Ratcliff Ranch “Right off the Ranch” Spring Production Sale Exceeds $1 M

Ratcliff Ranch’s Spring Production Sale featuring nearly 50 bulls and over 450 females, some with calves at side brought in a little over $1 million in sales during the Saturday April 6th sale.

The much-needed inch of rain didn’t dampen the spirit of the customers in attendance, even with a 15-minute rain delay of sale. The sale was speedy and lasted a little shy of two hours. Auctioneer Matt Sims of MCS Auction, kept the crowds hands high and often, especially during the spring calving pairs and heavy springers.

The high selling bull, RR Pioneer 0517 out of the great Shady Brook Ruth donor cow, rang the bell at $10,000 and sold to Fryin’ Pan Angus Ranch in Pawhuska, Okla. The 47 bulls averaged a little shy of $4,200; the SimAngus bulls averaged nearly $4,600.00/head.

“The demand for 18-month old SimAngus bulls was evident as they held high through almost the entire SimAngus sale,” Ratcliff Ranch Manager Heath Kohler said.

Hands down the most in demand and highest garnered offering were the spring calving cow-calf pairs and the heavy springers. With nearly one-third left to calve out the group averaged nearly $2,800 and the highest lots sold for $3,100 per cow/calf pair.

After just coming out of a drought in most of the region and not very much vegetation guaranteed this year, the price of our spring calving females was hard to believe. “It just made me wish we had consigned more spring pairs,” Kohler jokingly stated after coming off the sale block.

The ranch also offered a set of fall bred heifers ultrasound safe in calf (by sex) to its customers. This offering was a part of a study that the Ranch participated in with Genex and the University of Missouri. These 18-month-old heifers averaged $1,572/head and the open ready-to-breed heifers averaged $1,224/head.

“This is one of the best sets of commercial spring calving cows we have offered at our sale to our customers,” Ratcliff Ranch Owner Jim Ratcliff stated. “At 78, it is nice to have a set of cows sell that well following a drought and it speaks to the value of females in your herd at this time.”

The top 10 buyers at the sale, which was made up of both bulls and commercial female purchasers, were Stonehill Farms, Miami, Okla.; Gray Oaks Ranch, Wagoner, Okla; Wilmoth & Sons, Mt. Vernon, MO.; Motley Ranch, Drexel, MO; Fenske Farms, Monett, MO; Chris Harrall, Springdale, Ark; John Alleman, Quapaw, Okla.; Downing Cattle, Grove, Okla.; Jeffers Cattle Co., Wagoner, Okla.; and Dixon Cattle Company, Paola, Kan.

Ratcliff Ranch Partners with Genex and University of Missouri in Study

Ratcliff Ranch partnered a few months ago with Genex and the University of Missouri in a sexed semen study. Females were A.I.’d to sexed semen at Mark Yazel Cattle, the growyard used to develop Ratcliff Ranch replacements, and at Ratcliff Ranches’ Blackwell facility, just outside of Vinita.

The motivation behind the study came from Ranch Manager Heath Kohler’s interest in the Genex 14-day Cidr protocol. After talking with Stan Lock at Genex in depth about the protocol, Stan mentioned that the University of Missouri was looking to do a study in sexed semen. After some discussion, this intrigued Heath as well as Jim Ratcliff.

“A.I. is really the only way to utilize the best genetics out there,” said Heath Kohler, “Working with Stan and the rest of the Genex crew made it effortless.”

Kohler pointed out that he just guided Stan and his crew in the direction of the cattle to be bred and gave minimum instruction. The chute-side services portion offered by Genex ran smooth, the paper work was in great order and couldn’t have been a better experience.

To find out more about the chute side services offered by Genex or to hear more about this experience and more on Ratcliff Ranch and our operation check out the video on youtube at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KffbHTugpGc

The results of the study will be recapped on our website at a later date. Pregnancy checks were just conducted and are currently being inputted into the study.

For more information on Ratcliff Ranch or this study, please contact Heath Kohler at 918.244.8025.

April Production Sale to Be Held April 7th

Ratcliff Ranch will be holding its annual spring production sale Saturday, April 7th at noon in Vinita, Okla.

This sale will feature some of the best and in-demand genetics anyone in the four-state area has to offer. If you desire ranch-ready bulls and functional females then you won’t want to miss out. The Ranch will be offering 65 service-age Angus and SimAngus bulls, featuring Grass Master, Steel Force and Upgrade genetics among other leading sires.

In addition, the ranch will also be offering 200 spring pairs, 300 fall-bred heifers and one load of open heifers ready to breed. Bred females have had A.I. service to bulls like Right Answer, Dakota Gold and Bismarck. These functional females will lay down and have a calf that will put money in your pocket every time!

