More than one Breed !

[hillsdown]

Turns out they were just starting to get going in North America and in the the last 5 years the movement has sky rocketed.

They've been in the US since the early 70s. Carnation Genetics (formerly in Carnation, WA) started importing semen back then. The Gelbvieh Association has had classifications for udder and teat quality from the beginning. I think that's a big share of the reason you see fewer Gelbvieh wih poor udders then some of the other continental breeds.

I bought a few head to start my herd out from an outfit who were the pioneers here in Canada they started their purebred registed GV herd in the 70's and alot of the original FB herd was imported from Germany and then they used alot is US genetics. Which is why there were blacks in them. I have to tell you that when I saw the Gelbvieh beef cattle in Germany I can't recall seeing any blacks. :lol2: I guess having dairy as my original background I am a stickler for the udder as well, and GV usually have phenomenal tight udders at any age. I am seeing that with with the herfs that are being bred around here as well lately.

But I digress enough about them ,I really am liking the beefmasters the more I see and hear about them.. Like I said if I could have a herd of each breed out there I would be in heaven.

 

[Willow Springs]

For beef as most know it is Red Gelbvieh and after doing research on the breed when I first saw them on a trip to Germany I was so taken with them that I had to find out as much as I could about them. Turns out they were just starting to get going in North America and in the the last 5 years the movement has sky rocketed. There are Gelbvieh influenced herds everywhere around here so I guess others see what I see in them and the feed lots love them.

I hate to be negative about your posts, but your sweeping statement is not correct in Alberta anyway. The heyday of the Gelbvieh breed was probably 10 years ago in Alberta. They had huge increases in breeders and cattle registered. There were about 15 breeders within a 100 km radius of me; today there are three that I know of and they are more commercial breeders now. I have also talked to feedlots that don't like feeding gelbvieh cattle and won't buy them; having said that every feedlot has their likes and dislikes.

I do agree that they are nice looking cattle and know many people who raise them. They are a very popular cross with Red Angus; keep the red colour and get some hybrid vigour at the same time. Like almost every other breed in our province they seem to be a casualty of the Angus (red & black) tidal wave.

 

[hillsdown]

I hate to be negative about your posts, but your sweeping statement is not correct in Alberta anyway. The heyday of the Gelbvieh breed was probably 10 years ago in Alberta. They had huge increases in breeders and cattle registered. There were about 15 breeders within a 100 km radius of me; today there are three that I know of and they are more commercial breeders now. We had BSE and the industry tanked so alot sold out ,as at that time we also had record land prices which was far more lucrative for them to sell and relocate. Also the seedstock producer had better be on top of their game ;it is more than place cow in front, bull behind. You sure as hell had better be prepared to AI most of your herd and know everything their is to know about EPD's and genetics, if not get the hell out as your stock is worthless.
I have also talked to feedlots that don't like feeding Gelbvieh cattle and won't buy them; having said that every feedlot has their likes and dislikes.As far as feed lots not liking them, I had better tell the commercial guys that run GV bulls with 500-600 head of mixed cattle from char, herf ,shorthorn ,anjou etc and sell the feeder calves at a premium.

I do agree that they are nice looking cattle and know many people who raise them. They are a very popular cross with Red Angus; keep the red colour and get some hybrid vigour at the same time. Like almost every other breed in our province they seem to be a casualty of the Angus (red & black) tidal wave.

Tan and red baldies get premium here and that will probably never change .

 

[Willow Springs]

As far as feed lots not liking them, I had better tell the commercial guys that run GV bulls with 500-600 head of mixed cattle from char, herf ,shorthorn ,anjou etc and sell the feeder calves at a premium.

Every producer topped the market the day they sold, and got a premium for their calves. Just like every herd dispersal that sells through the market raised calves that topped the market the fall before. Not arguing just stating facts. Every breed except Angus and maybe Simmental have seen a drop in markets. That is a big reason for breeders dispersing, couldn't sell enough bulls to make a profit raising purebreds. Not saying it is right, just saying it's so.

