Cattleman’s Corner Radio

Meet Don Edwards. We asked if he prefers the red of black gelbvieh...

Don Edwards prefers red cattle, citing higher average weaning weights compared to black cattle and a better handling of heat stress in northeast Colorado's climate. While Gelbvieh carcass characteristics might not compete with Angus breeds in terms of certain qualities, they possess adaptability to various environments and are excellent mothers. This adaptability is pivotal for breeders in diverse and challenging conditions.

The cattle were originally introduced in 1857 at the county fair in Mont Brison in Savoie with the breed name Savoyarde. In 1861, the Savoie Duchy again became part of France. So in 1861 the cattle became a French breed and it was named Tarentaise after the Tarentaise Valley above which most of the breed lived. In 1863, the Tarentaise breed was officially recognized by France at the French National Agricultural Fair. Work began in 1866 to decide the elements to select for in the Tarine/Tarentaise cattle. The first Herd Book was created in 1888, and the official name “Tarentaise” for the cattle breed was adopted at that time.

Tarentaise cattle descend from the domestic cattle of the Tarentaise valley in France where they were isolated from other breeds for many thousands of years. The cattle adapted in such a way as to allow them to exist in high altitudes and be able to range in very steep and rough terrain to forage.

"For me, it's the maternal end, it is second to none. The disposition is quiet. Flushibility is there. It's always in good shape, and they've got good feet and good utters, and the depths of body, and it's just very easy to get along with, I guess, the red cattle." - Bryan Gill

Bryan Gill is a co-owner and manager of Gill Red Angus, a prominent seedstock cattle ranch in Timber Lake, South Dakota. He manages breeding, marketing, and finances alongside his brother Brent Gill, continuing the family operation started in 1979.

This is a reminder for our cattlemen and women out there, if you have an upcoming sale, the Cattleman's Corner website is a free resource to advertise to a large group of visitors and listeners. Visit cattlemanscorner.com to find out more. The Cattleman's Corner radio program has been on the air since 1994 and continues to play every Monday through Friday on great radio stations in five states.

Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Watch out for an email from us at Cattleman's Corner asking if you'd like a free interview on the radio. Our goal is to get you exposure for your upcoming cattle sale.

This is a free interview. Call or text the number on the screen at cattlemanscorner.com. 941-942-4361. Ask for Brian Hale.

This radio program has had literally over a thousand cattlemen on the air over the past 30 plus years. The program began with Howard Hale in 1994. Unfortunately, Howard passed on to the big pasture in the sky in 2023.

The Cattleman's Corner remains strong on multiple radio stations across our network and on every podcast platform under the sun. Look for it, cattlemanscorner.com or Cattleman's Corner on any podcast network. If you're a cattleman, remember these interviews are free.

Give us a call or reply to the email that we'll be sending to you. 

The Cattleman's Corner is brought to you by The American Gelbvieh Association.

What is an athletic bull?

"That phrase comes from a customer of ours. He's an old longtime customer. He's passed away now, giving him a hard time one time about 35 years ago that he needed to take better care of his bulls, joking around. After he got through the breeding season, he just looked at me and said, you've never seen a fat athlete, have you? I have always used that quote. I thought that was a very interesting quote. Bulls need to be developed like athletes. They don't need a lot of fat on them to empower feet and legs and semen production and everything the rest of their lives. That was a quote from Andy Olson and we just kind of stick by that."

So how do you develop your bulls then? 

"We're on a higher up each ration. Generally, after we wean them, our bulls are on a two pounds per day gain. So that's quite a bit less than what many folks do developing their bulls. We don't want fat bulls."

Galen Fink, Fink Beef Genetics at Randolph, Kansas.