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Sustainability Starts with the Cow

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LINCOLN, Neb. – Sustainability is a popular topic of conversation within the beef industry, with discussions surrounding improving operational efficiency and increasing transparency to build consumer trust while remaining profitable. For beef producers, sustainability starts at the herd level with the cow. With an efficient use of resources, the Gelbvieh cow is the picture of sustainability in today’s modern beef industry.

Gelbvieh females do more with less. Gelbvieh and Balancer® cattle offer maternal superiority through increased longevity, added fertility and more pounds of calf weaned per cow exposed. Additionally, Gelbvieh and Balancer females offer a reduced mature cow size, greater calving ease and reach puberty at an earlier age.

U.S. Meat Animal Research Center data shows Gelbvieh females have the smallest mature cow size and are the earliest to mature of the major beef breeds. The Gelbvieh breed was the only breed in the study to reduce mature cow size – at an average of 1,382 pounds Gelbvieh-sired females had the lowest five-year-old cow weight. This reduced mature cow size allows for puberty to be reached at an earlier age, which leads to calving earlier in the season and producing a heavier calf at a younger age.

Gelbvieh and Balancer genetics deliver maternal superiority in planned crossbreeding systems. Gelbvieh maternal influence offers added fertility, increased longevity, and more pounds of calf weaned per cow exposed. Using Gelbvieh and Balancer genetics can increase profitability through heavier weaning weights, improved feed bunk efficiency as well as heavier, faster-gaining cattle. Highly productive cows with adaptability, versatility and sustainability can have a positive impact on the producer’s bottom line.

Sustained production in the cow herd is essential. Gelbvieh females are proven to stay in the herd longer and consume less while weaning heavier calves. Gelbvieh-influenced females are the smart, reliable and profitable maternal choice for achieving sustainability in today’s modern beef industry. Be sustainable, breed Gelbvieh.

The American Gelbvieh Association is a progressive beef cattle breed association representing 1,100 members and approximately 40,000 cows assessed annually in a performance-oriented total herd reporting system. 

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Dannehl Joins American Gelbvieh Association

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LINCOLN, Neb. – The American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) is pleased to announce the addition of Sarah Dannehl, Wymore, Nebraska, to the AGA staff as the performance programs coordinator. In her role, Dannehl will assist AGA members and customers with the AGA Online Registry Service, support AGA data collection projects, help members with DNA testing questions, and focus on member education efforts.

“We are excited to have Sarah joining our talented AGA team,” says Megan Slater, AGA executive director. “She has a strong cattle background and a well-suited set of talents that make her a great fit for this role where she will work closely with AGA members and customers.”

Dannehl grew up on her family’s farm and ranch in Bertrand, Nebraska. She was heavily involved in 4-H and FFA showing cattle and horses. She received her bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in May of 2020. She was involved in the Sigma Alpha agricultural sorority and the Alpha Zeta national honor society. During college, she pursued many animal science related internships but she didn’t find her niche until she interned with the AGA in 2019.

“Growing up on my family’s commercial cow-calf operation, raising Gelbvieh and Balancer® cattle, the breed is very near and dear to my heart,” said Dannehl. “I truly enjoyed my internship with the AGA and am excited to be back working with the AGA team as well as members and producers.”

Dannehl began her role on April 17 and can be reached at sarah@gelbvieh.org or at the AGA office at 303-465-2333.

The American Gelbvieh Association is a progressive beef cattle breed association representing 1,100 members and approximately 40,000 cows assessed annually in a performance-oriented total herd reporting system. 

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2023 Midwest Beef Cattle Consultants 20th Annual Spring Bull and Female Sale Report

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Reported by: Dr. W. Mark Hilton, DVM, PAS, BABVP

The Midwest Beef Cattle Consultants team held their 20th annual spring bull and female sale on Saturday, March 11, at Muegee Family Farms in Carthage, Indiana.