 

[hillsdown]

As far as feed lots not liking them, I had better tell the commercial guys that run GV bulls with 500-600 head of mixed cattle from char, herf ,shorthorn ,anjou etc and sell the feeder calves at a premium.

Every producer topped the market the day they sold, and got a premium for their calves. WHAT .......Just like every herd dispersal that sells through the market raised calves that topped the market the fall before. Not arguing just stating facts. Every breed except Angus and maybe Simmental have seen a drop in markets. That is a big reason for breeders dispersing, couldn't sell enough bulls to make a profit raising purebreds. Shytty bulls do not sell and alot of dumbies thought they could make a quick buck WRONG. Not saying it is right, just saying it's so.

My reference is to now, not 10 years ago, and being involved on all spectrum's from dairy to beef, BSE and border closures influenced everything. BTW fleckvieh which really is the only true simmi, is pretty much non existent anymore and that is mostly because of frame size.
It doesn't even matter anymore as the drought has killed us all, and the aholes that were holding on for insurance money instead of reseeding when they should have, can be written off forever as far as I'm concerned.

 

[novaman]

I hate to be a copy cat but I have to go along with HD. Holstein and Gelbvieh are my breeds of choice.

 

[alftn]

Cattle of choice and cattle that make money are two different things... In the late 70's and early 80's I was involved with Shorthorns..I feel about them and their colors as the Longhorn breeders do.. I simply love them...It is great that they a duel purpose..and 100 years ago that would have been great (milk and meat, and a damn good Ox to boot) ....But in west Tn. a spotted cows, reguardless of how nice they are, are not going to pay off...I bought Black Angus because there are probly 10 times as many Black Angus in a 100 mile radius as every thing else combined... I use Black Bulls (I mean Angus, I am of age enought that Black Bull = Angus) I mean nothing else is really black in the Beef cattle business...untill Angus turn them that way... But black cattle of good phenotype, I got bored with and used a reg.polled hereford...Wife gave me crap at frist, but the white faces, are her favs... My herd is pure B.angus down to , well next spring 1/4 angus 3/4 hereford( got one of them red white face on the girls again) I think after this red bull, I would like to use a Bal(GV3/ X B.Angus 5/8) as a ter.cross for steers , I would keep the girls, and go back to my Black angus root again. But I would like to have a pasture full of them red,white, and roan cows and cross them with a Bal. bull. All of this is because of location....I was in deep south Texas.it would be gerts, or better yet a good (f-1) tigerstripe breed to a Brangus bull.... It is all about location.

 

[talldog]

Cattle of choice and cattle that make money are two different things... In the late 70's and early 80's I was involved with Shorthorns..I feel about them and their colors as the Longhorn breeders do.. I simply love them...It is great that they a duel purpose..and 100 years ago that would have been great (milk and meat, and a be nice good Ox to boot) ....But in west Tn. a spotted cows, reguardless of how nice they are, are not going to pay off...I bought Black Angus because there are probly 10 times as many Black Angus in a 100 mile radius as every thing else combined... I use Black Bulls (I mean Angus, I am of age enought that Black Bull = Angus) I mean nothing else is really black in the Beef cattle business...untill Angus turn them that way... But black cattle of good phenotype, I got bored with and used a reg.polled hereford...Wife gave me crap at frist, but the white faces, are her favs... My herd is pure B.angus down to , well next spring 1/4 angus 3/4 hereford( got one of them red white face on the girls again) I think after this red bull, I would like to use a Bal(GV3/ X B.Angus 5/8) as a ter.cross for steers , I would keep the girls, and go back to my Black angus root again. But I would like to have a pasture full of them red,white, and roan cows and cross them with a Bal. bull. All of this is because of location....I was in deep south Texas.it would be gerts, or better yet a good (f-1) tigerstripe breed to a Brangus bull.... It is all about location.

That last statement is SO SO TRUE !!

 

[mnmtranching]

I've owned 2 Gelbvieh bulls and ran some F1 cows crossed with both Angus and Charolais. I like the Red Gelbvieh, don't think much of turning them black.