer is a recognized cross between an Angus and Gelbvieh. They have their own registry and EPD listings. A very good cross too.

 

[LoveMoo11]

Thanks Hoss!

 

[bigbull338]

those are some fine looking heifers.an they are carring some good flesh.

 

[Double R Ranch]

Those are some beautiful heifers! We were up til recently Angus/Balancer breeders. We bought a group of balancer heifers to get the balancer part of our business up and running. It was the biggest business mistake we could have made. We will be selling the remaining cows next week as two year olds for butcher. We will not let them go to anyone to have the same experiance we have had. It almost ruined our business. We will still owe on them when they get sold. There calves are horrific!! They are the least hardiest cattle we have ever had. I am truly disapointed.
It is nice to c good looking easy keepers. We unfortunitly did not get so lucky. Those heifers in your photos were what we were supposidly getting. Once they got here and were turned out to pasture they shrunk like they were being starved. Not only that they had VERY poor milk bags. Hope it works out for you. Guess if we can survive this its back to strait angus
Double R

 

[bandit80]

Those are some beautiful heifers! We were up til recently Angus/Balancer breeders. We bought a group of balancer heifers to get the balancer part of our business up and running. It was the biggest business mistake we could have made. We will be selling the remaining cows next week as two year olds for butcher. We will not let them go to anyone to have the same experiance we have had. It almost ruined our business. We will still owe on them when they get sold. There calves are horrific!! They are the least hardiest cattle we have ever had. I am truly disapointed.
It is nice to c good looking easy keepers. We unfortunitly did not get so lucky. Those heifers in your photos were what we were supposidly getting. Once they got here and were turned out to pasture they shrunk like they were being starved. Not only that they had VERY poor milk bags. Hope it works out for you. Guess if we can survive this its back to strait angus
Double R

Well that certainly is disappointing. Three of the heifers in that group are purebred gelbviehs that I purchased, and the remaining are all balancers that I raised and retained. Very rarely do I have a problem with a heifer I retain, bringing them up in my own environment and managing my herd the same every year. I have essentially culled my problems over the past several years.

 

[LimousinGirl]

I like em' alot!! ('course anything with Angus or Lim. influence I'm in love with... ) I'd love to have some Balancers myself.
Sure they'll have some nice calves--make sure you post pictures, ok?!!

 

[Dixieangus]

Nice heifers they look like they'll have some nice calves :clap:

 

[Double R Ranch]

Do you have a lot of feed for these cows or are they are light feed? The Balancers we got, we have talked to a bunch of people about them for our area and unless you have a ton of feed they don't do well at all. other words they aren't easy keepers. Was wondering what you are experiancing.
Double R