Page 20 - MWC 8-11-2022s

The Midwest Cattleman · August 11, 2022 · P20
All in the Family with Overmiller Gelbvieh

By Brenda Black
At nine years of age, born three weeks later.” and composites.
Reid Overmiller is al- 111Y has raised two more “We had Gelbvieh so long,
ready in the cattle busi- sons that sold as sires, and the that our cow herd was basical-
ness. In fact, he owned Overmillers have flushed one ly purebred Gelbvieh,” Kelly
his first registered of her daughters. said. “I was at the Universi-
Gelbvieh heifer before “We never flush after just ty of Nebraska at a judging
he was born! Overmill- one calf,” Kelly said, “but we practice where they used Red
er Gelbvieh and Red have six embryos out of 81F.” Angus and Gelbvieh cross.”
Angus, Smith Center, As for that little bred heifer Kelly went home and
Ks., is a three-gener- bought for the baby nearly a shared with his dad and broth-
ational family ranch decade ago... Kelly said, “she er how impressed he was with
currently, where young has the biggest bull calf on her the combination. They bought
Reid and his cousins right now at 11 years of age.” one Red Angus bull and 13
are 7th generation Legacies and lineage like cows with the original plan to
Overmiller’s ranching. that are the direct result of a make Balancers. “Some of our
They are blessed with a decision Reid's Grandpa and customers wanted some Red
great foundation in his Grandma, Roger & Norma Angus too,” Kelly said. “But
family line, as well as Overmiller, made 45 years we still think the best for the
those Gelbvieh genetics ago. With two young daugh- commercial cow guy is a cross-
that launched his grow- ters in tow, they traveled bred.”
ing herd. to the Nebraska Sandhills Balancers run with Gel-
“My son had co-high where they bought their first bviehs and the Overmillers
selling bull this year papered cattle. Two sons and hustle to meet a variety of
that went for $12,000,” many more Gelbvieh would customer demands. Some only
Reid's dad, Kelly, said. follow, producing a family her- want Balancers, and some
“The high selling ani- itage of caring for the land want Gelbviehs to make their
mal off this place was and the cattle. Kelly and wife own F1s.
his when he was four Risa, and Brent and his wife “It kind of becomes a game
years old.” Brittany, and their children of breeding up and down,”
Kelly jokes that run the ranch, with Dad still Kelly said. “Sometimes we'll
this is more than he's anchoring the ship. Kelly take a Balancer and breed to a
ever gotten. “We want and Risa are parents to Reid Gelbvieh to get a high percent-
what's best for our kids, and his seven-year-old sister, age, and then next year breed
so, when we buy one or Krisa. Brent's eldest, Hudson, to lower percentage. It's a jug-
give them one, we don't is only 18 hours older than gling act to have the blend of
want it to be a bad Krisa. And he has a four-year- what a customer wants. Our
one.” The dam to Reid's old little brother, Cooper. bulls are pretty uniform, but
high seller is by a bull The Overmiller's daugh- there are differences within
named Zipline from 3G ters, who were there at the them. That's why we do red
Ranch that Kelly and beginning with Gelbvieh, are and black too. Angus around
Brent bought as a year- still involved with their fam- here are only used to create
ling. He was a National ilies in beef production, utiliz- Balancers, because every-
Champion Gelbvieh at ing genetics that originated body knows that the only free
two. But it's the mater- from their parent's herd. But, lunch in the cattle business is
nal side that makes the it's the boys that continue hybrid vigor.”
story even richer. daily operations at Overmiller With so many moving
“We bought the Gelbvieh and Red Angus, liv- parts at Overmiller Gelbvieh
granddam of that ing only 1.5 miles from each and Red Angus, “some people
$12,000 bull for $1500,” other and their father, and think we're nuts running so
Kelly said. running merged herds with many different groups,” Kelly
“My wife Dad on owned and leased pas- said. “Truth be told, it feels
and I were tures that sprawl 10 miles like we calve year 'round. Yes,
in Colora- from ranch headquarters. it creates more work, but it
do at a sale, “Dad always let us have also spreads the work out. If
and Risa was cows when we were growing we calved all of our cows in one
eight and a up,” Kelly said, “and our herds time frame and got hit with a
half months just kept growing too. Dad still blizzard, we couldn't manage
pregnant. has input and will say from it. From a weather standpoint,
On a whim, time to time, 'I found this bull calving like we do spreads out
we decided I'd like for you boys to look at.' our risk. On the commercial
let's buy one But Brent has probably al- side, having both spring and
for our kid, ready seen him, since he stays fall harvests means we don't
who was not up all night looking at cattle have to gamble on the market
born yet. We on the web and in catalogs.” just one time a year. It allows
hauled the Together, they manage both our bulls more opportunities
heifer home registered and commercial to breed too. Some of our bulls
and Reid was herds comprised of purebreds see breeding pastures three