Braunvieh_World_Winter_2023

National Braunvieh Events  Braunvieh Sire Evaluation Project Braunvieh World

Winter 2023  Volume 31  Issue 1  www.braunvieh.org

Quality heifers, bulls and semen available.

Leading the next generation into the future !

"The best way to predict your future is to create it." – Abraham Lincoln

"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men." Col 3:23

Leslie: 408-968-8470 Molly: 408-690-9961

Star Ranch Cattle

Winter Contents

On the Cover: Bulls like this one from R&D Farms, Franklin, Ky, are prime candidates for the Braunvieh sire evaluation project. Photo by Darren Richmond.

Braunvieh World Volume 31 • Issue 1

Features

The Official Publication of The Braunvieh Association of America BRAUNVIEH ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA 7607 NW Prairie View Rd. Kansas City, MO 64151 (816) 599-7780

info@braunvieh.org ww.braunvieh.org MANAGING DIRECTOR Montie Soules REGISTRATIONS Cassie Reid REGISTRATIONS, WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA Shelby Diehm REGISTRATIONS AND DNA Heather Lange Wade Minihan BRAUNVIEH WORLD PUBLISHER BluePrint Media LLC PO Box 427 Timnath, CO 80547 info@blueprintma.com www.blueprintma.com MANAGING EDITOR Jessie Topp-Becker (701) 307-0772 jbecker@blueprintma.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kathie Bedolli (540) 842-8228 kbedolli@blueprintma.com DESIGNER

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Building a Future While Remembering Our Roots

20 Get to Know Garrett

12 Enhancing Your Genetic Value 12 Braunvieh Events at the Ft. Worth Stock Show

Megan Sajbel Field ADMINISTRATION

Leslie McKibben COPY EDITOR Larisa Willrett

21 Junior Update

ADVERTISING SALES Darren Richmond (423) 364-9281 djrichmd@gmail.com

16 Wanted: Cowboys With Integrity

Departments

Find Us on Social Media!

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President’s Message

22 Cultivating the Next Generation of Cattle Industry Leaders

21 Advertiser Index 21 Calendar and Events

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Braunvieh World  Winter 2023

Planning Future Generations l i i

T hose cows above may look like they’re heading over the horizon, but they’re actually following Bob to the pens. It’s AI season and they’re getting to work on producing the next generation of Braunvieh at Brink Livestock. • Some of these cows will be AI’d to our homozygous polled, calving ease specialist BLC EZ Sleep pictured at right. He’s proven and consistent. We’ll be offering 30 units of his semen plus 10 units each on BLC Tru Poll Ranger 516T and BLC Venture 317A in the Jan. 15th National Sale. • Other cows are in the pasture with young herd sire BLC High Noon 624J, a homozygous polled EZ son out of a powerful Toronto dam. We’re eager to see his first calves this spring. High Noon combines the calving ease from his sire with an added boost of growth from his dam. He’s balanced! We will have High Noon semen for spring breeding. • Our niece Jordyn Walker is selling a Toronto heifer bred to EZ Sleep in the Jan. 15th Ft. Worth National Sale. She’s something special. We’ve talked before about User Friendly Cattle – easy calving, problem free, marketable producers that are easy to handle. Those traits are front and center as we plan future generations at Brink Livestock.

BLC EZ Sleep 811G – PB96882 Top 1% CED, BW & API. Top 2% CEM.

EZ Sleep son BLC High Noon – PB101098 Top 1% CED, CEM & API. Top 3% BW. Top 30% WW, 20% YW & 4% TI.

She sells Jan. 15 in the National Sale. Bred to EZ Sleep Jordyn Walker is selling this Toronto daughter, BLC Crema Courtney 801J (PB101604).

Thank You Buyers… At the Herd Builder Sale… David Gauze of Gauze Farms, Stewart Huneke of Lazy H Farms, and Scott Houghton. Thank you Todd Clubb of C Farms and Scott Houghton for purchasing the natural service use of BLC EZ Sleep 811G. M ARK Y OUR C ALENDARS : Jan. 2 – Cattlemen’s Congress Braunvieh Show, Oklahoma City, OK Jan. 15 – National Braunvieh Sale, Ft. Worth, TX The Newsroom

BLC EZ Sleep 811G Semen – $35/straw BLC EZ S

Bob & Marilyn Brink 765 80th St., Piedmont, KS 67122 Bob (785) 766-6449 • Marilyn (785) 766-8713 e-mail: kanwaka@powwwer.net • brinkbraunvieh.com B R I NK L I VES TOCK

President’s Message with Robert Williams

It’s an honor once again to write the presi dent’s letter for the Braunvieh World – not because I like writing letters, because I don’t, but because it means another issue of the Braunvieh World is getting published. Most breeds our size are not fortunate enough to have a breed publica tion, much less a magazine. And for us to continue to have such an asset will take support from all of us. The breed magazine is the face of the breed and one we are fortunate to have at this time. Whether it be ad support or supporting the advertiser, we need your support.