The 26 Balancer® and Gelbvieh, six Simmental hybrid, and three Angus bulls averaged $4,994, while the 14 registered and commercial Balancer females sold for an average of $2,406. Animals sold to producers in Indiana, Michigan, Arkansas, North Carolina and Ohio.

The high-selling bull was MSCM Tahoe 118E 52K from M5 Ag Services at $10,800 for full possession and 50% semen interest. The homozygous black, homozygous polled, 50% Balancer bull is the only bull in the AGA database to be in the top 45% or better of every EPD and $value. The buyer was a repeat customer of VF Farms, LLC – Grant and Heather VonDielingen & Toney and Jeanna Eppley, Brownstown, Indiana. VF Farms owns a commercial herd and a meat packing business in Southern Indiana.

RIED Captain 42K was the second high-selling bull at $6,900 and went to longtime customer Chris Temple, St. Croix, Indiana. This Mr BHSF Prophet B006 son is out of the foundation cow, MBCC Meadow Springs 45U at Riedie Cattle. He is top 10% WW, 4% YW and 10% marbling.

Two DCH Hille Stock Options D409 sons were the next high sellers. At $6,700 was MUEG 18G8 Stock Option, a 71% Gelbvieh owned by Muegee Family Farms. This bull is top 35% or better for CED, BW, WW, YW, Milk, TM, HP, PG30, stayability and docility. The bull went to first-time buyer, K&K Farms, Kevin & Kenyon Hostetler, Green Forest, Arkansas.

At $6.600 was BRCC Olympus 2K from Blue Ridge Farms, Tom & Janice Brooks. Long-time buyer, Austin Pratt, Harrison, Arkansas, was the buyer of this bull with top 10% or better WW, YW, TM, HP, PG30, docility, SC, CW, ribeye and marbling.

Also at $6,600 was SimAngus bull, MBCC LWO Fireball 83K from MBCC, West Lafayette, Indiana, and Lubben White Oak Farms, Monticello, Iowa. This 75% Angus, 25% Simmental bull was the highest WW, YW, ribeye and marbling bull in the Simmental composite offering. He also went to K&K Farms in Arkansas.

At $6,500 was MBCC Weightlifter 31K, a son of MBCC No Risk 8F out of a Chief Justice cow. This calving ease bull is typical of the “8F” sons with his top 20% YW, 15% CEM, 1% docility and 1% marbling. The buyer was a repeat buyer, Jim Lankford, Mooresville, Indiana.

The volume buyer in the bull sale was first-time buyer David Ebinger, Holton, Indiana, with four head.

In the female sale, MSCM M5 Dunns TJ, a red Gelbvieh hybrid female sired by SKF Dunns Heatwave 07B with a red heifer calf sired by Triple K Husker G413 at side from M5 Ag sold for $4,500 to Pat Mohr, Greenfield, Indiana.

At $3,600 was a bred heifer from Riedie. RIED Big Springs 10J sold to Barber Livestock, Elwood, Indiana. This Civil War granddaughter is out of the same dam as the RIED Caption 42K bull.

In the open heifer sale, prices ranged from $1,850 – $2,350, with Dr. Oberlin McDaniel selecting siz head to add to her herd in Enfield, North Carolina, and Jim Lankford and Dr. David Walton, Rising Sun, Indiana, each selecting two heifers.

2023 Danell Diamond Six Ranch 28th Annual Bull Sale Report

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Danell Diamond Six Ranch
Lewistown, Montana
Reported By: Don Danell
March 18, 2023
BillPelton.com Online Auction

 

Averages:

17 Yearling Bulls at $7,441

3 Purebred Gelbvieh Bulls at $14,333

14 Balancer® Bulls at $5,964

 

Due to a late change in circumstances this year, we decided it made more sense to try an online-only auction, closing on our regular sale day. We had a pre-sale gathering and viewing of the bulls at the ranch Friday night and enjoyed a lovely evening and wonderful meal with a good turnout of buyers, bidders, friends and neighbors!

