Diamond H Ranch Braunvieh Bulls for Sale

“INVEST IN YOUR PROGRAM BY INVESTING IN OURS”

If you are interested in learning a bit more about Braunvieh and some of my opinion of and experience working with the breed…. read on. If you want to see the bulls we have for sale and don’t want to read all this stuff, scroll down this page and you’ll find the bulls we have for sale.

If you are unfamiliar with Braunvieh Bulls there are a few things you should know about them. They can breed at an early age, do not think a yearling won’t breed 20 or more cows (we use long yearlings all the time) and typically last several years longer than the the popular black breed (it is common to see a 10 year old Braunvieh bull in the pasture working). That fact alone saves you money! They are very docile and their strong libido makes them naturally hard workers. They will add bone, muscle, and MILK. They also defy the antagonism between maternal and growth. That is good news to producers. With Braunvieh you get the growth you are looking for, and are able to produce fertile, productive females! Thats not true with most all breeds.

Please click this link to read a great Braunvieh story from Troy Dean at the Whittaker Ranch in Decatur, Texas. It pretty much sums up why a commercial producer should use Braunvieh Bulls. Everyone (I asked the same question) wonders “If these cattle are so good, why have I never heard of them?” Well, I once had a breeder tell me “if you ever see 3 Braunvieh Breeders agree on anything, you better write it down, because it won’t happen again!” I’m afraid that may be more fact than fiction. People, more than the cattle, have prevented this breed from moving forward.

The Braunvieh Association of America (BAA) is working at exposing beef producers to the benefits of adding Braunvieh to their herd. You may have discovered there is a shortage of Braunvieh (especially good ones) on the market. The BAA has produced a series of programs that have aired on “The American Rancher”. One of my favorites, “The Braunvieh Bull…He always works” aired February 2016 on the RFD channel. It is informative and you can hear from people that have made the decision to work with Braunvieh. Of special interest, is JHL cattle company. He has as much data as most anyone on the planet, and therefore, I believe his opinion, as a result of collecting this extensive data, carries weight!

“The Braunvieh Bull….He always works!”

If you are a video watcher, click on the link to see a video about Diamond H bull philosophy

I don’t think a lot of people put enough weight on their bull buying decision. Without a doubt, your bull is the single greatest influence on your herd, and therefore your profitability. AND, if you use a bull, he has bred 3 years before you know if his genetics are working or not! You better be right! And his impact on weaning weights and fertility will directly effect YOUR BOTTOM LINE! So, if you don’t think you can’t afford that expensive, high performing bull….. I suggest you sell two cows, and buy one really good bull. He will pay for himself in a hurry! Saving $1000 or $2000 on a bull today will cost you $1000’s in the next short period of time. Think about it, if a bull that costs you $5500 adds only 25 pounds wean weight(and that number is more likely 50#), that is $60 plus, per head. Times 30 cows is $1800 additional profit the first year. If that bargain bull you bought at the sale or out of your neighbors culls, lowers weaning weights 25 pounds, you lose $1800 per year, in weight alone….forget fertility, carcass traits, etc. YOU MIGHT GET LUCKY WITH THAT BARGAIN BULL, BUT IN THIS BUSINESS, THAT IS A RISK, I PERSONALLY AM UNWILLING TO TAKE! WE DO NOT SKIMP ON OUR BULLS….YOU SHOULD NOT EITHER.

We have a wide range of genetics ranging from half blood Braunvieh (crossed to Angus, Wagyu and some Gelbvieh genetics), to Full Blood Braunvieh. Our genetic mission is to produce bulls which will put money making performance into your seed stock and commercial herd. We focus on “the big three“; birth weights, weaning weights, and yearling weights. While maintaining a fullblood presence in our herd, we are striving to accomplish our performance goals in a purebred, black and polled package. See Herd Sire page for pictures of the bulls that provide the foundation for our Seed Stock Braunvieh Genetics. Let me say here that there may be the commercial cattleman saying “that stuff is not important to me, I’m just a commercial breeder“. I respond by saying, if you want to make money at the sale barn, THIS STUFF IS IMPORTANT TO YOU! I would love to go have the discussion with you as to how it impacts you and the profitability of your program.

