Gelbvieh Breeders Recognized for Superior Females

Each fall the American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) honors females in the herdbook that display maternal superiority through the Dam of Merit and Dam of Distinction program. The AGA praises those members who continually place emphasis on the maternal traits of Gelbvieh and Balancer® genetics in their herd and produce these outstanding females.

Of the 40,132 active cows in the AGA herdbook, only 5.0 percent qualified for the Dam of Merit award. Only 1.0 percent of the cows within the herdbook qualified for the elite Dam of Distinction honor. All three of these numbers are up from only a year ago, when the AGA saw 39,516 active cows, 3.6 percent qualifying for Dam of Merit and 0.8 percent for Dam of Distinction.

"Maternal traits are where the Gelbvieh breed really excels. Encouraging our members to continue putting selection pressure on these traits will put the breed in an even better position for impacting the beef industry," says Susan Willmon, American Gelbvieh Association's director of breed improvement.

The Dam of Merit and Dam of Distinction recognition program was started in 1991 to honor superior females within the breed. Both of these honor females based on data that is submitted to the AGA. The females must meet the following criteria to qualify for this recognition: early puberty and conception, regular calving intervals, and above-average weaning weights on their calves. Dams of Merit must have produced at least three calves in addition to meeting these criteria. Dams of Distinction must have produced eight calves or more and exhibit superior, long-term productivity.

Gelbvieh and Balancer females offer a maternal advantage through increased longevity, added fertility, and more pounds of calve weaned per cow exposed. With maternal productivity playing a major role in profitable beef production, Gelbvieh and Balancer cattle are a smart choice for commercial cattlemen, particularly for the advantages of crossbreeding. Using Gelbvieh and Balancer genetics in a crossbreeding program can add as much as $1,000 profit over the lifetime of a crossbred cow.

The following lists the top ten breeders of Dams of Merit and Dams of Distinction:

1. Judd Ranch, Inc., Pomona, Kan.
2. Bar T Bar Ranch, Inc., Winslow, Ariz.
3. Lazy TV Ranch, Selby, S.D.
4. Taubenheim Gelbvieh, Amherst, Neb.
5. Flying H Genetics, Arapahoe, Neb.
6. Schroeder, Inc., Sioux Falls, S.D.
7. Wehri Gelbvieh, Hebron, N.D.
8. Post Rock Cattle Co., Barnard, Kan.
9. Chimney Butte Ranch, Mandan, N.D.
10. Diamond D Gelbvieh, Mandan, N.D.

The listing of the top ten owners of Dams of Merit and Dams of Distinction:

1. Judd Ranch, Inc., Pomona, Kan.
2. Bar T Bar Ranch, Inc., Winslow, Ariz.
3. Lazy TV Ranch, Selby, S.D.
4. Taubenheim Gelbvieh, Amherst, Neb.
5. Flying H Genetics, Arapahoe, Neb.
6. Schroeder, Inc., Sioux Falls, S.D.
7. Wehri Gelbvieh, Hebron, N.D.
8. Diamond D Gelbvieh, Mandan, N.D.
9. Chimney Butte Ranch, Mandan, N.D.
10. Sandy Knoll Farm, Saint John, Kan.

For more information on the maternal benefits of Gelbvieh and Balancer cattle visit www.www.gelbvieh.org or call 303-465-2333.

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