Eisenherz 7623 - A trendsetter among polled Fleckvieh bulls

Eisenherz 7623 -
A trendsetter among polled Fleckvieh bulls
Dr. Thomas Grupp
When the Bavarian State began to select
polled Fleckvieh cattle they used only genetic
mutations. But they were not aware
of how complicated this breeding progress
would be till the first homocygous
polled Fleckvieh bull was ready for use.
Although in ancient records now and then
polled mutations were mentioned, for a
long time farmers were of the opinion that
polled animals or cattle with scurs were
physically weaker than horned cattle
which led to the fact that these animals
were seldom used for breeding purposes.
Today one can say that the Bavarian State
Government fortunately had the necessary
farsightedness to set up such a breeding
program at a time when there was no economic
need for polled cattle and the farmers
had no interest in such a program.
The development in the dairy and beef industry
tending towards bigger units of animals
now demands, irrespective of the
production system more and more polled
cattle, partly for reasons of personal security,
partly for reasons of protection of
the animals.
The breeding for polled cattle in Bavaria
is characterized by the attempt to breed
homocygous polled bulls irrespective of
milk and beef performance. All polled
Fleckvieh bulls were tested for their own
performance before they were tested at
the AI-center. Thus, a selection for beef
traits becomes possible at least to some
amount when taking into account the growth
of the bull himself and his type traits.
As far as the dairy traits are concerned
one has to lower one’s sights, which means
that the hereditary performance of
the actual homocygous polled Fleckvieh
bulls is generally lower than average as
far as milk performance is concerned.
Eisenherz – A story of success
Eisenherz 7623 (engl. Ironheart) can be
seen as the prototype of the actual German
breeding efforts for polledness. Born
Polled Fleckvieh-bulls at the German Fleckvieh-show 1997 – Eisenherz on the right.
Polled Fleckvieh 19
on the 4th of April 1994, as the 4th calf of
a Holbach-daughter (No. 371) on the State
farm of Schwaiganger, a famous breeding
farm for polled Fleckvieh and the
birth place of the polled bull Eckholm, Eisenherz
came up with the following results
during his performance test at the
State farm of Grub (26.07.95):
Weight: 618kg
Daily gains: 1,392g
Height at withers: 133cm
Muscling: 7
EISENHERZ Eckholm 41053 Eckstein 795 Emerit 770 Embargo 99882
7623/11
026523282
02158247 Holler 29196
1959929
030425486 Holoman 12783 Holler 29196
012710172
025421982 Zunder 2877
021915379
037131389 Holbach I 785 Holwig I 20383 Holler 29196
020306179
027524183 Holler 29196
024119981
031319386 Holstein II 20284 Holler 29196
020205579
019315677 Hatz 16468
015609175

20 Polled Fleckvieh
Cow No. 371 – Dam of Eisenherz at the age of 9 years on the pasture at Schwaiganger.
Type: 7
Sceletton: 7
Index: 118
Classification: 1
After finishing the performance test he came
to the quarantine stable of the AI-center
of Munich Grub. After 6 weeks of quarantine
and an all round examination he
was sent to the production stable.
Description of the bull Eisenherz when
was a young bull:
"Just middle of the road type, balanced,
dark red covered Fleckvieh bull with a big
pigmented spot on the right eye. Excellent
connections, slightly built over at the
hind quarter, extraordinary muscling, a
little bit too round. Correct legs, dry fundaments.
The frame is expected to develop
not too much taking into account the
length of the middlehand and the already
well developed neck. The quality of the
transmitted udders should be normal with
respect to the four equally sized scrotum
nipples placed on the abdominal wall and
the scrotum basis. The head expresses
the typical Fleckvieh-shape with a strong
tapering to the part. Double eyelid, very
probable to be homocygous.”
Eisenherz went through a so called shortened
testing period (September 1996 –
May 1997) with the goal to get about 50
calves from matings with horned cows on
milk recording farms in order to get some
information on the transmission of dairy
traits.
These cows calved from July 1997 to
March 1998.
In the year 1997 Eisenherz was presen-
ted to a broad audience at the occasion
of the German Fleckvieh-Show and the
meeting of the European Fleckvieh breeders
in Ulm. Visitors from all over the
world were impressed by the muscling
and the balance of this bull.
Male Female Alltogether
Polled 17 29 46
Scurs 2 2
Horned
All together 19 29 48
Niece of Eisenherz – Dam of the polled bull Euro.
Testing for polledness
The calves were tested for polledness at
an age of 2 to 7 weeks. Alltogether 48
calves were examined.
On the 24th of March 1998 it was officially
announced that Eisenherz is an homocygous
polled bull.
Eye pigmentation
31,2% One eye
22,9% Goggle eye
4,2% Pigmented muzzle
25,0% Pigmented forehead
Body pigmentation
10,4% Darkred
70,8% Red
18,8% Darkyellow
2,1% More white
After it was clear that Eisenherz was an
homocygous polled bull he was used as
AI-bull all over Germany, but mainly in
suckler cow herds.

