R.A. Brown Ranch

     One of the most relevant things that I learned traveling around and living abroad is that more important than the things  we learn are the people that we meet, because is through them that you learn, and more,  we improve yourself as a person. And is people that makes the life and traveling interesting, we always get to know some good souls around.

They are like iron brand, even for a brief moment of contact mark you for the whole life long. Some of those persons that makes difference in your life and are remarkable where you pass by are  Mr. Donnell Brown and his dad, Mr. Rob, owners and managers of the RA Brown Ranch in Throckmorton, TX. We got the chance to visit this ranch in a Beef Production class field trip, with Dr. Rathmann, a couple of weeks ago (April 23rd). The RA Brown Ranch is a family operation that has been with the Brown’s since 1895. Mr. Donnell is the 5th generation to manage the ranch and has been doing his job amazingly, what is shown by the ranch’s reputation among breeders and cattle raisers and by the numbers obtained after every annual sales.

Our first contact with Donnell was already shocking and  impressive. We were in a group of maybe 25 students and we stayed around him, close to his white feeder pickup and he introduced himself and talked a little bit about the ranch but his objective has get to know who he was dealing with. He asked our names, major, where we come from and where and how do we see ourselves 5 years from here. He asked our names, looking straight in the eyes, repeated it maybe three times and making some comments, than asked us about our jobs, hometown, or anything that he could make some connection. In the end of the introduction he went one by one saying each name, several surnames and also some hometowns. And he kept calling us by the first name until the end of the visit. That was amazing! Making a connection with that, Dale Carnegie in his book “How to win friends and influence people” (a masterpiece of people handling and management that I think any professional that want to be well succeeded needs to read), says that the most pleasant word for a person to hear is his/her own name. It’s an important part in dealing with people. Mr. Donnell is really skilled in dealing with people

The RA Brown Ranch is a seed-stock operation that produces and sells over 600 bulls and 200 second calf cows of the Angus, Red Angus, Simangus and Hotlander breeds. Besides that the ranch is traditional in Quarter Horse breeding too. RA Brown Sr. was one of the founders of the AQHA in the 1940’s and important breeder along the association’s history.

Right away Donnell presented the Ranch’s objective: produce genetics to improve profitability and sustainability of our costumers; and mission (in Donnell own words):“we are always striving to improve the efficiency of converting God's forage into healthy, nutritious, and great tasting beef to better serve His people”, while giving us a class in genetics and looking close to a selected Red Angus cows that will be used as eggs donors.

For achieving the ranch goals and mission the Brown’s follow rigorously three rules:

1.select the cow that best fits your environment;

2.select the bull that best complements the cow  and produce a calf that best fits the market; and

3. select breeding systems that best fits your environment.

The selection criteria used is EDPs and it work better for bulls (more offspring) so, the bulls with better offspring are kept to improve the herd’s progeny. The  fast turn over of the cows works in shortening the genetic interval (not as much as changing the bulls every year, but this technique helps decreasing mistakes on breeding).  That’s why most of the cows are sold with three years. They keep 85% of the heifers for replacement.

The R.A. Brown Ranch is also a pioneer in the IA and embryo transfer (since 1969 and 1980’s, respectively).  All the animals are synchronized and AI breed (helps improve the value).

Annother differential of the ranch is the high fiber diets, even in feedlots, what help the bulls to get prepared to the breeding season, from the pin straight to the field. The lower energy/protein diet also make the bulls grow slower, avoiding any joint or over fat problems caused by feedlot diets.According to Donnell the animals are ready to go to the field.

For such quality of animals they need a good specialized and well trained crew. One of the most important things in the seedstock operation is recording data. That will make the difference when breeding and selling the animals. The crew is trained in the farm and, in case of a new technology being implanted, Donnell also take his employees to another farm to see how it works. With explanation and hard work they are able to overcome the traditional methods of cattle handling. With his experience with animals and the help of Dr. Grandin they built in the farm a amazing and practical working facility, with hydraulic squeeze chute and several alleys designed to facilitate the animals driving to the chute.

That’s not just a simple cow-calf or seedstock operation. Is a really well managed and planned enterprise. I am very pleasant that I get the chance to meet Mr. Donnell and Mr. Rob Brown. Thank you for opening the gates of your ranch for us.