Options to buy a Braunvieh bull from Diamond H Braunvieh

All bulls that we sell are guaranteed to be breeders. All will have Vet certified BSE tests within the last 6 months.

Bulls on the ranch, Not performance tested. Once in a while we sell untested bulls. I personally believe testing is money WELL SPENT. That said, occasionally for one reason or another, we will have a bull that reaches breeding age that was not put through the testing process. These bulls are typically sold as non-registered, but carry the same fertility and soundness guarantees as any other bull sold on the Diamond H. They are less money than their tested contemporaries.

Bulls that have completed performance testing at a third party testing facility which includes RFI efficiency testing and ultrasounding for carcass results. It is well documented that Gain, RFI and carcass traits have a high level of inheritability…That means, simply, the bull passes those traits on to his offspring. RFI testing, a measurement of feed efficiency , I believe, will be one of the most sought after characteristics of a bull in the future (from my viewpoint, it already is one). If you are unfamiliar with RFI, Click here, and you can get a simple explanation of what it is and how it is measured by the Growsafe system. Remember, efficiency is a very inheritable trait, and it is ONE WHICH WILL MAKE YOU MONEY!! These bulls are priced largely based on performance relative to their contemporaries. All bulls start at a base price. If they perform above the group in any category, they demand a premium. If they perform below, we apply a discount. Also, different bulls are able to help you reach different goals. If you sell at the local auction, you don’t necessarily need a bull with great carcass, but rather growth is your focus. If you own calves to the rail, you need a bull that does it all. Testing gives you options. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR, AND HAVE A GOOD IDEA WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT !

Mature Bulls. We sometimes have bulls that we have used/tested as herd sires. Sometimes they did not do what we expected, sometimes we have enough of their genetic influence in our herd. These mature Purebred and Fullbloods represent the top tier of our genetics. These are bulls that topped their contemporaries in testing and were kept to improve the level of genetics in our seedstock herd. Let me make something clear. WE DO NOT SELL OUR PROBLEMS ON THE DIAMOND H. WE KILL THEM. IF THE BULL HAD A PROBLEM, HE BECAME HAMBURGER, NOT SOMEONE ELSE’S PROBLEM! I think that deserves further comment. Selling problem cattle should be, at minimum, (and often is) done at the local sale barn. One should not expect a seedstock producer to sell problem cattle off the ranch. I am alarmed that it happens more often that you would expect. It won’t happen on this ranch. If the animal has a problem, we usually kill it, I don’t even want that type of animal going through the sale barn with my brand on it!! If it is a cow that we are selling went open then was later was bred, we make that CLEAR at the time of the sale. We believe you get what you pay for at the Diamond H….and quality is not cheap!

Braunvieh Bulls standing on the Ranch for sale

(and ready to go to work!)

I feel the obligation to comment on our weaning and yearling weights. The past 10 years, with the last 5 in particular, have been difficult, weather wise on the Diamond H. The last 5 years, we have averaged 1/2 of our normal rainfall, and as of July 2 we are 3 inches behind for the year, when everyone else is ahead! I have learned, first hand, that takes an ongoing and cumulative toll on not only the quantity, but, perhaps more importantly, the quality of the grass as well. There is NO microbiological activity in our soil…. it is not healthy. The result of that fact began showing up in our performance numbers about this time last year. I can’t blame that on the cows, nor the genetics. Truth is, the cows have done quite well, all things considered. They have consistently bred back, including ALL second calf heifers! They are holding body score reasonably well…they just don’t have the groceries to produce to their genetic capability.

Spring Born 2022 Bulls

This bunch has been the most difficult to photo since I have been doing this! When you enter the pasture, they just group up and look at you. That makes it near impossible to get a decent shot. I have tried A BUNCH of times to no avail ( I’m 12 months later now). Will keep trying, but decided I would post the numbers and you can see if anything seems interesting to you.

