Ratcliff Ranches to Host Curt Pate

If you’re throwing a rope, riding a bike or a horse, you know practice makes perfect.  Animal handling is much the same.  With the emphasis of our industry focusing on sustainability from both an environmental and economic standpoint to animal welfare/handling issues, Ratcliff Ranches is proud to have joined with the Oklahoma Beef Council and Boehringer-Ingelheim Vet Medica, Inc. to host Curt Pate.  This two session event will allow for individuals to choose the type of handling they utilize in their own operation and learn from one of the most sought after animal clinicians in the industry.

Both sessions will be hosted Tuesday, December 17, 2013 at Ratcliff Ranches.  The first session will be more geared to individuals who solely handle or gather their animals predominately using a horse.  This event will begin at 10 a.m. at Ratcliff Ranches Temple Grandin Designed facility located northeast of Vinita, Okla. and conclude at 2 p.m. The second session will begin with registration and dinner at 5:30 p.m. at the Ratcliff Ranches sale headquarters located just 2 miles north of Vinita.   A short animal health presentation will be delivered by Boehringer-Ingelheim Vet Medica, Inc. and at 7 p.m. the demonstration and clinic will begin.  This session will focus on handling cattle on foot or by ATV.



Pate on his own ranch working cattle

For more than a decade, Curt Pate has been holding demonstrations and clinics on stockmanship and safety.  His ability to take his knowledge and communicate it to the industry and public has made him a sought after resource both in the US, but also worldwide.  Handling animals in a safe and humane manner doesn’t only make sense from the animal’s welfare perspective, but also from an economic standpoint as well.  By handling animals in a safe and humane manner throughout their life makes input costs less and makes them easier to process, work and move.

Pate’s personal experience incorporates effective stockmanship principles that supports a “for profit” mindset and focuses on the increased economic benefits of handling stock correctly. 

This philosophy mirrors that of Ratcliff Ranches and its Chief Executive Officer Heath Kohler.  “We (Ratcliff Ranches) are really focused on doing things the right way.  In fact, we made it a priority to contact the local extension office and the Oklahoma Beef Council to offer a Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Certification workshop in our area,” said Kohler.  In October, Kohler had all current day help along with the Ranch division managers attend and achieve BQA certification. 

“I feel this workshop is the next step after BQA certification for our operation.  By adding another layer to our handling/processing skills, we can demonstrate to the public and the consumer that we are focused on producing a quality product as humanely and efficiently as possible,” said Kohler.  In addition, Kohler also stated he felt “Ratcliff Ranches has a responsibility as neighbors and as fellow cattlemen to offer our facilities through this partnership with Boehringer-Ingelheim Vet Medica, Inc. and the Oklahoma Beef Council so that others can have this same opportunity to improve their handling skills.”



Pate teaches a variety of techniques for moving cattle on foot or on horse/ATV

While at a meeting with herd veterinarian Dr. Clint Gardner, Pryor Veterinary Hospital and Kara Jett, Cattle Territory Manager, Boehringer-Ingelheim Vet Medica, Inc., Kohler and the group discussed the need for this type of opportunity in this area.  This discussion resulted in the idea to have a sponsored event similar to that offered at Joplin Regional Stockyards for individuals in NE Oklahoma and the four-state region of Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas who would like to attend.

Dr. Clint Gardner, who sees cattle on a daily basis in his practice and out on farm/ranch calls sees first-hand the difference in how animals are handled and how that effects the health of the animal.  “Proper cattle handling is paramount from a cattle stress standpoint.  Stress is directly correlated to respiratory disease and disease in general, for that matter,” said Dr. Gardener.  In addition, he notes “cattle that are handled properly are not only more productive, but are simply safer to be around.”

This cooperative sponsored event by the Oklahoma Beef Council, Boehringer-Ingelheim Vet Medica, Inc. and Ratcliff Ranches is truly a unique opportunity for the producers in the area.  We encourage everyone who can to attend.  The knowledge and skills you will have the opportunity to leave with our numerous and will pay dividends to your bottom line and to the health and safety of you and your herd.

This event is free to the public and industry, however, to ensure enough seating and food, the sponsors request you RSVP to attend.  To RSVP, for more information or directions, contact Kim Kohler by phone at 918-244-8022 or by e-mail at kim@ratcliffranch.com.