BRAUNVIEH ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA 7607 NW Prairie View Rd. Kansas City, MO 64151 (816) 599-7780 info@braunvieh.org www.braunvieh.org BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT • ROBERT WILLIAMS Section, Ala. (256) 599-5432 wwcattle@centurytel.net VICE PRESIDENT • COLBY KING Webber Falls, Okla. (918) 773-2153 Colbyking19@yahoo.com SECRETARY • NESHA SMITH Rose Bud, Ark. (501) 454-3775 Nesh a.s mith@ymail.com TREASURER • BOB GUNNETT Billings, Mo. (417) 343-3635 rgunnett@greatsouthernbank.com DIRECTORS BENNY PHILLIPS Chatfield, Texas (903) 641-1594 Bpbluebonnet42@gmail.com DANIEL ROBERTS Franklin, Ky. (270) 598-9848 randdfarmsbraunvieh@msn.com DEANA IMHOFF Bunceton, Mo. (660) 888-3349 deana@imhofffamilyfarm.com JASON PFEIFER Russell, Kan. (785) 483-1805 pfeiferjason@yahoo.com

Speaking of assets, if you’re not familiar with the Braunvieh Sire Evaluation Project then please read the article on page 14. This project is a big deal and one that a lot of other breeds will be envious of. Not only will it expose our strengths but, more important, our weaknesses and hopefully identify those genetics that we can use to improve those weaknesses. While this is not a Braunvieh Association of America (BAA) project, it is a project of BAA mem bership and is supported by BAA members. From turning a dream into reality to doing the logistics that a project like this requires to nominating AI sires; helping work 900 cows and calves four times a year with two of those times being AI; providing clean up bulls; providing trucking to the feedlot; doing data control and data entry; and that all-important thing that every project has to have – funding. All of these things are being done by BAA members. You see, it’s John Hall’s dream that is becoming a reality. And while John and Loretta have poured countless hours of time, money and sweat into this project, it wouldn’t be where it is now without the support from other mem bers. So if there are any of the items that were mentioned above that you could help with, contact John. We need your support. Another dream that is being turned into reality and one that has great potential to make a positive impact on this breed, especially our juniors, is the formation of the American Braunvieh Youth Development Foundation (ABYDF), read more on page 18. This 501(c)(3) foundation’s stated purpose is “dedicated to enriching the lives of youth interested in agriculture through support for the educational leadership activities of the Junior Braunvieh As sociation of America (JBAA).” You see, this dream that is becoming a reality is that of Randy Allgood. And while the ABYDF is an affiliate of the BAA, it is the support of the members that is making it happen. And what does any good charitable foundation need? Funding. We need your support. I guess by now you’ve determined this letter has been a lot about dreams and support – it takes both to be successful. I would like to ask for your support in one more thing – your cow herd data. With membership renewal coming up, I encourage all Total Herd Reporting (THR) members to get your inventory done. If you’re a Traditional Concept (TC) member, I encourage you to become a THR member. It’s not that hard to do. It keeps your cowherd cur rent in Digital Beef and it gives all of us valuable information that is so badly needed by this breed. Information that we must have if we as a breed are going to make the impact in the cattle industry that I think we can. That’s our dream; help us make it come true. We need your support. BW The breed magazine is the face of the breed and one we are fortunate to have at this time. Whether it be ad support or supporting the advertiser, we need your support.

JOHN HALL Hedley, Texas (806) 930-2560 jbarbraunvieh98@gmail.com LARRY MCAFEE Shipman, Ill. (618) 593-2370 lpmcafee1953@gmail.com MOLLY MIRASSOU Weatherford, Texas (408) 690-9961 molly@starranchcattle.com TODD HILL

Childress, Texas (806) 681-9333 ranchdh@gmail.com

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Braunvieh World  Winter 2023

N7R Polarsteel 57E · Polarsteel may be the best option in the entire breed to improve structure.

· His progeny include 2022 Grand Champions at the Cattleman’s Congress, Tulsa and Jr. NAILE. · Enrolled in the Braunvieh Sire Evaluation, he is recording short gestation and light birth weights. · He has a great disposition and a pedigree stacked with great cows! · Paternal Sib to N7R Montoya 27E.

The original Polarsteel 707T who had a huge impact in our herd. 57E resembles him so closely we named him after the original!

PB93728 · Homozygous Polled CE Top 3% · BW Top 15% · CEM Top 10% 47@98 BW and 20@100 WW Owned with Benny Phillips, Bluebonnet Braunvieh, Chatfield, Texas, 903-641-1594

N7R Polarsteel 57E Semen Conventional: $30 per unit Sexed: $100 per unit

Check out additional semen listings at 7ranch.net N7R Colonel Havelock 27F · N7R Montoya 27E RF N7R Appalachian 749J Also, many Foundation Fullblood bulls you won't find anywhere else!

N7R 06H , first Polarsteel daughter in production.

SECOND-TO-NONE, SPECIAL NATIONAL SALE EMBRYO OFFERINGS

N7R Polarsteel x N7R Alex 40B Maternal power and show heifer prospects

N7R Montoya x DIA N Hershey 16X An incredible carcass opportunity

Diamond N 7 Ranch Mark and Connor Nelson | Hastings, Neb. 402-705-3907 | mark7ranch@gmail.com Website: 7Ranch.net

www.braunvieh.org

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Building a Future While Remembering Our Roots How the Braunvieh Breed Has Developed, Benefiting Both Purebred and Commercial Producers

By Kelsey Pope, Contributing Writer

Not a crossbreed or a new breed, Braun vieh has most certainly paved its own path as a cattle breed, maybe even being the oldest, pure breed on Earth, with records dating back to 800 B.C. Originating in Switzerland, Braun vieh cattle have been exported to Mexico, Canada and throughout the world in the last 200 years. Original Swiss Braunvieh were imported into the United States from Switzerland in 1983 by Harlan Doeschot, Golden Link Braunvieh, Firth, Neb. Some U.S. breeders imported Braunvieh from Canada in the late 1960s and again in the early 1980s the same time as Doeschot. Doeschot was a Simmental breeder, and he was in Switzerland looking for new Simmental genetics when he was introduced to Braunvieh cattle. Using a system of linear measurements to identify balance in cattle, Doeschot looked at the Braunviehs and real ized they were moderate sized with excellent fertility and longevity. Just a year later, in 1984, the Braunvieh Association of America (BAA) was organized and incorporated in the United States.

