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Since When???????????

H

hillsdown

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Joined
Oct 5, 2007
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Central Alberta,Canada
Since when have Gelbvieh's been considered exotics ???????? :???:

I am thinking some of you other generic breeders need to stop riding the coattails and create a mark of your own..... :roll:
 
hillsdown said:
Since when have Gelbvieh's been considered exotics ???????? :???:

I am thinking some of you other generic breeders need to stop riding the coattails and create a mark of your own..... :roll:
Click to expand...

It is probably me to whom you are talking, since I have somewhat of a knack for saying the wrong things. :wink:

Back to the issue at hand, Gelbvieh are a good breed of cattle with much to offer the cattle industry. Are they exotic? That is probably a matter of personal interpretation, but I would consider them exotic. They are not a British breed, like Herefords, Angus, and Shorthorn, all of which I would consider "non-exotic." Instead, they originated in Germany as a combination meat, milk, and draft breed, much like many other cattle that are definitely considered "exotic."

In my experience using Gelbvieh, they worked very well in producing extra pounds of calf to sell. My thoughts on Gelbvieh blood in the cow herd are that a cow that is one fourth Gelbvieh is great; a cow that is 3/8 Gelbvieh is alright; but a cow that is half Gelbvieh or more is "too much." A cow that is half Gelbvieh or more just gets too big to be efficient. As in any other breed, there are just naturally some with bad dispositions, bad bags from giving too much milk, and there can be birthweight problems. (The biggest calf ever born on this ranch was the Gelbvieh cross calf that weighed 135 pounds that I pulled with a 1980 Subaru station wagon.) Horns are a factor that is an inconvenience. There can even be a little "buyer resistance" as feeders if there is too much in the mix.

No breed is perfect, but from quite a bit of experience through the years dabbling with many combinations, Angus is about as trouble-free as a person will find. Angus can also have all of the above mentioned problems, but in not as much abundance. They can be pencil-butted, ugly, mean and obnoxious just like any other breed, but from trial and error, I have found them to be the most trouble-free on this particular ranch. My goals as a rancher in the autumn of my life is to raise the most amount of cattle on the least amount of personal attention per critter. Angus seems to fit the bill.
 
I agree with Soapweed. I had some darn good Gelbvieh that were 1/4 blood reds and disposition was not a problem for me until I tried the black Gelbvieh. Anymore than 1/4, they got big and milked way to heavy for my country.
 
hillsdown said:
Since when have Gelbvieh's been considered exotics ???????? :???:

I am thinking some of you other generic breeders need to stop riding the coattails and create a mark of your own..... :roll:
Click to expand...

I've always called the Continental breeds exotic. I could be wrong, are they not? Gelbvieh's have a lot to offer and are a consideration for a cross here in the future. Are you a breeder? Some day while passing by I would be interested in seeing your cattle in person if you are.
 
Soapweed said:
hillsdown said:
Since when have Gelbvieh's been considered exotics ???????? :???:

I am thinking some of you other generic breeders need to stop riding the coattails and create a mark of your own..... :roll:
Click to expand...

It is probably me to whom you are talking, since I have somewhat of a knack for saying the wrong things. :wink:

Back to the issue at hand, Gelbvieh are a good breed of cattle with much to offer the cattle industry. Are they exotic? That is probably a matter of personal interpretation, but I would consider them exotic. They are not a British breed, like Herefords, Angus, and Shorthorn, all of which I would consider "non-exotic." Instead, they originated in Germany as a combination meat, milk, and draft breed, much like many other cattle that are definitely considered "exotic."

In my experience using Gelbvieh, they worked very well in producing extra pounds of calf to sell. My thoughts on Gelbvieh blood in the cow herd are that a cow that is one fourth Gelbvieh is great; a cow that is 3/8 Gelbvieh is alright; but a cow that is half Gelbvieh or more is "too much." A cow that is half Gelbvieh or more just gets too big to be efficient. As in any other breed, there are just naturally some with bad dispositions, bad bags from giving too much milk, and there can be birthweight problems. (The biggest calf ever born on this ranch was the Gelbvieh cross calf that weighed 135 pounds that I pulled with a 1980 Subaru station wagon.) Horns are a factor that is an inconvenience. There can even be a little "buyer resistance" as feeders if there is too much in the mix.

