Use of Balancer Bulls in a Terminal Program

[js1234]

id like to know what you men who have used them think of balancers in general? we have over the years bought a few loads of balancer sired steers and they did fine, nothing overly impressive but no real disappointments either.
my current question is this; what have your experiences using balancer bulls on a good but not fancy set of angus and angus cross english based black cows been? my cousin and I have leased a piece of ground south of where we live and purchased the cows that were on the place from the gentleman who is retiring. they are pretty good, honestly better than most sets of cows around the country but not what id call "fancy". the retiring rancher has been angus on angus for quite sometime. our partnership that has bought this herd and leased the ranch is going to run it as a terminal program and most likely feed all the calves. wanting to focus on the terminal aspect and add pounds as i feel the cowherd has the ability to put quality grade on the calves already, i had toyed with Charolais. while our family operation currently only uses Angus and Hereford bulls, a friend buys a semi load of Char bulls from a breeder every year and I've been in contact with them. My cousin, much to my surprise, as he runs our farming side and never has a strong opinion about much of anything cattle related, has been researching Balancers and really would like to see us buy about 20 Balancer bulls this Fall for my and his partnership to use on this lease ranch. the auction he wants to go to is in 2 weeks or so and we are going to discuss in more detail the pros and cons later this week. as i stated earlier in this disjointed ramble, i know nothing about Balancers and how they'd fit into the program I've outlined. any info is appreciated?

 

[Son of Butch]

Gelbvieh bull would give you more heterosis than a crossbred (Balancer) Gelbvieh bull.

 

[wbvs58]

I have no direct experience but my understanding is that you would get more heterosis from a pure breed such as Charolais or Gelbveih as mentioned for the terminal calves. I do like the Charolais/ Angus calves myself and I think that is the way I would go. You might need a low BW Angus bull to use over heifers.
Ken

 

[UG]

I agree with other's comments that a purebred Gelbvieh should give you more hybrid vigor than a Balancer.

You will likely capture a few extra pounds with a performance type Charolais bull over a performance type Gelbvieh or Balancer bull. However, if your market pays a premium for black hided calves over Smokies (out of Charolais bulls), you may be money ahead to use homozygous black Gelbvieh or Balancer bulls.

Another benefit to using either Gelbvieh or Balancer bulls over Charolais bulls, is that the Geblvieh/Angus female makes a wonderful brood cow. If the female market heats up again, like it did the past couple years, you would be in a position to sell the heifers as replacements rather than feeding them out, a possibly capture more income than selling them on the rail.

FWIW

 

[cow pollinater]

I was crossing balancer and hereford back and forth. With the hereford in there the heterosis is phenomenal and the calves still sell really well. Over straight angus you don't see it as much and might be better off with char for putting pounds on.
If you're going to retain ownership on the calves the sale up in Dos Palos is the one you want to go to. Eagle Pass Ranch has been playing with feed efficiency for quite a while and some of the genetics in that sale will be some of the cheapest cattle to feed that you'll find.

 

[Son of Butch]

I really like Char/angus feeders...but...
Gelbvieh bull should have the advantage in pounds weaned per cow exposed vs either Charolais or Balancer bull.

 

[double v]

After reading some of these post determine what % balancers you need to be affective a true balancer is 50/50 but the percentage can range from 25/75 and anywhere in between. were the steers true balancers? Purebred Gelbvieh bulls put pounds on the grow so do balancers so getting the right fit could and should positively impact your herd.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I was crossing balancer and hereford back and forth. With the hereford in there the heterosis is phenomenal and the calves still sell really well. Over straight angus you don't see it as much and might be better off with char for putting pounds on.

2X
Nice calves with balancer over black cows, but not as consistent as Hereford over black cows.
Large feedlot here was promoting 1/4 GV 3/4 Angus calves, but switched to simi angus. Claimed 1/4 simi graded better.

 

[js1234]

I was crossing balancer and hereford back and forth. With the hereford in there the heterosis is phenomenal and the calves still sell really well. Over straight angus you don't see it as much and might be better off with char for putting pounds on.

2X
Nice calves with balancer over black cows, but not as consistent as Hereford over black cows.
Large feedlot here was promoting 1/4 GV 3/4 Angus calves, but switched to simi angus. Claimed 1/4 simi graded better.

i have had real good experience with the way a sim angus sired yearling will grade and that 1/4 of sim keeps the heifers from getting fat and yielding poor.

 

[js1234]

I was crossing balancer and hereford back and forth. With the hereford in there the heterosis is phenomenal and the calves still sell really well. Over straight angus you don't see it as much and might be better off with char for putting pounds on.
If you're going to retain ownership on the calves the sale up in Dos Palos is the one you want to go to. Eagle Pass Ranch has been playing with feed efficiency for quite a while and some of the genetics in that sale will be some of the cheapest cattle to feed that you'll find.

thats not the same sale my cousin had in mind but that Eagle Pass catalogue showed up in the mail at our office last week, ill make it a point to look it over at least to learn a bit. i couldn't agree more on the char deal and thats why i had just planned to go that way. i was just so surprised my cousin had any opinion at all about the direction to take on bulls let alone something as unexpected to me as balancers, i guess i just feel obligated to hear the deal out and maybe just try it, at least on half the cows, to see. also funny you mention that sale as a guy who has some cows here in Central Ca who i know mentioned earlier this week when i talked to him on the phone about something unrelated that he or his dad, i don't remember which, was going to that sale in Dos Palos.

 

[gertman]

I have a balancer (1/2 an, 1/2 gv) and a purebred gelbvieh. The balancer's calves grow just as fast or faster and carry just as much muscle as the calves sired by the gelbvieh. I was worried about uniformity from the balancer so as an experiment I bred him to a group of cows that are varying percentages of angus, brangus, hereford, simmental, and gelbvieh. All of his calves were black and black baldies, and I am very pleased. Try one i think you'll like him.