Stock Show in Denver, Colo. Today, he owns and operates Rock Creek Braunvieh in south central Nebraska near Fairbury. “I started breeding the Braunvieh bulls to Angus-based cows,” Schlake says. “When I started selling bulls to commercial customers, the polled bulls sold first.” By breeding to An gus-based cattle, Schlake developed the first black polled Braunvieh. Bob and Marilyn Brink own and operate Brink Livestock near Pied mont, Kan. Bob first saw Braunvieh cattle in the 1970s during a college field trip to the Meat Animal Re search Center in Clay Center, Neb., where they were conducting germ plasm evaluation. “They were government owned at the time and I didn’t think I could ever own them,” Bob recalls. “But 10 years later, they started selling these females and I bought every Braun vieh female in the sale.” Bob incorporated them into his commercial, Hereford-based cow herd with great results. Later, he and Marilyn began purchasing purebred Braunvieh from around the country. “Buying genetics from breeders around the country really gave us a broad cross-section base of the breed to start with, which was important to us,” Bob says. Ron and Teri McBee, McBee Cattle Company, Fayette, Mo., began look ing at the Braunvieh breed in 1990 because they were looking for a breed that would add milk to their commer cial cow herd.

“I looked through Matt Alexander’s cow herd, who raised Braunvieh for a long time, and I just liked every halfblood female that I saw,” Ron McBee recalls, “Before we bought any Braunvieh cattle, we probably looked at nearly 600 females and liked every one of them, so we knew right away they were a pretty maternal breed.” McBee wasn’t as keen on the Braunvieh bulls at first. But he knew that if he wanted to raise females like he saw, he was going to have to use them, and he did. “It didn’t take us long to figure it out on a couple of hundred com mercial cows that Braunvieh bulls improved almost every calf, so we kept every heifer that was feasible to keep,” McBee says. “We also bought 21 halfblood heifers from Ron Fran ken, who’s been in the Braunvieh business a lot longer than we have. We knew we had found something that would not only advance our herd, but the whole industry.” Schlake, the Brinks and the McBees are just some of the breeders who saw a vision for Braunvieh cattle in the early years. Many Braunvieh producers have since imported cattle from Canada, as well as imported original Braunvieh from Europe in the form of frozen embryos. A Dual-Purpose Breed Still Benefiting Today’s Producers Original Braunvieh were a dual purpose breed in Switzerland, raised Continued on page 10

Building Up the Braunvieh Breed Kendall Schlake, Doeschot’s

son-in-law, began working the first halfblood females on shares with his father-in-law in 1985. They displayed the first Braunvieh from Switzerland in 1985 at the National Western

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Braunvieh World  Winter 2023

JALYN SMITH National Sale Consignments

Miss JMS Nova K276 ET Reg.# BC105602 • DOB: 2/25/22 This heifer is backed up by national champion proven genetics on both sides. Her sire, Silveiras Style, is one of the most sought after Angus bulls, and her dam is Braunvieh BeefBuilder Miss DSB Chocolate Muffin 7418 (BC92323), the 2018 High Point BeefBuilder Show Heifer. Nova can be shown in the 2023 National Show.

Chocolate Muffin

MR JMS Bruno J230

Reg.# BC104097 • DOB: 9/27/21 Grand Champion BeefBuilder Bull at the 2022 American Royal. We can see him becoming a versatile herd sire, either raising BeefBuilders for the show ring or implementing him into a commercial cattle operation. This bull will take your herd into the next level.

Miss JMS KIA H183 Reg.# OB100921 • DOB: 10/29/20 Reg.# BC105907 • DOB: 9/6/22 Halfblood heifer calf at side sired by Angus bull, BPF Special Focus 504. Miss JMS K335

This fullblood cow has been a stand out since she was a heifer. Competitive in the show ring, she’s been impressive since she went into production. This complete and well-balanced female has longevity built into her sound structure. JMS is excited to see her continue her journey in production. Breed this female to any bull of your choice and she will not disappoint! We sincerely thank our 2022 buyers and wish you all many blessings in the coming year!

JAY H FARMS LLC. JMS CATTLE Chris, Nesha & Jalyn Smith Rose Bud, Arkansas nesha.smith@ymail.com (501) 626-3115

www.braunvieh.org

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why I liked them so well is because of their moderate size, their good milk ing ability and their fertility,” Schlake adds. “The focus on the Braunvieh originally was on the maternal traits, yet their carcass traits are incredible; they’ll marble without the external fat that other breeds have.” While the Brinks also first bought their Braunvieh for their maternal

for their milking ability and meat pro duction. While many dual-purpose breeds tended to excel at one quality more than the other, Braunvieh have held a tradition of maintaining both maternal and carcass traits. “The key reason the cattle were imported by my father-in-law and BUILDING A FUTURE WHILE REMEMBERING OUR ROOTS Continued from page 8

traits, they began breeding for car cass value. They found they could improve the carcass side and the replacement heifer side at the same time. “They are a very pliable breed compared to my experiences with other breeds,” Bob says. “They’re very compliant, and they’ve done whatever we asked them to genetically.” For many years, the Brinks partici pated in the BAA’s steer feed-out at Decatur County Feed Yard in Oberlin, Kan. “We sent our entire steer calf crop out, trying to increase the accuracy of our EPDs,” Bob says. “Looking back, that was a good thing because it put a fairly large amount of our genetics in the EPD database, which made them more accurate for our own use.” Not only did this improve EPD accuracy, but they were also able to capture carcass quality data. The Brinks received summaries every quarter documenting how their cattle performed compared to all of the cattle fed at Decatur County – nearly 140,000 head – and were above aver age on almost all carcass traits. “There were a lot of high-quality cattle being fed, so that was kind of a watershed moment for us,” Bob

Kendall Schlake, pictured with his family, operates Rock Creek Braunvieh, Fairbury, Neb. Schlake’s father-in-law, Harlan Doeschot, imported the first original Swiss Braunvieh into the United States in 1983.

