McDaniel Ranch is looking to the future

Looking to the Future

By Terry Ropp Bobby and Kelli McDaniel are building their ranch and herd

Three years ago, Bobby and Kelli McDaniel purchased a 560-acre At this point, Bobby is not interested in running a registered herd because his position farm because it was close to the Robson Ranch, where Bobby works at the Robson operation takes up a great deal of time. Consequently, his own operation as a foreman. is streamlined for efficiency. An example is selling calves right off the cows at 7 to 8

Frank Robson owns four stocker ranches with four full-time ranch hands and three months, with the steers averaging 656 pounds and the heifers 625 pounds. The calves day-workers used when working the cattle, spraying, haying and other labor-intensive ac- most often are sold at the nearby South Coffeyville Stockyards because Bobby believes in tivities. Bobby’s job consists of managing employee numbers and performance, as well as the personal relationships and they have taken excellent care of him for years. logistics of buying and selling cattle, organizing haying, purchasing grain and other duties. “Mr. Robson taught me not to put all my eggs in one basket,” Bobby said. “Selling

Bobby’s grandfather Theron managed Watt Henry Ranch in Adair, Okla., while his calves twice a year means if the prices are lower at one sale time, I hopefully can make father John also worked there later, taking over as the manager when Theron retired. up the difference at the next.”

Bobby learned to ride as soon as he could walk. One of his clearest early memories was Both groups of cattle are worked in the spring and in the fall. Bobby believes one of riding to get where the cattle were being worked and watching the fire branding. Bobby the most important improvements in the cattle industry is in pharmaceuticals with a attended college and then earned a master’s degree in agricultural nutrition from Okla- strong and carefully followed vaccination program being essential. Watching the stockhoma State University, where he began ers at the Robson operation Bobby found his professional career taking care of the those calves who are not vaccinated ofresearch facility. ten don’t do well.

Kelli also came from a farming back- “Some don’t think about the other guy ground. Her parents Linda and Johnny in the cattle industry, but selling poorly were full-time educators who also ran a conditioned calves raises rancher outputs small farm with 30 to 40 head of cattle. and consumer prices,” Bobby said. “What

Kelli was also influenced by her par- often happens at Robson’s is unvaccinatents’ educational careers, with a moth- ed calves need more than a booster and er working as special education teacher may never reach target weight goals.” and a father as a middle school principal. Nutrition is the other obvious health Taking after her parents, Kelli became component. Bobby raises his own hay a special education teacher and is now with some hay ground having prairie employed at Vinita High School as a re- grasses, such as big and little bluestem, source teacher. She sees mostly special switchgrass and Indian grass. He also education students enrolled in regular has fescue and Bermuda hay fields. classes and helps with social goals and The growing seasons of the grasses fit emotional growth as well as tutoring. together in a pattern that allows for

“It’s a rewarding career as I try to steer maximum nutritional value at different my students in a better direction when times of the year. Additional nutrition they’re having difficulties of any kind, comes from 14-percent protein, cornKelli explained. based cubes that are sometimes fed to

Because the McDaniel ranch is in its the cattle all winter depending upon beginning stages, many of its practices forage availability. are still in development. An example is Submitted Photo While Bobby is just starting his ranch, that Bobby is still not retaining heifers for he looks to the future. He thinks the inreplacements because that need has not yet arisen. The ranch supports 93 Angus/Gelb- dustry may someday change with calves going straight to the feedlot as a more efficient vieh cross cows and six Balancer bulls. production method. Further, Bobby is planning on raising replacement stock relatively

“The market prefers black cattle and the Angus/Gelbvieh cross adds better milking soon and perhaps eventually entering the breeding stock market. ability to the Angus and produces a great calf,” Bobby explained. “No one learns the cattle industry in a vacuum,” Bobby said. “I’ve This year Bobby bought two new bulls, which he believes will suffice for the next two years as long as they don’t get too big. He Vinita, Okla. learned much from many people but my father and grandfather as well as Oklahoma State University professors Gerald Horn, Bob considers milkability and calving ease when looking at the EPDs, Wettemann and Bob Cropp stand out as teaching me the most. Albut learned from his father and grandfather that “what you see with ways learning and to keeping up with new advances in the industry your eye is what you get.” Bobby, therefore, analyzes the confirmation of a per- is essential in retaining profitability.” spective bull and prefers a sloping shoulder, a straight and flat back and straight hind legs for breeding ease. 20 Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com FEBRUARY 1, 2021