Gelbvieh at a Glance...

Origin:
Northern Bavaria, Germany

Maturity:
Medium to late.

Birth weight:
Purebred males average 88lbs (40kg), female average 76 lbs (38kg).

Color:
Reddish-gold to russet, or black. Dilutor gene is carried by some Gelbvieh.

Description:
Medium to large, long body with above average muscling.  Originally horned, the majority now polled.

Calving:
Generally good performers but some care advisable when selecting sires for cross breeding over maiden heifers from smaller breeds.

Milk:
One of the highest milk producers among beef breeds.

Pre-weaning Pre-weaning growth:
Exceptionally fast, comparable or better than Charolais.

Feed Conversion Efficiency:
One of the most efficient of all breeds.

Temperament:
Very good.

Meat Type:
Lean with a high % of retail yield.

Summary:  Established in Germany in the 19th Century, it was once a triple purpose breed (milk, meat & draft).  Gelbvieh means literally, "Yellow Cattle".  Today, there are nearly 70,000 active, registered Gelbvieh cows in the Untied States.

Synopsis:  Webster's definition of optimum is "the 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 of 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." 

Finally he states, "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 a lot of cost in the business."  -- MARC Beef Progress Report #4, May 1993