should i choose a Gelbvieh

[south kentucky cattleman]

I have a small herd and was thinking of introducing a new bull into the herd(all cross bred heifers) .In my area most pure breds are angus..simmis ..limo's and a few other's but ive been seriously considering a Gelbvieh bull ..not too many in my area ...but there are some... just wanted some opinions on the subject

 

[dun]

Hard to beat and with the proper bull not only will you get carcass but also soe dandy replacement heifers.

dun

 

[Diehard40]

Gelbviehs do make pretty good mama's and crosses usually make good heifers. Biggest draw back would be the carcass. As a whole the Gelbvieh breed has had some problems when it comes to carcass quality. Personally i would choose Simmental over Gelb.

 

[mnmtranching]

It's been a while but I tried a couple Gelbvieh bulls. Nice cattle, but my crossbred Gelbvieh cows didn't last long, udders and teats got big and ended up feeding calves becouse of it. And the same thing is happening to my brother with his Gelbvieh cross cows right now.

 

[cfpinz]

We're running our own test now with a gelbvieh bull and a simmi on two sets of cows. I've been around simmi's most of my life and don't have much experience at all with the gelbvieh's but from what I've seen so far we may be sticking with the guppies.

cfpinz

 

[rgv]

Guppies?

RGV

 

[cfpinz]

Guppies?

RGV

One of the Canucks on here referred to gelbviehs as "guppies" one time and it kinda stuck in my head. There's a lot of free space in there.

cfpinz

 

[smoky]

Depends-

And I say that as a registered Gelbvieh breeder.

It depends on the current makeup of your cows, what you want them to be and what your marketing plan is.

If your herd is currently full of other continental bloodlines, and you like those cattle, then I would opt for a British breed.

If your herd is basically british or british/american cross, then I would opt for a continential bull.

Then I would decide if you are going to market every calf to feedlot or if you plan to raise and or sell replacements. If you are gonna sell every calf and they will end up in the feedlot, then its hard to argue Charolais or Limousin.

If you want to keep some heifers, sell some heifers, and market some darn good continential/british steer calves then either Gelbvieh or Simmental should work. The Gelbviehs would give you more of a solid color pattern (in general) over the Simmental.

The Gelbvieh also are generally very docile and very fertile.

I think which ever breed you choose, pick a bull that will help your herd from a phenotypical and genotypical perspective.

If your herd is currently a good blend of continental and british, I would strongly look at a Registered Balancer (Gelbvieh x Angus or Red Angus).

Regards,

Smoky

 

[VanC]

Depends-

And I say that as a registered Gelbvieh breeder.

It depends on the current makeup of your cows, what you want them to be and what your marketing plan is.

If your herd is currently full of other continental bloodlines, and you like those cattle, then I would opt for a British breed.

If your herd is basically british or british/american cross, then I would opt for a continential bull.

Then I would decide if you are going to market every calf to feedlot or if you plan to raise and or sell replacements. If you are gonna sell every calf and they will end up in the feedlot, then its hard to argue Charolais or Limousin.

If you want to keep some heifers, sell some heifers, and market some darn good continential/british steer calves then either Gelbvieh or Simmental should work. The Gelbviehs would give you more of a solid color pattern (in general) over the Simmental.

The Gelbvieh also are generally very docile and very fertile.

I think which ever breed you choose, pick a bull that will help your herd from a phenotypical and genotypical perspective.

If your herd is currently a good blend of continental and british, I would strongly look at a Registered Balancer (Gelbvieh x Angus or Red Angus).

Regards,

Smoky

Good straightforward advice. It's refreshing to hear from a breeder who can see the value of breeds other than theirs, and isn't constantly trying to shove their breed down people's throats. I salute you.

 

[OK Jeanne]

Would someone give an opinion on what, exactly, is a
"Balancer"??

 

[Frankie]

Would someone give an opinion on what, exactly, is a
"Balancer"??

From Cattle Today "Balancers are a hybrid breed created by crossing a purebred Gelbvieh with a purebred Angus. This 50% Gelbvieh - 50% Angus cross combines Gelbvieh's growth, muscle and leanness with Angus's calving ease, moderate size and marbling. Balancers offer the consistency of their parents combined with the hybrid vigor of a crossbred. They are registered with documented parentage and EPD's."

http://cattle-today.com/Balancer.htm