“Ratcliff Ranch not only produces cattle for our customers, but also for our self. We demand genetics that are not only phenotypically correct, but also demand premiums for their high grading capability.” Ratcliff Ranch Manager Heath Kohler said.

“Utilizing our generations of proven genetics and constantly testing for traits that are desirable not only in the production side but also the meat side helps the Ranch and our customers stay in the genetic forefront of competitors.”

Catalogs with bull information and pedigrees will be mailed the middle of March. DVAuction videos of both the bull and female offerings will be posted online at www.ratcliffranches.com approximately the same time.

Cattle will be available for viewing all-day Friday prior to the sale. Donuts and coffee will be served sale morning and a lunch will be served prior to the auction start at noon.

To request a sale catalog or to join the mailing list, please contact Kim Kohler by phone at 918.256.5561 or 918.244.8025 or e-mail her at kim@ratcliffranch.com. For more information on the bulls or females in the sale, please contact Heath Kohler at 918.244.8025 or e-mail heath@ratcliffranch.com.

Does Ft. Worth Ever Cross Your Mind?

This time of the year, it seems too at Ratcliff Ranch. As we finish the final details for our trip south to the Ft. Worth Stock Show and Rodeo Commercial Heifer Show & Sale, Ft. Worth seems to be top of the mind. We finished clipping everything out last week, took videos this week and are currently getting out all the tack to load in the trailer.

With two pens, 20 Angus and SimAngus heifers bred to Dakota Gold, and a crew of three we will head south on Wednesday. Our Angus entry is a very nice, moderate set of big-bellied females that are all granddaughters of the famous Angus great EXT. The SimAngus entry is just as equally nice. These Steel Force Daughters have the look for club-calf production or the front pasture. Both entries were A.I.’d to Dakota Gold, a curve-bending herd sire with a -1.9 for birth EPD all the way to 102 for yearling EPD. These ladies have already began calving and if you have checked out the prices for weaned calves, you know that you already have a nice pocket full of cash with each live baby you get at side! We hope to see you at the Ft. Worth Stock Show and at the Auction on Saturday, February 4th at 3:30 p.m. in the West Sales Arena.

For more information or to meet up with the Ratcliff Ranch crew at Ft. Worth, please contact 918.244.8025 or e-mail heath@ratcliffranch.com.

Females to Sell in Ft. Worth in Conjuction with the FWSS

In addition, Ratcliff Ranch will be participating in the Ft. Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Commercial Heifer Show and Sale the first weekend in February. The Ranch will be entering at least one pen of pairs and one set close to becoming pairs from high-demand genetics like Steel Force. These females are A.I. safe to Dakota Gold. Ratcliff Ranches has been one of the premier exhibitors and high sellers in this program for a number of years. Unfortunately, due to the extreme blizzard that occurred in February 2011, the Ranch was unable to compete and sell.

The Ranch is looking forward to taking a great offering of females to the 2012 event. For more information, please contact the office at 918-256-5561 or Heath Kohler at 918-244-8025.

Bulls Still Available Private Treaty

Although you might not have had the opportunity to make it to our bull sale, don’t be concerned that you have missed out on the opportunity to purchase Ratcliff Ranch bulls for this breeding season or next. The Ranch has a select group of private treaty bulls that are currently available to the public. These bulls are from popular and desirable blood lines and both Angus and SimAngus breeding age bulls are available.
All bulls are sold with a one (1) breeding season guarantee. For more information on the bulls that are available or to schedule a visit to pick out a bull, please contact Ratcliff Ranch Manager Heath Kohler at 918-244-8025. E-mail inquiries are also welcome at heath@ratcliffranch.com.

Ratcliff Ranch Combines Production & Customer Appreciation Sale

Ratcliff Ranch has combined its annual Fall Production & Customer Appreciation Sale this year. The sale
will be held Saturday, November 12, 2011 at the Ranch headquarters in Vinita, Okla. The sale will
feature 110 Angus and SimAngus bulls that are Ranch Ready.

In addition, the sale will feature nearly 1,000 females consisting of Ratcliff Ranch females and Ratcliff
Ranch Customers’ females. Fall pairs, spring bred heifers and cows will also be available for purchase.
“This is by far one of the stoutest bull offerings we have ever auctioned,” said Ratcliff Ranch Manager
Heath Kohler. “We are also selling a significant number of A.I. bred cattle and some Steel Force
daughters during the sale.”

Individual videos of the bulls will be available around October 20th along with a select number of female
videos. More videos will be added every few days after. Opportunities to see the bulls in person will be
available at both the OCA Fall Gathering and the SW Missouri Cattlemen’s events on October 20 and
October 27th.

A more detailed listing of the offering is available on our sale page.
For more information, please contact the office at 918-256-5561 or Heath Kohler at 918-244-8025.