Next year's Gelbvieh show heifers

[kjonesel]

Sunday I took the kids and we went to view Maple Hill Farms crop of fullbloods for this year. I buy them a heifer each year for the work they perform around the house and farm and this thus becomes their savings plan.
As we visited with the Lewis's we went out in the pasture (several hundred acres) and he called the herd up, as they came up my daughter immediately selected another white heifer, a full sister to the one she had this year. My son finally settled on two heifers but couldn't make a final decision so he surprised me. He asked if he could take his money from picking peaches and spraying pumpkins for his uncle and buy a second one. I felt that was a sign of maturity since all his classmates are preparing to buy vehicles and spend their time going out. I know that its a whole lot harder to spend the money if its standing in the barnlot looking at you each day.
Needless to say there was a July calf out of a Polled Exclusive daughter that I couldn't resist. So I guess our herd will have 4 more Fullblood Gelbviehs this year.

 

[DOC HARRIS]

kjonesel-

I understand how you may have been surprised (and PLEASED) that your son made a correct and conscious decision that indicated maturity and inteligence. But I feel you should take pride IN YOURSELF that your efforts in training your kids - from day ONE! - is paying off big time! You and your wife should be button-busting proud of YOUR considerable thought and prayers in raising your children! :clap: :tiphat:

DOC HARRIS

 

[3waycross]

Pictures I need to see pictures.

If you don't want to run the gauntlet of experts here then a PM would suffice. Or even an email I am very curious how they look.

 

[Keren]

I agree I need pictures!!

Also ... did you say a white Gelbvieh?? I didn't know they came in white ... thought they were red/orange and black

 

[kjonesel]

Here is a picture of this years white heifer. We failed to take a camera with us Sunday. The white Gelbvieh are a genetic rarity and I will try and get the details of how they occur but this years will be the last as the sire was struck by lightning this past year. Her sire was from the Truman State herd in Missouri and was referred to as the Rippy bull, I would have to check the registry papers to know for certain. We were told that there is the possibility that if bred to a black sire a grey calf could be born.

 

[3waycross]

It must be some variation of the diluter gene. I had a grey one born from a red cow(diluter) and an Angus bull.

 

[houstoncutter]

somebody help me out, wouldnt that heifer be a white purebred, not a white fullblood??

 

[Keren]

Thanks for that, I look forward to hearing more about them when you get details. Hope the heifers settle in well

 

[kjonesel]

Just briefly, and it took me awhile to get it, The Gelbvieh association has allowed the influence of other breeds into their registry. I would have to look it up but to be a Purebred they are required to be 15/16 I believe or better and can never become fullbloods which have no outside influence into their breed. If you hear of a Balancer it is a combination of other breeds and now the Gelbvieh has an official designation called Southern Balancer. I haven't gotten beyond the term crossbred.

 

[Massey135]

If you hear of a Balancer it is a combination of other breeds and now the Gelbvieh has an official designation called Southern Balancer. I haven't gotten beyond the term crossbred.

At one point, all breeds of cattle were just a group of crossbreds. Only after years of selective breeding did they become a recognized "breed."

 

[Massey135]

Do the papers say "white" or is she just a red that carries the diluter?

 

[kjonesel]

The registry #AMGV1176136 and she is listed as white. If you go to the Gelbvieh homepage and find the animal search it will give you the lineage of this heifer. I was amazed at how extensive the database was on the Gelbvieh breed. I will be registering some of my crossbreds as hybrids which I feel is good so that the lineage can be documented.

 

[CKSGelbvieh]

Your white heifer would simply be a homozygous diluter female from my experience. Many of the original fullbloods like Lech threw very white offspring. I wish some of the few fullblood breeders that were left in the US were using the original fullblood sires instead of the small handful of polled fullblood sires. Polled Exclusive was raised 20 miles from me and he was an impressive bull in person. In fact, the sire and dam of your daughter's heifer was raised at the same place by long time Gelbvieh breeder Francis Bradshaw. We bought about 8 bulls over the years from Francis and he owned a couple with my dad as well. There is a great breeder behind that heifer.

 

[houstoncutter]

Never too old to learn something new about the cattle biz... I didnt know their were white fullbloods...thanks for the posting

 

[kjonesel]

I wish I could obtain a photograph of Polled Exclusive to see his type. We have contacted Bull Barn as they have a few fullblood sires to choose from and have decided that it will be necessary to use horned sires in the future.