Fertility is on everyone's list of most important traits for the brood cow. Marc data indicates the limmy cow is uniquely a lower fertility breed. Moreover, 150,000# of limmy cows in a pasture won't produce the calves 150,000# moderate black cows will. I don't care how much feed you have, #of cowherd/#calf crop is a primary determinant of profitability.

Marc data has shown the gelbveigh breed to be uniquely fertile.

I don't see limmy offering any improvement to a good black cow. Hell yes the limmy cross terminal calf is improved by the limmy. The gelbveigh cross offers fertility improvement tothe black cow, but also some negative issues like calf size. Good black cows are so good, I'd tread lightly crossing them with anything. The black cow is good enough to coverup the gelbveigh calf size issues. Blacks and gelbveighs can both get too big to make an optimal factory, keep your cow size a consideration. Milk used to be an issue, but since the merging of the stein breed and angus breed, too much is likely more of a problem than too little.

I'd be interested in everyone's opinion on cow trait priority. Frankly, there is an elite cashe of stockmanship on this board. Soapweed and faster horses and mrj used to be young, and they traded that for smart.