No breed is perfect, but from quite a bit of experience through the years dabbling with many combinations, Angus is about as trouble-free as a person will find. Angus can also have all of the above mentioned problems, but in not as much abundance. They can be pencil-butted, ugly, mean and obnoxious just like any other breed, but from trial and error, I have found them to be the most trouble-free on this particular ranch. My goals as a rancher in the autumn of my life is to raise the most amount of cattle on the least amount of personal attention per critter. Angus seems to fit the bill.
Click to expand...
Mr. Weed, your cattle have obviously spoiled you! :wink: :lol:
All breeds have all the problems...all breeds have herds like yours.
It comes down to the man behind the cattle...or, in your case, the man on the horse with the camera behind the cattle! :D

As for exotic, it depends on where you are! Down here, if they don't have some ear and dewlap, they're exotic because they live in ponds! :shock:
 
Agree with Per they are considered "exotic" because they are "continental" ie they come from continental Europe viewed from a British perspective. Good cattle by all accounts - similar to Simmentals but smaller by all accounts under European conditions. Both are too big and milky for the system I run.

Horseless said:
I agree with Soapweed. I had some darn good Gelbvieh that were 1/4 blood reds and disposition was not a problem for me until I tried the black Gelbvieh. Anymore than 1/4, they got big and milked way to heavy for my country.
Click to expand...
I guess that blows one of the black angus advantages out of the water then hey?:wink: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Every breed from Europe is called exotic it's a generic term that was coined with the first importation just as Shorthorns, angus and Hereford are labelled as British breeds. I don't think it has really anything to do with the depth of their character or the flavour of their rib eye. From what I've seen up here when any of the exotics (chars, Simms, Guppies etc.) are crossed on British cows the first cross usually works very well. The rancher immediately becomes enraptured with his new savior breed and throws all the tenets of crossbreeding out the window. I mean if some is good more has got to be better. After a few generations of this he sneaks into a bull sale or phones in a bid on a lowly British breed bull to backcross to.
 
I don't mind sneaking a little British into my cattle. In my experience a cow that is 1/4 Angus and 3/4 Blonde is a wonderful, efficient, generally trouble free animal. A half blood Angus is too much. :wink:
Like Soapweed, and most cattlemen, we aim for the most returns for the least inputs, and many years of trial with an open mind have taught us much.
 
Northern Rancher said:
Every breed from Europe is called exotic it's a generic term that was coined with the first importation just as Shorthorns, angus and Hereford are labelled as British breeds. I don't think it has really anything to do with the depth of their character or the flavour of their rib eye. From what I've seen up here when any of the exotics (chars, Simms, Guppies etc.) are crossed on British cows the first cross usually works very well. The rancher immediately becomes enraptured with his new savior breed and throws all the tenets of crossbreeding out the window. I mean if some is good more has got to be better. After a few generations of this he sneaks into a bull sale or phones in a bid on a lowly British breed bull to backcross to.
Click to expand...

So true. :? :-)
 
Northern Rancher said:
Every breed from Europe is called exotic it's a generic term that was coined with the first importation just as Shorthorns, angus and Hereford are labelled as British breeds.
Click to expand...
Hey NR you get an F for geography :wink: :lol: :lol: - Britain is also a part of Europe, hence my explanation "they are considered "exotic" because they are "continental" ie they come from continental Europe viewed from a British perspective."
I agree with the rest of your post though :)
 
Grassfarmer said:
Northern Rancher said:
Every breed from Europe is called exotic it's a generic term that was coined with the first importation just as Shorthorns, angus and Hereford are labelled as British breeds.
Click to expand...
Hey NR you get an F for geography :wink: :lol: :lol: - Britain is also a part of Europe, hence my explanation "they are considered "exotic" because they are "continental" ie they come from continental Europe viewed from a British perspective."
I agree with the rest of your post though :)
Click to expand...

Honest mistake GF, Britain is off in its own world as compared to the rest of Europe.
 
My bad just explaining the difference between idiotics and british cattle lol. There are some good nicknames for the exotics up here in the land of ice and snow.
 
Northern Rancher said:
My bad just explaining the difference between idiotics and british cattle lol. There are some good nicknames for the exotics up here in the land of ice and snow.
Click to expand...

Over on this end of the ice and snow there are some choice words / nicknames for the British breeds as well.
 
My favorite is calling Charolais- Charley Welfares lol. I dunno Silver when I'm sitting next to Stan Jacobs from Douglas Lake buying bulls or order buying for a big outfit north of Quesnel all I hear is awesome and profitable lol.
 

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