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Braunvieh World  Winter 2023

any other breed out there,” McBee states. “We’ve tried four or five other breeds, and we discovered after just a couple of years of using Braunvieh that they are certainly the beef breed with the fewest faults of any breed out there.” When McBee started using Braun vieh on a diverse set of cows, he knew he could help any producer improve

their calves. They initially leased bulls to anyone wanting to try them and would buy back the weaned calves. It didn’t take long for his customers to see the value of those Braunvieh-influenced calves, and after two years, they had too many calves to buy. McBee created and of fered the Calf Roundup Program; in stead of buying the calves, he would

recalls, “It gave us a lot of confidence that we were on the right track with this breed.” Benefits for Commercial Producers The original Braunvieh imported into the United States were horned fullbloods. Many producers began breeding for polled cattle, which has made them more functional for com mercial producers. “Everybody started with full bloods,” McBee states. “I’d grown up in Polled Hereford, so I knew how hard it was, at least in the Midwest, to sell a horned bull – really tough. We knew right away that we had to take the horns off these cattle to be able to sell them.” “A commercial guy doesn’t want to deal with horns,” Schlake agrees. “The polled, traditional Braunvieh are more functional for the industry.” Schlake has numerous testimonies from cattle feeders that Braunvieh genetics are a complement to a tradi tional continental breed, increasing yield grade on their cattle while not deterring their quality grade. “I think Braunvieh has a place in the commercial industry as good as

Continued on page 12

Marilyn and Bob Brink first saw Braunvieh cattle in the 1970s and began purchasing Braunvieh females in the 1980s. Today, they raise Braunvieh cattle near Piedmont, Kan.

www.braunvieh.org

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“These cattle are extremely adapt able,” Bob adds. “They came from the Swiss Alps, being cold weather cattle, but for some reason they are also heat tolerant. So, the ranchers that are making the F1 halfblood Brahman cows in the South can use Braunvieh and not give up the heat tolerance.” The history and foundation these producers stand by every day with

bring in calves and sort them by size to create uniform, marketable groups to sell for top prices without the nor mal discounts for small groups and color discrimination. The data behind their bulls have helped the Brinks market to commer cial producers. BUILDING A FUTURE WHILE REMEMBERING OUR ROOTS Continued from page 11

Braunvieh Events at the Ft. Worth Stock Show Jan. 15-17, 2023 The Braunvieh Association of America Annual Meeting and National Sale are set for the Ft. Worth Stock Show in Ft. Worth, Texas.

McBee Cattle Company, Fayette, Mo., was awarded the BIF Seedstock Producer Honor Roll of Excellence Award in 2010. Ron and Teri McBee began incorporating Braunvieh cattle into their herd in 1990.

Schedule

Jan. 15 12 p.m.

Meeting begins in the Cactus Room National Braunvieh Sale in the West Arena

5 p.m.

Jan. 16 4 p.m. Jan. 17 11 a.m.

“We’ve performance tested our bulls, primarily at Green Springs Bull Test in Nevada, Mo.,” Marilyn says. “And that’s been very helpful to us in getting information that we can give to customers on what we predict our cattle can do for them.” The Brinks have also expanded to the South Texas market for crossing with Brahman cattle and have every reason to think it will continue to grow.

their Braunvieh cattle are a testa ment to the breed. Cattle producers across the country should be exposed to the attributes that Braunvieh cattle bring to the industry from both maternal and carcass qualities. “I want others to know that com mercial producers can keep replace ments and improve the maternal side of their operation while also improv ing marbling at the same time, and very few breeds can do that,” Bob concludes. BW

Braunvieh Bonanza in the Watt Arena

Junior Braunvieh Show

12:30 p.m. National Braunvieh Show in Watt Arena

Enhancing Your Genetic Value By Matt Woolfolk, Director of Performance Programs, American Shorthorn Association

Some of you may have been searching DigitalBeef and noticed that some cattle display yellow highlights on their expected progeny differences (EPDs). Those highlighted values indicate animals that have EPDs that are genomically enhanced via genetic testing. Genomic testing analyzes your animal’s DNA to identify which spe cific genes are present at thousands of locations on the genome. Certain genetic markers indicate a propensity

to perform in a certain manner for a trait. For example, there are certain markers that indicate an animal’s ability to display more or less growth than animals without those genes. The information from this testing is applied to EPD calculations to increase their accuracy. When an animal is genomically tested, the EPD values can change, but the accuracy value of those EPDs will certainly increase. The increase in accuracy on EPDs from genomic testing is

equivalent to turning in as much as an entire calf crop’s worth of data on a young sire! Genomic testing options are avail able to you through the Braunvieh Association of America. On your DNA order form, option H is the 100K genomic test that will provide you with genomically enhanced EPDs on your animals. Additional tests (like coat color) can be added to this 100K, simultaneously. BW

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Braunvieh World  Winter 2023

ROCK CREEK BRAUNVIEH Mr RCB J173 PB103604 Sire - Xerox 861 Dam - Miss RCB H852 (Grand Sire) JBAR - Colon Powell x (Grand Dam) Miss RCB A300 1/2 page horizontal Braunvieh World Flying K Ranch Winter 2023 Homozygous Black Homozygous Polled

Semen available Spring 2023!

ROCK CREEK BRAUNVIEH Kendall Schlake • (402) 300-0745 71310 570 th Ave. • Fairbury, Neb. 68352 kendallschlake@gmail.com www.rockcreekbraunvieh.com

Bulls, females and embryos for sale at all times.