Ratcliff Ranches Hosts 10th Annual Customer Appreciation Sale in Conjunction with their Fall Production Sale

You couldn’t have asked for nicer weather or for a better crowd on November 9, 2013 at the Ratcliff Ranches sale headquarters just north of Vinita, Okla.  The crowd was full of seasoned customers and cattlemen, but also had a crowd of younger and new to the industry cattlemen as well.  The Ranch sold nearly 75 Angus and SimAngus bulls, both heifer bulls and production oriented bulls to the crowd.  In addition the Ranch and its customer consignors, Fryin’ Pan Angus Ranch, Pawhuska, Okla; Irwin Cattle Co., Oswego, Kansas.; Lazy K Cattle Company, Bluejacket, Okla; and new consignor Jimmie Hollanback of Jay, Okla.; sold nearly 800 head of females and their offspring through the sale ring to a crowd of ready  to restock cattle producers.



Matt Caldwell and Jeff Hallowell taking bids during sale.

The sale grossed $1.71 million and sold 870 head of cattle in just a little shy of 3 ½ hours. The auction, always quick paced thanks to Auctioneer Matt Sims and the Ratcliff Ranch crew, was more than Ratcliff Ranches CEO Heath Kohler had hoped for.  Going into the sale it was a given that with many areas less drought-stricken than recent years and with the input costs coming down for feeding animals in the near future that folks were looking to restock.  Thoughts were heifer bulls would be in high demand and with producers looking to add spring bred heifers due to carrying costs these ladies would also be right up there.

The females were in high demand and were steady from start to finish.

However, the market was definitely exciting and unprecedented for recent years.  The Angus bulls, both the yearlings and the 18-month-olds, averaged $3460 while the SimAngus bulls, often used for hybrid-vigor, were also in demand and averaged $4538 per bull.  The bull sale grossed $272,350.00.  Ratcliff Ranches offered fall first-calving heifer pairs as well as some mature fall calving cow-calf pairs.  The first calf heifer pairs averaged $2678/pair and the mature cow offering averaged $2563/pair.  Ratcliff Ranches also consigned over 280 head of spring bred heifers that averaged $2164/head.  These females will begin calving in February and end in April. 

“I was very humbled at our Fall Bull sale by the packed house actively and aggressively bidding on a set of quality replacement females, with a strong demand for both breds and pairs and for the high demand for quality genetics with proven performance during this rebuilding stage of our industry,”  said Ratcliff Ranches Chief Executive Officer Heath Kohler.  “As we go forward, Ratcliff Ranches along with our customer consignors, look forward to being an integral part of the rebuilding efforts of the cattle producers in our region.  It is an opportunity we all have within this industry to challenge ourselves to genetically engineer quality cattle at an extreme efficiency level for the ups and downs in the markets,” he further remarked.

Ratcliff Ranch Customer consignor's didn’t have any problem finding a buyer in the crowd for their spring breds as well. These ladies averaged $2153/head.  Their mature cow-calf pairs averaged $2334/pair.   

The stands were full and the bidding quick on November 9th.

The Ranch also consigned some mature spring bred cows for those not wanting to calve out heifers next spring.  They averaged $2022/head and ranged in age from 3-7 years of age. 

The sale concluded with a semi load of Ratcliff Ranches fall open heifers that were ready to breed.  In fact, those ladies recently left and have already been set up for a scheduled A.I. at the end of the month.  The open heifers averaged $1384/head.

The top selling bull, RRJS Upgrade 233Z, sold for $10,000 and the next three top selling bulls averaged over $8834/head.  All four bulls were purchased by long-time Ratcliff Ranch Customers Mike and Beth Perkins, Lee Harris Farms, of Bentonville, Ark.  The top ten buyers of bulls and females included: Ashwood, Jenks, OK; Clyde Thomas, Jay Ok.; Hartley Cattle, Ada, OK; Coal Investments, Miami, OK; Cattlemen’s Choice, Paola, KS; Yazel Cattle Co., Kiowa, KS; Riddle Farms LLC, Cape Fair, MO; Argene Clanton, Vinita, OK; Newton’s RR Ranch, Gentry, AR; and Blackjack Farms, LLC, Seminole, OK. 

Ratcliff Ranches runs over 4,000 head of registered Angus, commercial Angus, registered SimAngus, commercial SimAngus and F1 Hereford Angus Cows on 28,000 acres.  The Ranch also producers a large number of registered bulls for in-herd use and for customers.   Ratcliff Ranches is proud to participate in various reproductive studies with Genex and the University of Missouri to advance not only its herd but the herds of other cattlemen in the US through its participations in these large scale studies.

For more information on future Ratcliff Ranch sales or genetics see our website at www.ratcliffranches.com or contact Heath Kohler at 918-244-8025 or by e-mail at heath@ratcliffranch.com.