willow bottom
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Looking at buying a black 3 quarter gelbvieh 1 quarter angus. Never had any experience with gelbvieh cattle before. Anyone out there run gelbvieh bulls?
Gelbvieh bulls?
- Thread starter willow bottom
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Aaron
Well-known member
Ran 1/2 Gelbvieh bull 10 years ago as terminal cross. They are very maternal and growthy. Biggest issue many come across is that they are very early maturing, lots of heifer calves can cycle and breed at 4 months of age. Don't know of a Gelbvieh user who hasn't had issues with pre-teen pregnancies. Have known a few that have quit or cut back using them because of that issue.
I have several black gelbveih bulls. A agree completely on early maturing heifers. Plan on luting every heifer at weaning. If you select correctly, you will make some awesome calves. I have ai to angus bulls with 130-140 yw, and my clean up calves will weigh just as much. They cross with angus cows very well for me, but I do not like most of my full blood gelvieh cows. They do not seem to be as efficient as my angus cows. They raise big calves, but require more grocery's. Last group of black geivieh calves I have noticed some temperament issues, haven't figured that out yet. Normally everything I raise is dog tame.
Stocker Steve
Well-known member
Used to. Limited data was good muscling but marginal dispositions. Biggest local seed stock producer went from GV X to Simi X to get better marbling.
An outfit in SD has feed efficiency tested GV bulls available. Have heard good things about them.
An outfit in SD has feed efficiency tested GV bulls available. Have heard good things about them.
Coosh71
Well-known member
We run Gelbvieh Bulls on BA/RA and crosses. Our experience has been positive with one exception. Out of a pasture of 25 2-3 will have a little ear and bulls from time to time have more sheath. Most places don't care but here they see ear and think Brahma cross and you are docked at sale. We have started selling privately and last year got a $.15 premium on our calves. We do Lute our heifers at weaning so no issue. Cost of that shot vs the docility/pounds added is worth it to us. We have also retained a couple red and black balancer bull calves and they are looking great. Good luck.
strihafarms
Well-known member
Had fabulous disposition mothering and growth. Only complaints were borderline too small of frame and higher percentage animals carried lot of leather in the neck
Nesikep
Well-known member
I don't know where you got yours from, but temperament is a rare complaint.. All of my GV animals are better tempered than the ShorthornsStocker Steve":hc68ehqb said:
I haven't had any heifers cycle before 180 days, and I usually have the replacement candidates separated from the bulls by that time on their own pasture
Aaron
Well-known member
Nesikep":3vl8kd2l said:
Lucky guy. Earliest I have heard for Gelbvieh heifer in heat and conceiving is 90 days old and lots (compared to other breeds) at 120 days.
Mr. Greenjeans
Well-known member
1. MARC data shows Gelbvieh have one of the fastest (possibly greatest) rate of growth from birth to weaning
2. Most breeds have increased mature size while Gelbvieh cattle are more moderate in size than other continentals and some British breeds. Our cows are 1250 and bulls around 1900 lbs.
3. Only Hereford have been shown to be more docile overall.
4. A terminal and maternal breed that allows for retaining heifers.
5. One of the largest ribeye in the industry but not known for marbling.
6. Commonly available as homozygous black and polled to allow for retaining heifers that will fit in appearance with the ideal phenotype that many producers want to see in their pasture.
7. Concerns are too much milk for some environments and too much growth for some cows that can't handle the milking needs of their high EPD growth calves.
We have used PB Gelbvieh bulls on Angus and Brangus with resulting calves in the 65-75 pound range. Those same Gelbvieh bulls on PB Gelbvieh cows yield calves that run about 10 pounds heavier at birth on average. Overall the Gelbvieh we have had have been extremely gentle other than one that we culled for poor disposition. Very good growth trait heterosis with Angus based cattle (which is a common claim with most continental breeds).
Gain efficiency:
https://www.gelbvieh.org/wp-content/upl ... cy_web.jpg
Muscle marbling:
https://www.gelbvieh.org/wp-content/upl ... ng_web.jpg
Retail Yield:
https://www.gelbvieh.org/wp-content/upl ... ld_web.jpg
Mature cow size:
https://www.gelbvieh.org/wp-content/upl ... _Web-1.png
2. Most breeds have increased mature size while Gelbvieh cattle are more moderate in size than other continentals and some British breeds. Our cows are 1250 and bulls around 1900 lbs.
3. Only Hereford have been shown to be more docile overall.
4. A terminal and maternal breed that allows for retaining heifers.
5. One of the largest ribeye in the industry but not known for marbling.
6. Commonly available as homozygous black and polled to allow for retaining heifers that will fit in appearance with the ideal phenotype that many producers want to see in their pasture.
7. Concerns are too much milk for some environments and too much growth for some cows that can't handle the milking needs of their high EPD growth calves.