18K DHR SAHARA OB 105130 AGM 100% DOB 2/14/22 BW 82 Adj WW 532 Adj YW 979

ADG 3.14 RFI -.55 IMF 4.14 REA 11.96 .24

I had actually decided to use this bull as a second Fullblood herdsire on the Diamond H, until we just identified another, perhaps better, in the most recent test of Fall 22 bulls. That fact alone, should tell you what I think of this young bull. He is sired by a Yukon’s Image son we used for a while, out of 51B, the most productive of the Fullbloods we bought out of Canada. He had good performance numbers, with a strong efficiency number. His carcass was exactly as we look for, strong IMF, ribeye in the 12″ ranch and low back fat. And I think he is put together very well….lots of depth, lots of spring of rib, a big wide top and, sometimes elusive for a fullblood, power in the rear quarter. If you are looking for a good Fullblood bull, this guy definitely deserves consideration.

PHOTO TO POST ASAP

25K DHR Cesear PB104695 AGM 82.3% DOB 2/25/22 BW 92 Adj WW 547 Adj YW 986

ADG 3.05 RFI -2.58 IMF 3.55 REA 13.74 BF .18

This bull is a Mack 19E son out of an ET cow that is destined to be a donor on the Diamond H. Honestly, his ADG number did not meet my expectations for the genetic package. I have no idea if there is science to back this up, but as you can see, this bull had a HUGE RFI efficiency number…the largest of the group (remember, a negative RFI is what you are looking for) So he is definitely an efficient gainer. My observation is that, when a bull has that kind of RFI number, he tends to be lacking in the ADG side of the equation. That is what makes the ones that have both, such a rarity! He is strong phenotypically, looks like you want a bull to look. He is homozygous black and polled. SO…he checks off lots of boxes on the want list. An efficient gainer in a black and polled package, that will make them look right.

PHOTO TO POST ASAP

27K SLS Showboat BC104715 AGM 66.8% DOB 2/25/22 BW 84 Adj WW 484 Adj YW 1045

ADG 3.50 RFI -.02 IMF 4.03 REA 13.58 BF .24

This percentage bull is a Mack 19E son out of a Stoney Sheer 1/2 blood cow, 59G. She is out of a registered Angus, U5-302, who produced great progeny with such consistently, we decided to flush her to several Braunvieh bulls. I single this cow out, because her second calf, just recently weaned the highest weaning weight for the spring 23 calves. She looks to be a future star, to be sure. This calf, her first calf, managed to take a 484 pound weaning weight to 1045 yearling! He is one of the best calves phenotypically in this group. He is tested Homozygous Black and Polled, Angus black himself. This calf is a good one, and is gonna do the job a commercial man is looking for…pounds at weaning, out of a strong maternal family which means great replacement females.

PHOTO TO POST ASAP

37K DHR Bell’s Boy OB105132 AGM 100% DOB 3/16/22 BW 92 Adj WW 588 Adj YW 963

ADG 3.71 RFI -1.68 IMF 3.67 REA 11.35 BF .29

This calf is sired by a Yukon’s Image son we used for a while after our 3W bull died suddenly. He is out of a cow we affectionally named “Belle”, one of the group of Fullbloods we imported from Canada. Like his mama, he has a great disposition! He did well on test in both ADG and RFI. Truth is, he has developed into a better bull that I thought he was when he came home from test. I would like to see what he would do in a place with better groceries that he has had on the Diamond H. His dam is a very maternal cow, and though she is about to turn ten, she has a beautiful udder, and has done a good job for us. This is a solid full blood bull that should add maternal in every breeding.

Fall Born 2022 Bulls

When this group left for test, I had high hopes. When I first saw the results, I was not very pleased. Diamond H bulls did not take the top spot, even number two. We had only two of the top five. But as I looked closer, I saw things differently. I noticed we had the number two Purebred bull, in fact we had 4 of the top 5 purebred or Fullblood percentage bulls. Now, I am in no way taking away from the top bulls…they were great bulls. But what I am saying is that ….Heterosis works! If you are a commercial cattleman wanting to wean bigger and better calves, you should be using a strong crossbreeding program. I think Braunvieh bulls are a great choice, and I happen to believe our genetics will increase that heterosis kick! Using a purebred bull on your current genetics will maximize your heterosis potential.

