Honors

Dam of Merit/Dam of Distinction Honors

Judd Ranch is honored to be one of the American Gelbvieh Association's top two owners and breeders of Dams of Merit and Dams of Distinction for 2024. Judd Ranch has held the number one spot for 21 of the past 27 years. Only 5.8 percent of the breed's active cows qualified as Dams of Merit, and just over 1 percent qualified as Dams of Distinction in 2024.

The AGA uses the following criteria to determine Dams of Merit and Dams of Distinction:

1. A Dam of Merit must have produced at least three calves all with weaning information reported to the AGA. A Dam of Distinction must have produced eight calves or more. 
2. She must have produced her last calf during the time period between January 1 of the prior year and March 1 of the current year. 
3. She must possess a minimum average weaning weight ratio for all calves of 101. 
4. She must have a calving interval not exceeding the maximum, calculated by the following formula: [(Number of Calving Intervals x 365 days) + 30 days]/Number of calving intervals OR had her 3rd calf before her 4th birthday and maintained a 365 day calving interval thereafter.
5. The female's age at first calving must not exceed 25 months.