Diamond B Ranch began in 1997

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The Road to the Diamond B

By Terry Ropp Jerry and Kathy Barnes never intended to start an Angus operation on their property

When Jerry and Kathy Barnes met in the early 1980s, they never picCalves are weaned at seven months and then backgrounded 30 to 45 days before being tured themselves married, living in Oklahoma, operating a registered sold off the ranch. Angus ranch and traveling across the country with two kids and a Jerry flushes the donors and transplants some of the embryos into Angus cattle to hopefully string of show cattle, but that’s what happened. produce a few show heifers. He then uses a Hereford bull for cleanup and all black baldies

The initial idea wasn’t to start a ranch. Jerry was are sold as replacement stock. In addition, he AIs some of vice president for the Williams Companies in Tulsa the registered herd utilizing semen from Take Notice and and wanted to find a getaway near Grand Lake for four other Angus bulls to produce replacements. wheeling and other outdoor activities. They sell a few bulls at Connors State College in

In 1997, the Barnes purchased 160 acres in Fairland, Warner, Okla., through the school’s bull test. AddiOkla., with contiguous land added later for a total of tionally, for the past few years Express Ranch in Yu300 acres. Diamond B Ranch was established in 1997 kon has flushed some of the Barnes, donors (ex-show with a registered Angus herd for their maternal traits heifers) and sold their offspring in their annual show and cross-breeding diversity. heifer sales. Recently, those donors have returned to

Over the next decade or so, Jerry continued improvthe ranch to be flushed and their prodigy will be maring the ranch and building his herd. keted off the ranch.

During high school, their son Jake became involved Diversity on the ranch also comes from breeding Anin FFA and exhibited cattle as his SAE project. His gus heifers to a Wagyu bull. The result is relatively no first show heifer was purchased at Express Ranch and birthing issues and highly-prized Wagyu/Angus meat her genetics are still found within the herd. sold off the ranch in quarters and halves.

A natural outgrowth from that was their daughter With such high-quality stock, the ranch produces its Erin joining 4-H and both kids being very involved in own replacements at an average rate of 10 percent per exhibiting nationally from 2012 to 2018. year. The herd is young with an average age of 4 to 5

Some of their favorite shows were the Oklahoma years old. Temperament is the most important reason State Fairs, the Oklahoma Youth Expo, the American for culling so customers can be assured of manageable Royal, the National Western Stock Show, the Housanimals, and any calf with an attitude is sold immediton Livestock Show, National Junior Angus shows, as ately at weaning. Cows are typically culled for udder well as shows in Kentucky and Pennsylvania. or feet issues and bulls for age.

With hard work and good advice, the ranch has proAs is to be expected, different categories of animals duced high-quality show animals. In 2017, Jake won are on different feeding regimens. Cows eat mostly grand champion at the National Western Bull Sale Show grass and hay raised on the farm but receive supplein Denver with his bred and owned bull, DBR Take Nomental protein tubs and/or cubes in the winter. Dotice. He was out of Jake’s first show heifer. Jake went on nors and show heifers are fed a show ration and, when to sell Take Notice, while retaining semen rights. Many a breeding bull is not in service, he receives a bull raof Take Notice’s calves dot the ranch today. Jerry and Kathy Barnes, pictured with their tion from Stillwater Milling.

When Jake and Erin went to college, competing on daughter Erin and son Jake, established the Health protocols include a high-quality vaccination the show circuit stopped. Jerry retired in 2016 and Diamond B in 1997. program combined with pour-on wormer in the spring managed the ranch mostly by himself, with help from and an injectable wormer in the fall. Flies are handled his children. After earning a bachelor’s degree in agthrough Boss pour-on and alternated with a spray in adricultural leadership from Okalahoma State UniversiSubmitted Photo dition to feeding a mineral with fly control. The most ty, Jake returned to the ranch to work with his dad and serves his persistent health issue is foot rot which is treated as soon as it appears. community as a fireman for a local fire department. His schedule Fairland, Okla. “This ranch began with 20 registered Angus cows and morphed of working two days and off four days makes possible an ongoing into a very busy family cattle operation,” Jerry said. “Looking back, transition of ranch leadership with Jake gradually taking over. Erin the decision to have an Angus based herd is now allowing multiple is a senior at Oklahoma Univeristy, majoring in marketing, so her opportunities to market their prodigy. With Jake returning, there is skills will be invaluable to Jake in the future. a greater focus on selling show heifer prospects as well as market

After showing, the ranch has evolved into a more diverse breeding and show ing registered Angus and black baldy replacements, in addition to stock operation. Most calves are born in the spring with some born in the fall. Wagyu/Angus beef.”

SEPTEMBER 7, 2020 Ozarks Farm & Neighbor • www.ozarksfn.com 7