Though they are certainly not all great pictures, at least this group will separate long enough to take individual pictures. These were taken in the pens when the bulls got home, before I turned them out. One issue worth noting is the IMF numbers on these bulls. The highest IMF in this group is 3.2, with several below 3. I have never seen them so low. The same ultrasound tech was used, and they were scanned at just over 12 months according to protocol. I have not had a bull under a 3 IMF in a decade! Not sure why these are that way, but it was not just my bulls, but all bulls. I have asked several people much smarter than I and there is no consensus as to what might be the cause. I trust these bulls have genetics similar to those before them, and I know from personal killing and meat selling experience, our genetics marble well. Wish I had some explanation for the anomaly in these numbers, but I just don’t!

And….I thought when I did this the first time 10 years ago, I would not do it again, but….I branded the group as “L” when they were “K” calves. Did the whole darn group! Went back and put a “K” on the end. Couldn’t figure out anything else. That’s how our sire “Beefmaker” got the ZA in his ID. The Aggie in me shows through sometimes :-)!

53K DHR Sneaky Pete PB 106927 AGM 88.9% DOB 9/16/22 Actual BW 84 Adj WW 588 Adj YW 1081

ADG 4.89 RFI 1.74 IMF 2.7 REA 12.45 BF .26 Scrotal 43cm

If you selected bulls only on eye appeal and attitude, you would likely go home with this guy! This bull is sired by the Black Joker bull, and his mother, 41H is a young cow that is certainly getting my attention. That breeding makes Joker in this pedigree twice and the Phenomenon cow three times! This was her first calf, and I’m thinking I like the one she has on her side even better! He overcame lack of groceries in his less than 600# Wean Weight to make it over 1000 yearling..no small feat! I think this bull is among the best in this bunch. And check out that scrotal number for a long yearling…. He’s a fertile one for sure!

64K DHR Tomcat PB 106935 AGM 85.7% DOB 9/14/22 BW 70 Adj WW 521 Adj YW 1050

ADG 4.57 RFI .84 IMF 3.0 REA 12.46 BF .24 Scrotal 38cm

He is out of our E37 cow which had 83H (whom I named Pistol Pete) three seasons back that DOMINATED his large test group and eventually sold to Bluebonnet Braunvieh (I thought about that one, long and hard). She is a Xerox daughter out of 89A, a cow that has several daughters in our program. She is definitely on our “Donor” radar…. what I’m trying to communicate here is: he is out of a great cow family, and I am a cow family breeder! He is sired by our 22E Peterbuilt bull, so this is a solid genetic package. Another bull whose dam did not have the groceries to wean a heavy calf, but he caught up when he finally got the groceries. He is homozygous polled and heterozygous black. Those are scurrs you see…if you aren’t sure how that works, ask me if you call to inquire about him or any other bull.

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Sold into Oklahoma

73K DHR The Duke PB 106986 AGM 88.5% DOB 9/28/22 BW 96 Adj WW 614 Adj YW 1132

ADG 3.59 RFI -.79 IMF 3.0 REA 12.56 BF .27 Scrotal 31.5

The picture says it all….length, bone, muscle, just plain built like you want a bull built. He is out of big beautiful black cow sired by our 19E Mack bull…I bred her this year the very same way…gee, wonder why? As it turns out, he is the largest calf the 19E bull has sired, but that allowed him to top the yearling weight in his group. Note the balance in his numbers….strong efficiency, a high ratio in the IMF (marbling) number and a ribeye right in the sweet spot…just over 12 inches. He is homozygous black and homozygous polled. He will sire the kind of calves the sale buyers are looking for. I doubt he lasts long!

89K DHR Ponderosa BC106939 AGM 77% DOB 9/20/22 BW 81 Adj WW 544 Adj YW 980

ADG 3.48 RFI .02 IMF 3.2 REA 11.23 BF .25 Scrotal 34.5 cm

This bull is definitely a “niche” bull. He is out of our Mack 19E bull who has great carcass numbers in his own right. His dam is a 1/4 blood Wagyu, sired by Beefmaker, making this bull a 1/8 wagyu. It shows up in the fact that he had the highest IMF of the test. He also had a VERY solid RFI number, making him the right bull for someone that is selling beef direct or wants to retain ownership and sell on the grid. He is a high percentage, only 7% short of being a purebred which will make for good Heterosis.