Waiting period as natural service
bull
For more than one year, from June 1997
to October 1998 Eisenherz was used as
natural service bull on the farm of Mr.
Schreyer from Pfaffenhofen who owns a
suckler cow herd. The Schreyers have an
organic farm which means that it is not allowed
to dehorn the cattle. Via the use of
polled genetics the problem of dehorning
cattle could be solved on this farm. Their
Eisenherz progeny attract various visitors
from all over the world that are all impressed
by the balanced, excellent muscled
cattle, that are of unique colour. Meanwhile
the Eisenherz daughters have been
mated to another polled bull of the state
farm of Schwaiganger and now, after calving
show an extraordinary muscling and
nice udders. In contrary to the judged
cattle from the milk recording farms they
surprised with an absolutely stable and
firm conformation.
In autumn 1999 the first Eisenherzdaughters
calved in the milk recording
dairy farms and came up with quite good
milk performances when you take into
consideration that they derive from a polled
bull.
Milk value: 74
The beef performance of his male progeny
is not very high as far as the daily
gains are concerned, nevertheless the
beef percentage (with 1,59%) and the
grading of the carcass of his sons are tremendous.
These values derive from progeny
from the testing period. Meanwhile
the results from the beef breeding industry
confirm this beef value. Eisenherz
has the highest beef value of all fullblood
polled bulls in Germany with a beef value
of 118.
Excellent Eisenherz-calf from Canada.
Polled Fleckvieh 21
Champion heifer on the Windhoek-Show – Wonderful Eisenherz daughter from the Riedels /
Gobabis.
Eisenherz-son Sako – Junior Champion Bull Pretoria 2000
Breeder: van Rendsburg / South Africa
Echo (V:Eisenherz) – Champion bull from Brandenburg / Mecklenburg-Vorpommern / Germany.

22 Polled Fleckvieh
Beef value: 118 (+8 net gain, + 1,59%
beef, +9,3 classification EUROP)
The judging of the progeny had an surprising
result. The relative figure for frame
was 91, which confirmed the assumption
that the progeny would be more middle of
the road type size. But as far as muscling
is concerned the Eisenherz-daughters
reached excellent breeding values with
126 points, a figure that is reached only
quite seldom. As far as the type traits are
concerned with a breeding value of 89 the
progeny show a lot of balance and type,
but as far as the conformation is concerned
a weak fatlock and a sickled hock have
to be mentioned. The good udders are
very surprising for a polled bull, since there
is little room for selection on the female
side of polled cows. Because of these
very positive characteristics Eisenherz
was used a lot in dual purpose farms that
have to attach a lot of importance to the
quality of the udder.
Eisenherz is well known all over
the world
Because of his extraordinary type traits,
pedigree and the colour of his coat semen
and embryos from Eisenherz have
been used in the following countries:
● Germany
● Austria
● Luxembourg
● Sweden
● Scottland
● Israel
● Canada
● USA
● Mexico
● Paraguay
Eisenherz full sisters from Namibia – Breeders: Mr. and Mrs. Riedel.
● Australia
● New Zealand
● South Africa
● Namibia
Despite of a quite small number of progeny
in the buyer countries the bull impressed
all breeders. Meanwhile some
sons of Eisenherz are used as natural
service bulls and some were even bought
from AI-centers. His progeny impressed
at national and international shows. In the
year 2001 an Eisenherz-son was sold in
Canada Bar 5 Mr. Eisenherz for 31.000
Can$. Even if they get huge offers the
owners of Eisenherz progeny often don’t
want to give away these genetics.
His secure hereditary performance regarding
polledness and beef performance,
the very good nature even though the bull
is polled, the middle of the road type fra-
me and the high percentage of red and
covered animals will probably make Eisenherz
the most important polled Fleckvieh
bull worldwide. Via his sons and
daughters a wide spread of Bavarian polled
genetics seems to be sure.
Whereas in beef producing countries polled
Fleckvieh bulls are mainly used for
the improvement of beef performance, in
Germany polled Fleckvieh bulls are often
used in dual purpose herds to import the
gene for polledness. It will be very important
in future to make the genetic basis of
the polled cattle independent from the Hand
E –lines, to stabilize the genes for
milk performance and to breed cows with
good type traits and particularly cows with
udders of good quality.
Eisenherz has proven to be a good basis
– and now gives further impulses to the
breeding of polled Fleckvieh.
Eisenherz-daughters bred by Jan Hattingh / South Africa. Two very typical Eisenherz-daughters of the farm of the Schreyers/
Germany – all progeny of Eisenherz look like this.