15 minutes with Kansas beef producer Sean Lehmann

When Sean Lehmann of Leroy, Kansas, laid his eyes on the mousy brown, big pearl pink-eared Braunvieh, which is German for "brown cow," about two decades ago, the animal fascinated him — the striking looks and powerful presence of the German beef breed had him in awe. For over a decade, he and his family have been raising and showing Braunvieh cattle and growing organic corn, oats, wheat, clover, and milo. 

Lehmann sells most of his cattle for breeding purposes but sells calves at market or as freezer beef to his local community. 

Over 100 Braunvieh were imported from the Switzerland Alps to America in the late 19th century. For many centuries, Braunvieh were used for both beef and dairy production. Today, according to the National Braunvieh Association, there are 238 registered Braunvieh breeders in the United States, and the association also has 112 registered junior members. Lehmann also sits on the association's board as a director. 

"It's a small breed with some exceptional qualities that would be an asset to most beef herds," Lehmann says. 

 SF: What was it about the Braunvieh that first caught your attention? 

SL: After my dad bought our first set of bulls, I remember watching how easily they moved around the pasture. I was so impressed by their powerful strides. Over time, other breed qualities emerged such as docility and genetics; the cows have a high butter fat content in their milk, which helps boost weight gains with the calves and carcass traits. I often hear from our butcher that he is not trimming a lot of fat, which gives me confidence knowing that my freezer beef customers are not paying for a lot of waste which lands on the cutting floor. 

SF: What do you love most about the breed? 

SL: The thing we love most about Braunvieh is the ability to work with them out on the range. For my family and I, it’s a comfort to know that if you need to work with a cow by yourself, you can do so because they are so docile. These cattle bring a lot of qualities and traits that many producers would and do find so valuable, but they often go unnoticed because they are not black-haired cattle although there are homozygous black cattle in the breed. 

SF: What is your management style with the cattle?

SL: We don't do anything too special. We provide mineral supplements and feed some grain, but for the majority, we like the cattle to do what they do best: take the grass under their feet and put it onto the calf at their side. As for calving, we have it spread out by having a fall and spring calving group. We aim to have the heifers bred early in the season, so they grow into the right weight for early breeding. Additionally, spreading out the calf crop also helps us with our freezer beef business, where we sell halves and quarters of beef privately. We are starting to use artificial insemination heavily, but still use bulls heavily in the herd depending on what genetics we are after. 

SF: As a breeder, what standards do you set for yourself and your operation? What's the average cost on a Braunvieh bull? 

SL: We try to create structurally sound cattle with longevity, docility, and excellent maternal instincts. We raise full-blood cattle with 100% Braunvieh in their bloodline, pure-bred, 95% or less of Braunvieh in their genetics, and Beefbuilder Braunviehs, which are cattle with at least 20% Braunvieh in their lineage. We got into the full-blood sector simply because we want to preserve this breed by using new and old genetics. A good Braunvieh bull can cost, on average, from $4,000 to $6,000, with quality being a driving factor.

SF: If a commercial cow-calf Angus cattleman was looking to dabble with another breed to increase a herd's productivity, what are the selling points of the Braunvieh? 

SL: For some, a bull would be a great option, but I would try to sell them on purchasing Braunvieh females. There is a certain stigma about black cattle at the sale — that many are of the Angus breed, but that's not always true, yet those darker hides have a higher market price over red, gray, white, or patterned cattle. However, using a Braunvieh female allows herds to develop a heifer calf crop with the maternal, structural, docility, longevity, and carcass traits that will be invaluable for long-term production. Another great selling point to pairing a Braunvieh female with a homozygous black bull is that it can also create dark colored calf crop, which will grow into heavier calves at the weaning stage and be able to demand higher prices.

SF: What is one lesson you learned as you started to become a breeder? 

SL: Record keeping is something you must do consistently. We've learned to develop accurate records for our cattle's Expected Progeny Differences, which means we are out there weighing our calves, tagging them with ear tags, and giving vaccinations to ensure our records are accurate. Overall, this helps our buyers — having good, real numbers helps our buyers in their selecting and purchasing decisions with heifers, cows, and bulls. On the other hand, having accurate numbers also helps us keep good relationships with our customers and become a trusted breeder. 

SF: What has been the best part about raising a unique beef cattle breed? 

SL: It would be friendships. My family and I, through the association, have made many connections and friends with those in the industry, which has been the best part of raising the breed for us. By also participating in cattle shows, my wife and I are enjoying watching our children receive opportunities to learn more about the beef industry and grow into the young adults they are today.