Our commercial cattle operation consists of Gelbvieh and Charolais bulls on Brangus cross cows. This crossbreeding produces high weaning weight calves which we pre-condition and ship to market at about six hundred pounds. The Gelbvieh breed is one
of the oldest German cattle breeds, first found mainly in three Franconian districts of
Bavaria. This solid-colored breed of red-yellow cattle enjoyed great popularity as draft
and slaughter cattle. Since World War II, Germany has used a stringent selection program
to repopulate its cattle herds. Only three percent of the registered cows are used to produce
potential bulls. Bulls from these select cows are performance-tested, and the top half are progeny-tested.
In the 1960's, Red Danish cattle were introduced to the herd book to improve milk production.
The American Gelbvieh Association was formed in 1971, and today there are nearly 70,000 active, registered Gelbvieh cows in the United States and over
2,000 active members of the American Gelbvieh Association. Gelbvieh calves are widely
recognized for excellence in growth, muscling and marketability, while Gelbvieh females are known
for milking ability, fertility and quiet temperament.
The outstanding maternal strengths, feedlot performance, and carcass merit of Brangus are
helping them make inroads in the West and Midwest as well as any good cow country. This naturally
polled, black breed was developed to withstand extreme climates and challenging environments.
They are hardy, disease and parasite-resistant cattle that efficiently produce uniform, predictable
calf crops.
Brangus breeders have carefully selected for these genetically superior traits, and in the process,
have developed meat animals with high carcass merit. Environmental adaptability is an important trait
that breeders of commercial and registered cattle alike seriously consider when selecting sound,
functional cattle that will perform in any climate.
We start using Charolais bulls after our heifers have had at least one calf. The Charolais cross calves are bigger at birth and also wean pretty heavy. They put on good weight in the pens and white calves seem to do a little better at the auction barn.
Charolais bulls do very well in this country to be a s big as they are. We choose Bulls that are extremely clean underneath because cacti can really tear a bull up if he has much of a sheath at all.
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