Rock Creek_1-2 hrzt, 4C_BWW23.indd 1

11/28/2022 6:31:06 PM

Flying K Ranch has a passion to breed high-quality, consistent Braunvieh with a focus on always improving genetics. Now, teamed up with Kim’s parents at TCL Braunvieh, the herd has doubled, bringing longevity, years of proven genetics and a wide range of colors from traditional lights, chocolates and blacks. Come see us, call, text or email and let’s talk Braunvieh! We offer registered fullblood, purebred and BeefBuilder cattle for sale. Plenty of replacement heifers, cow/calf pairs, bred cows and young bulls to choose from, including – Flying K Sabre 22H · OB99471 · DOB: 5/6/2020

FLYING K RANCH “Only Braunviehs”

Danny & Kim Goggans | Sulphur Springs, TX 75482 flyingkranch17@gmail.com | (903) 243-0151

www.braunvieh.org

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1/2 page horizontal Braunvieh World

R&D Farms Winter 2023

Thank You! We want to thank our buyers at the 2022 Herd Builder Sale Superior Braunvieh Farm, Kings Mountain, N.C. Maxwell Farms, Paige, Texas Red Valley Farms, Abbottstown, Pa.

Stillwater Farms_1-2, 4C_BWW23.indd 1

11/30/2022 10:21:02

Gracie Imhoff, Bunceton, Mo. David & Brad Gauze, Rush, Ky.

Daniel, Bobbie, Megan & Kaleb Roberts

Cell: (270) 392-0688 361 Draper Road, Franklin, KY 42134 randdfarmsbraunvieh@msn.com www.randdfarmsbraunvieh.com

Look for our three consignments out of Teddy Bear in the National Sale in January!

follow us on Facebook at “R&D Farms Cattle”

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Braunvieh World  Winter 2023

ADDING VALUE PRODUCTION SALE Angus, Braunvieh, & Simmental Cattle FRIDAY, April 28th, 2023 7:00 P.M. EST Athens Stockyard, Athens, TN

Mark Your Calend ars

28 Offering Angus, Braunvieh, & Simmental Bulls and Females

T he 6th Annual Adding Value Production Sale is back at its same date and location. Join us at the Athens Stockyards to view cattle and bid during the live auction. This year’s offering will include bulls and females with soundess, function, fertility, and performace. Join us Friday, April 28 in Athens, TN to select from stock with bulit-in profit potential.

Sale Information: Robert Williams (256) 599-5432 Eddie Zeigenbein (812) 620-3422 Daniel Roberts (207) 392-0688 For Catalogs: Julie Hiesterman (785) 313-2328 or jhiest@bluevalley.net

www.braunvieh.org

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WANTED: Cowboys With Integrity

How a Growing Sire Evaluation Project Could Pave the Way for Braunvieh in the Beef Business

By Callie Curley, Contributing Writer

In the early 2000s , John and Loretta Hall of Hedley, Texas, were reviewing carcass data when they came to a realiza tion about their herd. The top one-third was profitable, the bottom one-third was so unprofitable it practically negated the performance of the top third, and the money they made was mostly thanks to the middle one-third holding its own. This led the Halls to begin a now de cades-long journey toward not only solving their profit ability problem but building better breeds of cattle. Set in Motion “I thought if we could maintain herds of the top-per forming two-thirds, and really strive for the top one-third, we’d see massive changes,” Hall recalls. So he set out on a multi-herd project across numerous states, providing semen samples labeled “Bull A” and “Bull B” to be evenly dispersed across the test herds, and collecting gestation length and birth weight data along the way. “During that first project, I was given 10 straws of an unknown bull to study in the herd,” Hall says. “Seven of the calves were live on the ground, and the data across that group showed promise. I wondered what was so different about those 10 straws, and it turned out it was from a Braunvieh.” As those Braunvieh calves grew, they remained stand outs in the mixed herd. All seven bred in a 60-day win dow at 13 to 14 months of age and remained in the herd as solid, dependable cows. “That’s when I knew Braunvieh was a breed to be in volved with,” Hall explains. Fast forward 20 years to early 2021, and Hall was dialing the phone to discuss a more recent project – sire evaluations for the Braunvieh breed – and how to broad en its reach. Mark Nelson of the Braunvieh Association of America (BAA) Performance Committee was on the other end of the line. “There are many important and meaningful things be ing done by Braunvieh breeders, and I don’t want to dis credit any of those worthwhile endeavors,” Nelson says. “What John told me he was doing … I knew it would be one of the most meaningful things ever done for the Braunvieh breed. I quickly agreed to help.” With experience under his belt, Hall knew what – or, rather, who – he needed to do this the right way. He calls them “cowboys with integrity.” And he’s looking for more to partner with.

The Power of Partnership “This kind of project requires more than some people are willing to invest – and I don’t mean financially,” Hall says. “By chance, I met these Arkansas cowboys, and I knew they could do the work I did 20 years ago – catch ing every calf, measuring, giving shots and tagging them. It’s hard work to get done but absolutely essential to the integrity of the research we’re doing.” Some of those Arkansas cowboys were John Ashbury and Tom Butler. Tom and his wife, Neeley, own and operate their ranch in Oak Grove, Ark. In partnership with Hall, the Butlers have bred spring calves twice and are preparing to breed fall calves a third time, adding to their collection of third-party data. More recently, the group has connected with Tommy Perkins, Ph.D., and Mason Carter of West Texas A&M, who take students to the ranch for pregnancy checks and data collection and verification. “This has grown and grown; it got too big for me to do on my own,” Hall says. “So, I made that call to Mark Nelson. I knew that his strengths in data analysis and his broad network across the Braunvieh breed would help us tie it all together.” Hall credits Nelson with getting the cattle group into the GrowSafe system and connecting them with the Texas feedyard that led to the relationship with West Texas A&M. “As this program has evolved, new partnerships and processes have been implemented to accomplish a mean ingful data set for the entire Braunvieh breed,” Nelson says. “However, the initial vision remains the same: To compare worthy bloodlines from multiple breeders within a contemporary group so all Braunvieh breeders could Continued on page 18

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Braunvieh World  Winter 2023

PROVEN BLACK & POLLED BRAUNVIEH GENETICS

www.bagleyfarms.com

HOME OF FIRE POWER

LOOK FOR OUR CONSIGNMENTS! ADDING VALUE PRODUCTION SALE 04.28.23 | 7 P.M. | ATHENS, TENN.

