Read the articles at the front of any livestock publication and you’ll see that efficient beef production is foremost in the minds of today’s cattle producers. As the beef industry works to stabilize its market share, cattlemen are no longer satisfied with "good enough", they want the optimum.

That means efficiency and quality all the way from the cow/calf producer’s pasture to the consumer’s plate, and it’s a tough order to fill  but Gelbvieh breeders are confident their cattle are up to the challenge.

Gelbvieh has earned its reputation as "The Mother Breed of Beef" by combining rapid early growth with lean yield, fertility, milk production and maternal efficiency. It’s a powerful combination that’s right on target with the demands of today’s industry.

Consider what Dr. Chuck Lambert of the National Cattlemen’s Association found in a study titled "Lost Opportunities in Beef Production." He estimated total losses of $12 billion annually, of which $2.6 billion was lost due to subpar reproductive performance, weaning weight ($.299 billion), feed efficiency ($.325 billion), and excess fat ($4.41 billion). These are all areas where breed genetics can have a big impact.

MARC Beef Progress Report #4, May, 1993

Webster’s definition of optimum is "best or most favorable." MARC data proves Gelbvieh have the right blend of favorable, balanced traits that are right for the times and a positive step toward recovery of some of those lost profit opportunities.

A recent survey of 1,000 commercial cow/calf operators that have used Gelbvieh bulls extensively showed that they are well aware of the assets of the breed. For example, 81% kept their Gelbvieh-cross heifers for replacements, and 84% identified milking ability as the best trait of the Gelbvieh female. In addition, 76% said their Gelbvieh-sired calves were above average when compared to other breeds; 87% said fast early growth was the primary advantage of Gelbvieh-sired calves; and 66% said Gelbvieh-cross calves were best suited for the whole industry, including cow/calf, feeding and packing segments.

"They are the best cattle for producing a pretty uniform set of calves with a set of ordinary crossbred cows," according to Jim Theeck, Clay, Texas. "I’m not really interested in terminal-cross cattle, because our program is based on females. But it looks like we’re going to be able to add some meat to the steer calves and still maintain the femininity and maternal traits we’re looking for in a brood cow. If we can make the steers a little bit better and still have the females be highly acceptable, we’ll be able to squeeze out a few more dollars."

"When you can wean 650-pound calves and put them directly in the feedlot and slaughter the animal at thirteen and a half months old, you’re cutting out a lot of cost in the business."

Heritage

Gelbvieh (pronounced Gelp-fee) cattle were developed in the Bavarian region of Germany in the early 19th century. Semen from Gelbvieh bulls was first imported in the U.S. in 1971, and the American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) was organized that same year.

The AGA has maintained the strong performance heritage of the German Gelbvieh breeders with a policy of mandatory performance records. This has produced a database of well over one million performance records that result in an annual Sire Summary, Cow Recognition Program, EPDs for all registered Gelbvieh, and a powerful source of documented information for cattlemen raising Gelbvieh on both the commercial and purebred level.

Maternally

Astute cattlemen across the country have abandoned the path of single-trait selection and returned to balanced selection including the maternal side of the cattle business. Gelbvieh’s "mother" traits of fertility, milking ability, moderate size and docile temperament have become more important than ever before, making Gelbvieh the obvious choice for crossbreeding programs. The percentage Gelbvieh female is rapidly becoming one of the most sought-after replacements in the industry.

"As a mother cow, pound for pound, it just doesn’t happen any better than Gelbvieh," says Rick Farlee of Dupree, SD.

The AGA has continued to emphasize maternal traits through its annual Cow Recognition Program. (cont.)

Other projects include an udder and teat scoring system to help breeders recognize and produce better females, and mature cow size reporting to assist in maintaining moderate size in Gelbvieh females.

Performance and Carcass

Vigorous at birth, Gelbvieh calves wean off heavy and gain rapidly. As documented by progeny tests, impressive feed efficiency and lean/muscular carcasses round out the roster of breed characteristics that have made Gelbvieh quite popular with cow/calf operators, feeders, packers and consumers.

Retained ownership programs enhance the profit potential of Gelbvieh-sired calves, particularly when used in an accelerated feeding program. The South Dakota Retained Ownership Demonstration Program showed superior profits on Gelbvieh-sired calves retained in an accelerated (high energy diet from weaning through slaughter) growing and finishing trial.

The Noble Foundation of Ardmore, Oklahoma, has developed a composite program using Gelbvieh genetics for more than 15 years.

"We kicked our weaning weights up by 50 lbs.," says the Foundation's Jim Pumphrey. "And you get the maternal traits along with expression of muscling—so many of the other breeds lose their maternal traits when you get muscling, but not Gelbvieh."

Weaning weights aren't the only Gelbvieh advantage. The landmark National Beef Quality Audit revealed an equivalent industry loss of $180 per head due to excess fat.

Cattle feeder Steve Gabel of Wiggins, Colo., reports that he’s had excellent results with Gelbvieh cattle in his yards, and packer buyers share his enthusiasm.

"I think the advantage the Gelbvieh have over the other cattle we feed is No. 1, they’re heavy-muscled carcasses, and No. 2, they are high cutability cattle, yield grade 1s and 2s, and we very seldom have yield grade 4 problems with Gelbvieh cattle," Gabel explains.

Cow/calf producer Bill Slovek, Philip, SD, says, "I've been trying to keep the right mix of Gelbvieh and Angus in my commercial cows to work in my environment. I now have the data to prove that my Gelbvieh X Angus calves also work for the packer."

Gelbvieh boast carcass merits that mean added dollar value. A Cattle-Fax study entitled "Economic Trade-Offs Between Quality Grade, Yield Grade and Muscling" affirmed that superior cutability will pay as value-based marketing becomes a reality. Cattle with the ability to produce high red meat yield will become increasingly valuable in a marketing system that places emphasis on less fat and more red meat.

A summary of more than 10,000 head of Gelbvieh-cross fed cattle processed through the Gelbvieh Alliance showed Gelbvieh exceed industry averages for muscling leanness and carcass weight.

Commercial Marketing Program

Gelbvieh genetics are a guaranteed marketing asset, backed not only by individual breeders but by the strength of the AGA. As a service to cattlemen using Gelbvieh bulls, the AGA established a Commercial Marketing Program (CMP). This program is designed to increase marketability of Gelbvieh feeder and finished cattle. AGA was the first breed association in the U.S. to establish a full-time staff position dedicated solely to the commercial side of the industry.

AGA conducts a series of special Gelbvieh auction barn and video sales each year that have been very successful, marketing more than 150,000 Gelbvieh crossbred calves since the program began in June 1991. These high quality feeder and replacement cattle have claimed top prices, and buyers continue to show great interest in future special Gelbvieh sales.

"That half-blood Gelbvieh, whether it be a steer or heifer, certainly brought a premium to other cattle offered that day," says Paul Branch of Superior Livestock Auction following a special Gelbvieh video sale.