Smoky gray and brown cattle graze across lush, rolling pastures near Morrisville, Mo.
This is the home of Lane and Lane Braunvieh, a purebred cow/calf herd. Larry and Darlene Lane entered the world of Braunvieh cattle with the purchase of their first bull in 1987.
“Everybody had black cattle and I did not want black, so I decided to go with something different this time,” explained Larry. Since that initial purchase they have not looked back and have been sold on the breed ever since. Braunvieh cattle may be outnumbered by other breeds, but they offer countless advantages for producers.
“I like the milking ability and disposition; I just wanted something a little different. They have a nice frame size and are massive with a lot of muscling. I think many times a Braunvieh cross will wean off a bigger calf, so you end up with more dollars per calf,” explained Larry. “Maybe not as much per pound, but you will end up with more dollars per calf at that age than you will with other breeds.”
Larry consigns cattle to the Midwest Regional Spring Braunvieh Sale in Springfield, Mo., and the Braunvieh Herd Builder Sale in Marshall Junction, Mo.
“I market my top bulls as breeding bulls and take my low end to the sale barn,” Larry explained.
Along with the bulls, he consigns 5- and 6-year-old cows. “They are right in their mid-life and still have a lot of production left in them,” added Larry. “I usually will not sell a bred heifer in the sale, I want to see what she will do and I do not want to take a chance on someone having an issue. If I do not like them, I will cull them at the sale barn.”
Aside from consigning to the sales, Larry will sell cattle off the farm and raises butcher beef.
Larry and Darlene were raised on farms and have witnessed many changes in the beef industry.
“It is always a swinging pendulum,” Larry said. “For a while it was get bigger, bigger, and bigger. Now we are coming back down where they are saying cows are getting too big and it is more efficient to have smaller cows. I think there is a greater need for quality meat and the industry as a whole is trying to improve practices, like Beef Quality Assurance (BQA), injection sites, and feeding for tenderness and marbling,” said Larry. “It is always changing. They wanted market beef a certain size for so long. Now, because of the short supply, they are getting fed cattle and they are feeding them longer, getting them heavier, and getting more meat out of them so we have more supply. It is always a moving target.”
Genomic sequencing is another tool Larry is implementing in his herd.
“For a number of years the ultrasound played a large part in trying to develop ribeyes, marbling, and back fat,” he said. He thinks genomic sequencing will play an even larger role in enhancing EPDs and carcass quality.
“I am satisfied with Braunvieh, I just want to keep trying to improve the herd and raise better cattle,” Larry said, adding that he is uninterested in adding another breed to his herd.
Larry and Darlene were recognized as Braunvieh Breeder of the Year in 2006. They bred N52, the 2005 National Reserve Grand Champion Heifer. She has been Show Dam of the Year in 2011, 2012 and 2014. N52 still resides on the farm and her offspring continue to be successful in the show ring.
This year Larry and Darlene hosted the Missouri Braunvieh Association Field Day at their farm and helped with the Braunvieh Junior National Show in Springfield, Mo.
Aside from Lane and Lane Braunvieh, Larry and Darlene have owned and operated Missouri Livestock Supplements, Inc., for the past 30 years.
Larry and Darlene have been married 51 years and have two sons. Their son Jeff and his wife Yvette have a daughter Misty. Their son Greg and his wife Debbie have a son, Nathan and a daughter, Nicole.