PRIVATE TREATY Selling fullblood Braunvieh, Beef Builder and percentage bulls.

370 Strain Road • Cohutta, Georgia 30710 Blake Bagley (706) 280-7733

Tim Bagley (706) 217-5459 tim@bagleyfarms.com

blake@bagleyfarms.com

TYLER & CRYSTAL LISTER (580) 210-9910 info@listerranch.com @listerranch @crystaldlister

www.braunvieh.org

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that the ranches involved make a profit. According to Hall, that means the right cattle, the right bulls, developing the right calves, market ing them correctly and getting them to the packinghouse in a profitable manner. For the ranchers involved, there are benefits to putting in the work. “We have better calves every year,” Tom says. “We were running a com mercial herd before getting involved with the project, and this has only helped us develop better heifers, im prove weaning weights and increase production on the calf side. The longer we do it, the more efficient we become.” “We have to be meticulous about how we keep the books,” Neeley says. “This has helped us notice patterns much more quickly than we did before. We know every single cow and her performance, and we’re culling low performers rather than waiting three years or longer to realize they weren’t performing.” Braunvieh for the Future “My personal purpose has always been this: Either prove to the world that Braunvieh has a value in the

beef business, or prove to myself that they don’t,” Hall says. “We’re this far in and I believe without a doubt that Braunvieh has a place in the com mercial cattle business. They have so much to offer, and we’re building an impressive collection of data – and resources for breeders – to prove it.” Help Wanted Hall and the Butlers agree – there’s a need for more animals to be in volved in this initiative. “The best part of including more people and having a diverse breed [is] we can sell the same breed on so many different characteristics,” Tom says. “No matter what a buyer wants in their herd, we’ll be able to provide it. Variety will increase over time as more people bring their herds into the fold.” “I’d tell anyone who wants to be involved [that] I’ll get them the semen if they’re ready to get involved,” Hall says. “All I ask in return is for them to provide gestation length and birth weight for every calf.” If you’re interested in learning more or getting involved in this project, please contact John Hall at jbarbraunvieh98@gmail.com . BW

WANTED: COWBOYS WITH INTEGRITY Continued from page 16

better choose what genetics are the most legitimate options for them to use in their breeding programs.” Birth weight, gestation length, calv ing ease, disposition, calf vigor, wean ing weights, yearling weights, feed efficiency, gain, marbling and ribeye area are the traits being measured with all phenotypic data entered into the BAA database. These help to quantify and influence expected prog eny differences (EPD) accuracy for the use of all Braunvieh breeders. “The BAA has collaborated with us and has allowed us to enter all data into DigitalBeef, making this a real joint effort between breeders and the association,” Nelson says. “Ev ery year, the BAA commercial herd synchronizes a large part of their 900-head cow herd to be artificially inseminated to enrolled sires. Many Braunvieh breeders also contributed cleanup bulls, which will provide us

with more useful data.” Mutually Beneficial

The project’s success lies not only in collecting data and successfully breeding cows, but doing so in a way

Bluebonnet Braunvieh The Source for Polled Braunvieh Cattle

Homozygous Polled Sexed Semen Available

Homozygous Polled Sexed Semen Available

CONVENTIONAL SEMEN IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON Ontario (PB99171) El Mario (PB99171) All these bulls are Homozygous Polled!

PB93728

PB91755

N7R Polar Steel II 57E

SGP Nuts & Bolts 959E

BRAUNVIEH NATIONAL SALE January 15, 2023 • Fort Worth, Texas Bringing 3 purebred, young pairs with Polled heifer calves at side.

Benny J. & Marilyn Phillips P.O. Box 66, Chatfield, Texas 75105 903.641.1594 bpbluebonnet42@gmail.com Bluebonnet Braunvieh

BLU577H (PB10004) BLU134H (PB98705) BLU2138G (PB97059)

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Braunvieh World  Winter 2023

Home of MR HHR Fireball

Keesha and Jason Hill · Lexington, Ind. · 812-599-9083

Purebred Breeders Commercial Cattlemen

Attention!

Top of the Hill_1-2, 4c_BWW23.indd 1

12/2/2022 12:11:30 PM

If you’re

looking for:

MATERNAL TRAITS

GROWTH CALVING EASE

C Farms is your

one-stop shop.

We have low-maintenance purebred Braunvieh and Braunvieh/Angus that will work in any environment.

Contact us today about our available bulls and females.

TODD CLUBB (319) 330-3590

C FARMS 6036 31st Ave. | Vinton, Iowa todd.a.clubb@gmail.com

www.braunvieh.org

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Get to Know Garrett Meet the 2023 National Braunvieh Sale Manager, Garrett Thomas

