Pictures from this week

[CKSGelbvieh]

Red, diluter free, homozygous polled purebred Gelbvieh two year old

Black, homozygous polled purebred Gelbvieh four year old

 

[lithuanian farmer]

I like the first one, but both bulls are nice. Nice stock and place. I'd like to ask you how much weigh calves usually? I think they're small?
I wish here were Gelbvieh cattle in my country. Hope it'll in the future.

 

[double v]

Is the red the one from canada? like the blk also..

 

[3waycross]

Nice bulls. If i had to pick i would say i like the Red bull a little better but it might just be condition talking there. The blk bull reminds me a lot of the bull that Double V and i own. What is the breeding on the two bulls?
One thing is for sure they are not the big framey bulls folks think you get with a Gelbvieh.

 

[JWBrahman]

Your red bull is nice, would you care to share some more information on him? Rick Reeves said that the Gelbvieh/Brahman F1 is a terrific animal.

Oct. 1, 2009 - While growing up near Longview, Rick Reeves' family dabbled in commercial cattle while running a gas and oil business. After college, Reeves took his father's and grandfather's land in Hallsville, and began raising cattle on a much larger scale.
Brahman cattle have been a big part of Rick Reeves' cattle operation for several years, He has crossed the cattle with several other breeds with great success. --Staff photo by Bedell
"I graduated college with a business degree from Baylor University in the early 70s," said Reeves. "After I graduated, I decided to buy some Brahman cows and go into the cattle business on my family's land. At the time Brahman cattle were pretty big on the market, and I preferred raising them because of their known traits of hardiness and efficiency. I had noticed, growing up in Texas, that it was hard for cattle to be efficient during the hot summer months unless they had a little ear in them, such as the Brahman."

Reeves also took to Brahman cattle because they were on high demand throughout the world.

"During the 70s, Brahman cattle became really popular in the United States, as well as other countries through the world," he said. "When I first started raising Brahmans, and then well into the 80s, I traveled to several countries marketing my cattle."

Reeves' 250-acre Brahman operation, Happy Valley Ranch, expanded over the years from 30 cows to a herd reaching 800 in the mid 80s.

"I was running several hundred head of cattle though the 80s on the family land, as well as 2,500 acres of leased land in Harrison, Gregg, Marion and Upshur Counties," he said. "Although I started with registered Brahman, I played around through the years with different varieties of F-1 crosses. I raised Simbrah, Braford, Saler and Brahman F-1 crosses, Gelbvieh and Brahman F-1 crosses, and now I am raising and focusing on Brangus."

Through the years of experimenting with several F-1 crosses, Reeves said he prefers the Brangus over other crosses.

"There were good traits with each cross, however, the Brangus seemed to me to carry more favorable traits than the other breeds," he explained. "The Gelbvieh F-1 made a terrific animal, but the market just wasn't there for the cattle. To me, when breeding a Brahman cow to an Angus bull to get a Brangus F-1 cross, the calves carry the hybrid vigor of both breeds. Brangus carry traits such as hardiness, efficiency, fertility, and longevity. I have noticed that a Brangus F-1 may not wean a calf as heavy as a Braford F-1, but overall, I think it is a better cow."

After developing a large herd consisting of Brahman, Brangus F-1 crosses and numerous commercial embryo recipient cows, Reeves decided to scale back in the early 90s.

"The purebred business went south for most breeds in the late 80s," he said. "I stayed big until about 1991, and then began scaling back. I scaled back not only because the market, but I wanted to be home with my family more and get back to riding horses. When I was running big, I was working nearly 100 hours a week."

Today, Reeves operates approximately 100 brood cows of Brahman and Brangus F-1 crosses on his Harrison County ranch.

"Although I have scaled back, I am still trying to produce a functional Brangus F-1 female that is efficient, has moderate size, volume and capacity, and maintains fertility and milkability," he said. "I am hoping to transition to more Brangus F-1 females and carry only 20 or 30 Brahman cows."

In the last 12 years, Reeves, along with a long time family friend Bobby Campbell, have been selling SweetPro cattle blocks. Reeves got into the business after buying a truck load of blocks from Kansas and began distributing them to local ranchers. Today, he not only sells blocks, but horse, goat and pig supplements, as well.

For more information about Happy Valley Ranch, visit www.HappyValleyRanches.com .

 

[CKSGelbvieh]

Is the red the one from canada? like the blk also..

Red bull is a home raised two year old. AGA# 1200958. Complete outcross red. His sire has left some great sons and daughters here and is now in Illinois working at another purebred herd. Am trying to sell semen on his sire and have advertised him in the Gelbvieh World.

Black bull is PMFG Chief Executive. Bought him this winter from a breeder in Kentucky. He stood second to Decade in the National Futurity a few years ago. He came straight off of pasture in Kentucky and came here about three weeks ago. He is not in picture condition, he is in pasture condition.

 

[CKSGelbvieh]

Your red bull is nice, would you care to share some more information on him? Rick Reeves said that the Gelbvieh/Brahman F1 is a terrific animal.

Red bull is sired by DCSF Post Rock ID 235R1

His grandsire is BNC M264

He was the high gaining bull in our 2011 calf crop and I have 13 calves on the ground and they are looking good. Nice eye appeal and did not assist any of the calves and the birth weights were very moderate.

 

[brimmer X]

I like your red bull as well. Looks like a good set of testicals.

 

[CKSGelbvieh]

I like your red bull as well. Looks like a good set of testicals.

42 cm at a year of age. Had a half brother out of the same sire this year measure 46 cm at 14 months. Fertility is not an issue with these bloodlines.

 

[herefordlover]

were thinking about going Gelbvieh on part of our herefords in a few years

 

[CKSGelbvieh]

were thinking about going Gelbvieh on part of our herefords in a few years

I have a bull customer in Southern Iowa that uses red Gelbvieh bulls on Hereford cows. She loves the calves.

 

[3waycross]

Did you read the report from the Gelbvieh Assn saying that Post Rock Granite has tested positive as a carrier for "Fawn Calf Syndrome".

Came out today!

 

[HOSS]

Did you read the report from the Gelbvieh Assn saying that Post Rock Granite has tested positive as a carrier for "Fawn Calf Syndrome".

Came out today!

I have not seen that yet 3way. Thanks for posting it. I have some PRG genetics in my herd.

 

[JWBrahman]

Your red bull is nice, would you care to share some more information on him? Rick Reeves said that the Gelbvieh/Brahman F1 is a terrific animal.

Red bull is sired by DCSF Post Rock ID 235R1

His grandsire is BNC M264

He was the high gaining bull in our 2011 calf crop and I have 13 calves on the ground and they are looking good. Nice eye appeal and did not assist any of the calves and the birth weights were very moderate.

Thank you CKS, you have some fine looking cattle. :tiphat:

 

[CKSGelbvieh]

Did you read the report from the Gelbvieh Assn saying that Post Rock Granite has tested positive as a carrier for "Fawn Calf Syndrome".

Came out today!

Yeah, I saw that. The interesting thing to me will be where he got it from in his pedigree. Sire is 8 generations Gelbvieh and dam is 9 generations with no Angus bulls in plain sight. Both his sire and dam have a decent number of progeny.

 

[dieselbeef]

thems some nice lookin bulls awrighty

 

[gizmom]

I like them both! The red bull sure has all the tools he needs in the tool box.

Gizmom