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.
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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. Over the years we have had “set in stone” standards for wean and yearling weights that be a bull in our program. Against every fiber in my being, I have had to “fudge” on those standards. Since the widespread drought of 2011, our area has suffered drastically from drought. The last 7 years, we have averaged 1/2 of our normal rainfall, and without 8 inches received in just 3 weeks of November, 2024 would have been the 8th straight! 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. It shows in the performance numbers, but believe me when I say: given some groceries, these cattle will shine!
Spring Born 2022 Bulls