While the 2023 National Braunvieh Sale is still a few weeks away, a lot of behind-the-scenes work has been going on to ensure this year’s sale is a success. A great deal of that work has been done by this year’s sale manager, Garrett Thomas, owner of Hi Point Sales and Marketing. Here are a few things you should know about Garrett Thomas. Q: How did you get your start in live stock marketing/sales management? A: I launched Hi Point Sales and Marketing in July 2017. With a fresh new approach to livestock marketing and commitment to customer ser vice, I feel I have successfully taken on the fast-paced changes in the beef industry. While it has been nearly five years since I launched Hi Point, the experi ence behind the name is vast and varied. I grew up on a commercial cow-calf operation; a few purebred Brahman cows planted the seed for what is presently a rapidly growing Brangus operation. While the Brangus breed is familiar to me, I have worked with nearly all American-influenced breeds, along with Hereford, Red An

gus and, most recently, SimAngus. In the fall of 2006, I achieved a lifelong dream when I became a member of the Association of Former Students as a graduate of Texas A&M University (TAMU). While attending TAMU, I trav eled the country as a member of the national champion livestock judging team. Following my time at Texas A&M, I spent time as a ranch manager for a large cow herd in South Texas, as well as a lecturer and graduate assistant at the university level. My disciplined planning, attention to de tail and passion for customer service was developed in sales management for a company that provided services nationwide. This experience in sales management ultimately launched me into starting Hi Point Sales and Marketing. Q: What is your approach to sales management? A: Sales management has several key factors, but you can’t even start without these two pillars. You need a plan, and you must make customer service a priority. I have successfully planned, managed and executed a

sale plan in as little time as 28 days. I am not going to lie, that was a wild ride and there were some bumps and bruises along the way. However, it worked because we immediately laid out a plan and did not miss one detail along the way. Ideally, with more time you have more ability to market the sale to the fullest, but the key to any successful sale starts with a plan. The sales management business is a people business as much as it’s a sales business, and when you are in the people business, customer service is king. My team and I have been committed to customer service from the start, and that’s something that we have never wavered on. Q: What can breeders expect from this year’s National Braunvieh Sale? A: This year’s sale is going to cover a wide cross-section of consignment types from breeders all across the country. We are even offering a very unique lot this year that you will see in the catalog that will benefit the juniors and offer the opportunity to elevate the marketing footprint of your program immediately. Q: Is there anything else you’d like Braunvieh breeders to know? A: While I am new to the Braun vieh breed, I am very excited to be selected as the sale manager for the 2023 national sale. One thing that always rings true in sale management is quality sells, and it sells for a pre mium regardless of breed. I have al ready spent a lot of time on the phone making introductory phone calls, and that has been a great “boots on the ground” experience for Hi Point. BW

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Larry and Pam McAfee Shipman, Illinois (618) 593-2370

R

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C

B RAUNVIEH

POLLED, TRADITIONAL PUREBREDS

BAA National Sale information and catalog available at hipointsalesandmarketing.com and braunvieh.org

Email us: lpmcafee1953@gmail.com

Visit us on FB!

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Braunvieh World  Winter 2023

Junior Update

Calendar and Events

By Aubrey Pettit, JBAA President We invite you to join us on a road trip to Kearney, Neb., for “Party on the Platte,” the 2023 National Junior Braunvieh Show (NJBS), June 19-23. Our Ju nior Braunvieh Association of America (JBAA) members will participate in a variety of events throughout the week, some of which include livestock judging, skill-a-thon, a digital ad, a very intense showmanship battle and so much more! In order to make this an extra special show, we need your support. There are many ways you can help, whether it is

January 1

Cattlemen’s Congress Braunvieh Pen Show, Oklahoma City, Okla. Cattlemen’s Congress Braunvieh Jr. & Open Shows, Oklahoma City, Okla. BAA Annual Meeting, Ft. Worth, Texas National Braunvieh Sale, Ft. Worth, Texas Braunvieh Bonanza, Ft. Worth, Texas National Braunvieh Show, Ft. Worth, Texas

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through donating to the American Braunvieh Youth Development Foundation, gathering sponsorships from the local businesses and breeders, donating to the silent auction or donating items for our exhibitor bags. Donations to the new American Braunvieh Youth Development Foundation may be designated for any event, including premiums at the NJBS. Sponsorships from local businesses and breeders will go toward prizes such as buckles, banners and contest prizes. Any funds raised from the silent auction at our national show banquet will also go toward helping the juniors. In addition to prizes and awards, every year each exhibitor entered into the national show receives an exhibitor goodie bag. We are always looking for breeders and businesses willing to donate items to these bags. We appreciate any support for our junior Braunvieh kids and the upcoming national show. To become a sponsor or for more information on supporting the JBAA, con tact information.jbaa@gmail.com . BW

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February 1-3

Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show, New Orleans, La. San Angelo Jr. Show, San Angelo, Texas

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Rolling Oaks Ranch Registered Santa Gertrudis and Braunvieh Cattle

March 4

BRAUNVIEH & HEREFORD SEEDSTOCK Evan & Jessica Bartley

Springdale, Ark. E: 417.813.7212 J: 817.925.3154

B

Houston Livestock Show Braunvieh Show, Houston, Texas

April 13-16 Texas State Braunvieh

Carson Priddle

1476 Ripley CC-1 Doniphan, MO 63935 573-255-3539

SGBI Herd #16875 BAA Herd #12072

BARTLEY

Show, Wichita Falls, Texas McBee Cattle Co. Spring Selection Day Sale, Fayette, Mo. Adding Value Production Sale, Athens, Tenn.

LIVESTOCK

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Tri C Cattle LLC Fullblood, Purebred, & Percentage Braunvieh Cattle

DARREN RICHMOND Ringgold, Ga. (423) 364-9281

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Trey Saunders 2100 Stern Road Chappell Hill, Texas 77426 (979) 551-0718 TriCCattle@gmail.com

June 19-23 National Junior Braunvieh Show, Kearney, Neb.

