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Mr. Greenjeans

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West Texas
So anyway, it has been a few years since I last posted. After setting off to create my own Gelbvieh bloodline by standing on the shoulders of giants (via A.I.), I now have some first hand knowledge on both success and setbacks within the process. My small, heavily culled, herd went from the bottom 30% in most EPD measurables within the breed to the top 20-30% in most of the EPD categories and in some categories top 5%. I started with 47R, then Bennett U271 (a calving non-ease mistake), then Pure Power, then M/L Advantage, then Govenor 3N. My entire herd is the result of at least one A.I. breeding and in some cases up to 3 A.I. breedings in succession. We sit with Homozygous Black (not easy to accomplish and only after 7 years of A.I.) and Homozygous Polled across the herd. Consistency of phenotype is now observed in physical conformation. Some line breeding occurred with using half brothers to sometimes cover half sisters but most of those offspring were culled due to a preference for A.I. progeny. The herd is now consistently above breed average in all aspects except Marbling. I originally gave myself 10 years to get to this point but the ability to perform blood draws for Genomically Enhanced EPD's accelerated the process. I try breed for 2 years before changing A.I. sires but availability of semen was sometimes a problem. I am now am set to use Hille Stock Options D410 for the next 2 years followed potentially by Franchise F806. Herd expansion is now the plan while continuing to A.I. for future herd sires since the core group of females is set. This will inherently lead to line breeding to some degree. It was certainly more challenging that I expected. I certainly have more respect for those in the industry that got us to this point with traditional breeding. When people ask why I followed this path -- I respond with: "I don't golf."
 
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This female is a first generation AI female out of Gelbvieh bull 47R from Kicking Horse Ranch. Tops the breed in calving ease and docility while maintaining respectable numbers in other aspects. She is one of my early success stories of really good "geehaw" and just produced a second generation bull calf from Govenor 3N that is the early favorite for cover bull candidate.
She will be AI'd to Stock Options D410 and covered by a young bull sired by Govenor 3N represented in the following link: https://gelbvieh.digitalbeef.com/mo...&file=_animal&animal_registration=AMGV1479460
 
Good to hear from you Mrgreen. How many cows do you run?

Ken
Ken, I tend to run around 12-15 cows registered. I cull heavily each year and those culled remain in our commercial herd of around 20. My registered herd typically has the oldest female of 5-6 years old due to the culling process. We AI on a timing basis and tend to have a 60% success rate. They get 3 straws over 24 hours when they are most likely to be fertile, then are returned to the cover bull the next week.
 
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After at least 5 generations of "crazy gene", we finally got it bred out of this one's bloodline. She carried it (never really showed it) but her offspring is chill with the numbers to prove it. Her mother was nuts and would run me up a fence during calving season. I should have just sold the mother along with the problem genetics. Lesson learned!
 
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This was the best of what I bought and started with about 7 years ago. Females where hard to find back then with most trying to rebuild after a drought. I was grateful to get them. Not bad phenotype but her numbers were in the bottom 20% of the breed. Nowhere to go but up.
 
I really like those Gelbvieh cattle. I had several cows once and liked everything about them except it seemed they got old and went down hill faster than some of the others I had. Very nice cattle, but if like the ones I had they need cycling often. I think some of the problem was they milk above average cows.
 
Does the TJG brand stand for "The Jeans are Greene?"

Nice looking cattle do they milk as well as they say?

I really like those Gelbvieh cattle. I had several cows once and liked everything about them except it seemed they got old and went down hill faster than some of the others I had. Very nice cattle, but if like the ones I had they need cycling often. I think some of the problem was they milk above average cows.
I haven't retained them for over 8 years so far. Those are still holding up. They certainly raise a calf up fast with heavy milking.
 
Has your effort been profitable?
The purebred operation is paying for itself (A.I. included) plus a little more. The commercial herd makes a little more with some cross breeding with Angus. I have to admit, the Balancers are impressive. With heavy culling I tend to sell some of the purebred cows about the time they hit their prime. I have a desire not to share the genetics outside of commercial operations for now. I want to control the product and bloodlines and only sell across the scales at the auction or private treaty. Currently, all of my bulls are going to a rancher with a large herd. He showed up the first time and bought everything available and even pulled a few bull calves off their mothers. I need to take pics of the 2nd generation from A.I. They are looking good.
 
Cattle look good. Be careful chasing numbers. Keep your EYE on the CATTLE. Feet, legs, volume, etc. Also, I would not chase Marbling EPD's. They are highly correlated to light muscled cattle. I wouldn't be so dead set against a red gene. Just keep track of it. Simmental pushed hard to go all black - now the reds are the hottest item out there for us. I have a large number of reds LOL
 
Cattle look good. Be careful chasing numbers. Keep your EYE on the CATTLE. Feet, legs, volume, etc. Also, I would not chase Marbling EPD's. They are highly correlated to light muscled cattle. I wouldn't be so dead set against a red gene. Just keep track of it. Simmental pushed hard to go all black - now the reds are the hottest item out there for us. I have a large number of reds LOL
Thanks for the input. The market around here wants first and foremost calving ease. I've noticed that the "curve bender" bulls that I have used have lower birth weights and in the majority of births, it is due to a shorter gestation period with A.I. calves being born 7-10 days early on average. My target is breed average in regard to growth. I've read some articles about high growth bulls having a negative impact on cows that aren't designed for growthy calves either genetically or with low forage availability in arid regions. Black is preferred since it brings more at the scales and it was just a marketing goal based on current market preferences. Moderate growth and milk is another target and these are of concern going forward. I am trying for the 1200-1300 lb range for mature cows. Moderate size is proving to be a challenge with the sires known for growth. There are only a few AI sires that are above breed average in all EPD's and Stock Options D410 is one of them and I have chosen to go with him next. https://gelbvieh.digitalbeef.com/mo...&file=_animal&animal_registration=AMGV1364748
 

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