 

Sale Highlights:

Lot 10, JOB DANELL Bruiser 43K, was our high seller this year at $26,000. After an exciting bidding war, Samee Charriere of Ledgerwood Gelbvieh in Clarkston, Washington, place the winning bid. He is one of only 21 sons of our 2021 high-selling bulls, JOB DANELL Pay Pal 12H, that have been offered so far and they have been in great demand! Bruiser is a homozygous polled, homozygous black, 92.2% Purebred Gelbvieh bull that is long made with a 14.94 ribeye and an extra rib! Bruiser’s donor dam is known for great growth in her calves and this one fits her record with a 5.2-pound ADG on test (123 ratio). Bruiser has the EPDs, ultrasound data, pedigree, performance and solid look to make an imprint on the breed!

 

Lot 8, JOB DANELL Top Shelf 38K ET, is a homozygous polled, black, 99.9% Purebred Gelbvieh bull that is headed to Diamond D Gelbvieh in Medina, North Dakota, after Richard & Sara Heinrich and Dennis Gustin won the bid at $11,000. From a favorite sire, JOB DANELL TD Chico Loco 28Y, and an elite donor dam, JOB DANELL Josephine 33C (also the dam of the above-mentioned breed changer – JOB DANELL Pay Pal 12H), Top Shelf has the pedigree, calving ease, style, performance and disposition to really make a name for himself! He was rated a perfect 5/5 (claw/heel) foot score by our vet, Greg Carlson, and of very special note, as a Purebred Gelbvieh bull – his ultrasound measurement of a whopping 4.29 IMF!

 

Lot 4, JOB DANELL Chisel 18K, also sired by JOB DANELL Pay Pal 12H, comes in at $10,250 – winning him a ticket t0 Greenfield, Iowa, and a home with Galen Geidel of Geidel Cattle Company. Chisel is a homozygous polled, homozygous black, 79.7% Gelbvieh, Balancer bull with a performance record and set of balanced EPDs from calving ease, growth and carcass, to put him in a league of his own!

 

Lot 16, JOB DANELL Kickstart 65K, is a homozygous polled, homozygous black, 34.3% Gelbvieh, Balancer bull that sold for $9,250 to Tim Robinson of Robinson Farms in Pleasureville, Kentucky. With a tenderness score of 9 and from a young sire, JOB DANELL Bogart 67H, that boasts a 16.8 ribeye (116 ratio) and a 4.7 IMF (131 ratio), and an absolute favorite young, purebred Angus dam, JOB DANELL Butterfly 53G, Kickstart promises to be an excellent beef producer! Kickstart will be our herd sire this spring and then go to his home in Kentucky.

 

3 bulls brought $7,250:

Lot 14, JOB DANELL Secret Agent 59K – sired by JOB DANELL Eliot 71H, rounds out our bulls headed out of state –  selling to Wade Shuler of Shuler Farms, LLC in Powell, Wyoming.

Lot 2, JOB DANELL Romeo 14K –  sired by Pay Pal’s sire (JOB DANELL Paygrade 68E), only has to travel across the highway to Colver Gelbvieh and Fred & Leslie Colver of Lewistown, Montana.

Lot 13, JOB DANELL Marvel 58K – sired by JOB DANELL Bogart 67H, heads to Wes Rorvik of Rorvik Bros., LLC in Nashua, Montana. Wes is our volume buyer again this year, also taking home lots 11, 5, 6 and 9, averaged $5,250 for the five bulls.

 

Lot 12, JOB DANELL Harvey 50K for $7,000, and Lot 7, JOB DANELL Humdinger 32K for $6,000, are sticking around Lewistown – headed to Jensen Ranch, Paul and Jen Jensen.

 

We were nervous about how things would go this year with such a huge change and we are quite thankful for the wonderful people that continue to put their trust in our program –  we hope that trust is well founded and our bulls do the job for you in your programs!