SALE CATTLE • HERD SIRES • DONOR COWS djrichmd@gmail.com • Facebook/Darren Richmond

Advertiser Index Adding Value Sale............................... 15 Alexander Braunvieh Ranch................ 23 Bagley Farms...................................... 17 Bartley Livestock. ............................... 21 Bluebonnet Braunvieh........................ 18 Brink Livestock...................................... 5 C Farms............................................... 19 Cedar Bluff Farm. ............................... 22 Creek’s Edge Braunvieh...................... 20

Diamond H Ranch......................... 10, 11 Diamond N7 Ranch............................... 7 Flying K Ranch.................................... 13 Imhoff Family Farms. ......................... 19 Jay H Farms. ......................................... 9 Lister Ranch........................................ 17 McBee Cattle Company. ....................... 3 PFR Braunvieh.................................... 22 R&D Farms.......................................... 14

Richmond Photo & Video. .................. 21 Rock Creek Braunvieh. ....................... 13 Rolling Oaks Ranch. ............................ 21 Star Ranch. ........................................... 2 Stillwater Farms.................................. 14 Top of the Hill Farm............................ 19 Tri C Cattle LLC.................................... 21 W/W Cattle Company......................... 24

www.braunvieh.org

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Cultivating the Next Generation of Cattle Industry Leaders

By Crystal Lister, American Braunvieh Youth Development Foundation

The journey to establishing the American Braunvieh Youth Development Foundation was not an easy one. After all, anything worthwhile is often met with pushback. Former agricultural educators, businessmen and women, farmers and ranchers – all of whom are breeders with Braunvieh backgrounds – spearheaded the idea of a foun dation benefiting our youth; after all, the future of agricul ture lies with them. The foundation was established in 2022 by a board of

directors heavily involved in the Braunvieh industry. Those directors are committed to developing responsible, moti vated, educated beef industry leaders while promoting an understanding of the values and trajectory of the Braunvieh breed. Cultivating young leaders is at the forefront of the foundation’s goals. Educating our youth, developing leader ship skills and encouraging young people to return to the agriculture industry is our focus. Leadership, education and research are the pillars of our mission. These pillars are the motivation behind all fundraising efforts. The American Braunvieh Youth Development Foundation conducts projects throughout the United States in con junction with universities, private firms, farms and ranches, all funded solely through donations. Some projects in clude artificial insemination school, embryo transfer, palpation, cattle judging, steer feed-out programs, carcass evalu ations, genomic testing, leadership clinics, public speaking opportunities, team-building activities, digital advertising, as well as business marketing strategies. The American Braunvieh Youth Development Foundation believes the impact on these young people will be instrumen tal in their development, both currently and in the future. We strive to recognize and reward the development of essential life principles and values, and believe these efforts will cultivate the next generation of cattle industry leaders. We believe in our mission and look forward to partnering with you. For details on how you can partner with us, please email info@braunviehyouthfoundation.org . BW

Jason & Beth Pfeifer 4312 180th Street Russell, KS 67665 785-483-1805 pfeiferjason@yahoo.com

Purebred and Percentage

Braunvieh Cattle

Practical Moderate Framed Cattle that will work in your operation Will compete in the showring and become a productive part of your herd. Smaller herd that focuses on quality.

Jason Pfeifer, Russell, KS 785 Ͳ 483 Ͳ 1805

pfeiferjason@yahoo.com

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Braunvieh World  Winter 2023

Both Sell in Fort Worth National Sale

Purebred Majestic Daughter

Lonestar BeefBuilder TM

Alexander Majestic Mona PB105124 Born: 10/8/21 · Double Polled

Alexander Lonestar Morgan BN105407 Born: 11/3/21 · Polled This BeefBuilder heifer comes out of our proven fullblood sire, Lonestar Vernon, and a commercial Angus cow, which continues to prove to be an awesome cross with unlimited potential. This heifer sells open and halter broke!

This special heifer is sired by Xerox Majestic and out of one of our top Beaumont daughters. This heifer sells open and ready for any program. She combines the dark color from Majestic and the tremendous RFI traits of Beaumont, producing a purebred with unlimited potential.

A special "Thank You" to all of our 2022 customers! Let us help with your bull, heifer or semen needs in 2023.

◄ Extremely functional with great feet, structure and disposition. ◄ Used heavily in the JHL program with first progeny grading 4 out of 5 Prime. ◄ Best All-Around Bull Test Performer to date at Diamond N7 Ranch with high ratios in all traits. ◄ Dam is 11 years old and looks 7! Has a whopping 149 MPPA! ◄ Polled and 92.7%. Outcross to many bloodlines.

ORDER YOUR SEMEN TODAY!

Black Beauty This Montoya daughter captured the NAILE 2022 Junior Show BeefBuilder Calf Champion. The Montoya daughters continue to meet expectations! Watch for more to come!

N7R Montoya 27E PB93722 · Sire: N7R Redhaven 16B Partners with Diamond N 7 Ranch and JHL Ranch CED BW WW YW Milk TM CEM Stay Doc 13.4 0.3 52 69 14 40 5.0 6.1 18.9

Dwight Alexander 3886 FR 3389 Brashear, TX 75420

www.alexanderbraunviehranch.com (903) 439-8209 dwight_ragland@msn.com

Breeding stock available

www.braunvieh.org

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a family tradition

your opportunity to be part of the family

flush sells in national sale

WW gypsy rose 813f An opportunity to purchase a flush on one of the top cow families in the breed! A family tree that consists of females such as WW My Maria, BLC Maria, Our Maria, Sweet Maria and Lady Antebellum. Also found in these branches are herd sires such as Deacon, Dunn, Parson, Maria’s Warlock, Ontario and Cornerstone 814F. This is your chance to become part of the family. Owned with Elizabeth Stoddard.

A natural calf out of Gypsy Rose and the $20,000 top-selling female in the 2022 National Sale, selling to Old 13 Farms LLC. WW lady antebellum 172j

WW my maria 454b A member of one of the most successful matings we have ever made. She has made her mark on the breed and it will be felt for generations to come.

BLC BLU JBB sweet maria

ROBERT WILLIAMS (256) 228-6416 (256) 599-5432 cell Section, Ala. wwcattle@gmail.com

2021 National Champion Female. Owned and shown by Lauren Brockel. breeding age bulls for sale

Braunvieh World  Winter 2023 When Hunting Your Next Herd Sire – Go to the Source.

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