Some Diamond H Highlights of 2010/2011

• Diamond H Named BAA “Braunvieh Breeder of the Year”

• Xena 208X wins Braunvieh Show Heifer of the Year

• Ranger 11R is number one Sire of Prodigy Recorded and number two of Prodidgy Born

• Fall 2010, Spring 2011, and Fall 2011 programs all calve in 42 days or less

• and certainly….we survived the Drought of 2011 (so far)

 

Why Breed the Best?  Because you are not just running a race….you are chasing a dream. 

 

A bull is the single most important influence on any cattle herd.  His genetics influence multiple cows for generations.  I have always said, I will not shop for the cheapest eye surgeon I can find.  Why then do people shop for the cheapest bull they can find?

Perhaps you are researching Braunvieh cattle, just as I did.  There are some excellent tabs on this page that give you some great history on the Braunvieh breed and results of their ability to perform.

I am the first to admit, I never intended to breed any cattle, let alone Braunvieh cattle.  For full details on that statement go to the “Vision from Above” tab.  However let it suffice, when the decision was made to enter the cattle business, excellence was the standard from the beginning.  The Lord led me to John and Loretta Hall through “Kairos”, a prison ministry.  In a nutshell, I asked John what breed he would raise if he were starting from scratch and he led me to Braunvieh cattle.  I started researching the Braunvieh breed, and convinced of their merit, started my herd with 6 bred cows.

However, the past years have shown me experientially what my research and John told me earlier.  The Braunvieh are a complete breed.  They are more docile, more fertile, produce more milk and are more feed efficient than many of the hugely popular breeds of today.  In Texas, we call that easy keepin!

Temperament – There are many studies that link docile temperament to fertility.  I believe that by experience.  I also know it is more fun to work with cattle that want to work with you.  We don’t use ropes or hotshots.  Most of our cattle will eat cake out of your hand.  If one gets on the wrong side of the fence, it doesn’t mean an afternoon spent convincing her to come home.  It usually means 5 minutes and a few shakes of a sack of cake!

Fertility – This makes or breaks profitability in any cattle program.  On the Diamond H, we lutalyse our Braunvieh heifers at weaning, because it is not uncommon for contemporaries to breed at 6 months.  We breed our heifers at 12 months with very few problems.  Our AI success rate is above 70% average.  At the writing of this posting, I am preparing to flush three Braunvieh, one 17 years, one 12 years, and one 11 years old.    We begin using potential herd sires at 12 months on up to 12 cows.   Consider the economic impact of breeding one-year earlier and having cows in production over 10 years!

Milk -The Brown Swiss was bred out of the Braunvieh.  The Braunvieh breed produces lots of milk, which naturally increases weaning weights.

Feed efficiency -  When we put our bulls on test, it is not unusual to have 4 pounds average gain with 5 pounds conversion.  Additionally, Braunvieh cattle typically grade higher on the rail with less days on feed, than the popular black breed of today. In an environment of $8 corn, that is important! Read more about this on the Braunvieh Perform In the Feedlot page.