We have used PB Gelbvieh bulls on Angus and Brangus with resulting calves in the 65-75 pound range. Those same Gelbvieh bulls on PB Gelbvieh cows yield calves that run about 10 pounds heavier at birth on average. Overall the Gelbvieh we have had have been extremely gentle other than one that we culled for poor disposition. Very good growth trait heterosis with Angus based cattle (which is a common claim with most continental breeds).
Gain efficiency:
https://www.gelbvieh.org/wp-content/upl ... cy_web.jpg
Muscle marbling:
https://www.gelbvieh.org/wp-content/upl ... ng_web.jpg
Retail Yield:
https://www.gelbvieh.org/wp-content/upl ... ld_web.jpg
Mature cow size:
https://www.gelbvieh.org/wp-content/upl ... _Web-1.png
Stocker Steve":1f1xytxt said:
As I've mentionded before we tried one Balancer and we had some issues. Didn't see the increase in gains so many talk about. Some docility issues. Had to cull a few replacement heifers every year on that alone and our cows are very docile as we have culled everything that wasn't. Have heard the same from others. Muscling was acceptable but not any heavier overall than those by our good Angus bulls. The bull matured at 1875. He weighed 1,360 at 13 months of age when we purchased him so was expecting some early growth on the calves. We want a bull that will mature at least a ton and sire replacement females that will weigh 1,350-1,500. We got docked at the sale on the Balancer calves because they didn't have enough frame. I have talked to a few breeders on this forum recently. A lot of it could very well be the bloodlines of the bull we purchased. He was out of a very good registered Angus cow that had been a good producer and she weighed 1,600. If I find one I really like I might try another. But looking at other options now.
Supa Dexta
Well-known member
Also had my share of teen pregnancies and nutty attitudes when I had them.. Likely won't get another. My problems were with the golden red purebred cows, the bulls seemed fine. No experience with new and improved black ones ,
Black and Good
Well-known member
Supa Dexta":we0o0e27 said:
You going to see that in all breeds. But, the Gelbvieh as a rule are really quiet. All the cows I have will help you with opening everything gates, feed sacks, hay bales etc. LOL
Supa Dexta
Well-known member
Well no actually I don't see that in every breed. If i did I wouldnt have cattle. Some of those gelbs I had were miserable sons of gun's and got the rest riled up
No doubt there's some good ones but I didn't have em.
No doubt there's some good ones but I didn't have em.
some of my gelvieh cows are very tame like some have said. Complete pain in the azz. They will pull mineral bags off the back of the truck, would rather kill you than let you feed them. I hate that pasture, but they raise huge calves when mixed with a good angus bull. My gelvieh cows milk to much, they require a little extra help. When I plan to keep replacements I breed them to a polled hereford, or a low milk angus.
Silver
Well-known member
We bought a couple of Gelbvieh bulls one time because Blonde bulls were hard to come by and they are of very similar type, hard to tell apart really. They did fine, didn't hurt the programme at all.
Coosh71
Well-known member
TBrake, I'm surprised to hear you have Gelbvieh cow problems. We have really been impressed with our replacements and cows. They graze, calve, raise big calves and breed back quick. Can't ask for more than that. Also we haven't had ANY bag issues with this breed and not one off tempered steer/replacement. Quick story... We almost sold 4 black baldie cows before we introduced the Gelbvieh Bulls because the calves they raised were nuts and less than desirable. First calf off them with the Gelbvieh bull was a 180! I was hooked with the cross and the temperament change.
Aaron":34ucqs6s said:
30 seconds and a $2 shot at weaning is a small price to pay for the increased fertility in the GV crossbred heifers. AS WITH ALL BREEDS there are individuals in the GV breed that will have disposition issues. I run my cows with an Angus breeder who runs approx. 150 Registered and commercial cows and a few Limo crosses. We work those calves at least 4 to 5 time between birth and one year and I can tell you for a fact that my Cows and their calves ALL have better exit speeds than that Angus cowherd. I cull relentlessly for disposition and it shows. I have had a couple of yearling bulls fall out for disposition and with one exception they go to work for McDonalds asap. The exception went to Wyoming where he will probably only see one more human in his whole life...the one who hauls him to the processor in 5 years.
BTW Aaron one of the best if not the best crosses for GV's is a Hereford...and being the nice guy I am I won't mention all of the things that they fix on a Hereford.LOLOL ;-)
Aaron
Well-known member
3waycross":3chf18ae said:
The guys that ran Gelbvieh here didn't have facilities for a $2 shot and don't spend anything on drugs/vaccines as it is.
Maybe could fix any problems with a regular plain-Jane Hereford. Not my Herefords. I work to keep the milk down and manageable in my Herfs, not increase it. I'll say that there was a nice boost to weaning and yearling weights with the cross, but the excitability of them in the chute (as a crossbreed, not a plain straightbred Hereford) was not something I enjoyed. Even the heifers became wackos in the chute - cool as a cucumber and like pets in the pasture, but something would snap when they hit the headgate. But I am odd, I like my cows fat, slow and steady like me. Anything with too much getup and go doesn't stick around.
