Tag: Livestock

Briggs Ranches: A Texas Gem

Posted on by Twin Rivers Media

Briggs Ranches: A Texas Gem

Article and photos courtesy of Briggs Ranches

With four locations across southern Texas, Briggs Ranches has made a name for itself within the cattle industry – thanks in part to the ranch’s long-standing history within the industry, as well as their exceptional purebred Santa Gertrudis and Brangus cattle.

As Joe Jones, general manager of Briggs Ranches explains, Briggs Ranches prides itself on being one of the oldest Santa Gertrudis cattle operations in the U.S. Founded in 1942 by R.W. Briggs, Sr., the ranch’s first herd of Santa Gertrudis bulls was acquired that year, followed by a herd of females in 1943. Throughout the following generations, the Briggs Ranches’ team strategically upgraded its breeding program, cross breeding back to Santa Gertrudis bulls in order to reach purebred status in 1955.

“When R.W Briggs started out in the early 1940s, he began with two ranches in Texas,” Jones says. “He started out basically with commercial cattle and then a group of purebred Hereford cattle. About that time, King Ranch had begun to develop its Santa Gertrudis breed. R.W. Briggs purchased the Santa Gertrudis bulls and started crossing them with Hereford cows. In the early 1950s, when Briggs had reached purebred status, we had just the two ranches.”

Over the years, the Briggs ranch in San Antonio was sold and the ranch acquired more properties in south Texas and Oklahoma. By that time, the ranches were run by R.W. Briggs, Jr., who continued the ranching operation by adding a purebred Angus herd of about 250 cows and about 1,000 head of commercial cows to the operations in Oklahoma. Simultaneously, Briggs Ranches continued to increase its numbers in south Texas.

“In 2008, the properties in Oklahoma were sold and we acquired more properties in south Texas to expand operations,” Jones says. “At that time, the Angus herd was dispersed and we continued with about 600 to 700 Santa Gertrudis cows and a large number of commercial cows, as well as stocker operations to retain steers and replace heifers.”

Moving forward, in 2015 the ranch started a small herd of purebred Brangus cows with the target of increasing that herd to about 250 cows. At that time, Briggs Ranches also brought their Santa Gertrudis herd back into balance. Today, the ranches have a large number of Santa Gertrudis cows, as well as a large number of commercial cows. With ranches in Bloomington, Catarina, Victoria, and Rio Grande City, Texas, Briggs Ranches is currently owned by Robert Briggs and Louise Briggs Thurmond, the children of R.W. Briggs, Jr.

“Now, we have close to 40,000 acres, with a cow-calf operation, as well as some farming involved on a tenant basis utilizing the grains that are produced here to keep our operations running,” Jones says. “We are probably one of the oldest breeders to ever do performance on all of our herds.”

Specifically, Briggs Ranches have kept detailed records for decades on all the purebred Santa Gertrudis and Brangus cattle that pass through their operations. Calves are processed in the spring or fall, whichever calving season they come out of. The bulls that have the potential, remain as bulls and the rest of them are steered into the ranches’ stocker operations.

“At weaning time, we make another selection and those calves that are worthy of the potential to make a producing bull, they are retained,” Jones says. “After weaning, we feed these bulls for 112 days at a yard. We had been feeding them on our own ranches, but due to the severe drought we’ve faced in the last several years, it hasn’t been feasible.”

During this entire process, the Briggs Ranches team captures copious amounts of data and information on each animal, including ultrasound data, Genomic EPDs, etc. to record the average daily gain performance, and the calves are appropriately sorted.

“Some calves will be kept as replacement bulls for our own use or they are put into our production series and marketed that way,” Jones says. “We try to grow the heifers at our ranches on the Gulf Coast or the deep south Texas ranches. For our commercial heifer, we try to breed them at 13 to 14 months. We have implemented a weight program in which those commercial heifers have to beat 750 pounds prior to going into our breeding program. Once they reach that milestone, they are usually bred for 60 days. This creates a marketable calf, allowing us to create a marketable product.”

Indeed, for more than 80 years, Briggs Ranches has produced the highest-quality bulls and females for seedstock producers based on performance data, phenotype and structural soundness. Briggs Ranches have also earned a reputation for keeping profitability top of mind for commercial cattlemen.

“One thing we are also striving to do is to capture the DNA and EPD on all commercial cattle to help determine faster which females are more maternal, rather than waiting two years to see if they exhibit the maternal traits,” Jones says.

“Looking ahead, we will keep plugging along, striving to create the most elite program possible.”For those interested in learning more about Briggs Ranches, while having the opportunity to obtain their award-winning bulls or females, the next annual Briggs Ranches Tri Star sale will be on October 25-26, 2024 in Victoria, TX, with registered Santa Gertrudis females being up for sale at 5 p.m. on October 25, followed by Brangus and Santa Gertrudis bulls, as well as commercial females available for sale on October 26 at 11 a.m. Briggs Ranches will also be participating in the Texas Alliance Bull and Commercial Female Sale in Bloomington, TX on March 18, 2025.

For more information, visit www.briggsranches.com.

Pasture Rangeland Forage: A Marathon Not A Sprint

Posted on by Twin Rivers Media

Pasture Rangeland Forage: A Marathon Not A Sprint

Article and photos courtesy of AgRisk Advisors

Droughts are a constant threat to the cow-calf business, impacting forage availability and driving up input costs. The Pasture Rangeland Forage (PRF) program offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture can be a valuable tool to help manage these risks and provide financial security for your cattle operation.

Fortunately, there are risk management tools available to cattle producers. Among them is the Pasture Rangeland Forage Program (PRF) offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture which has been available since 2007 but really took off when the rainfall index was expanded to the lower 48 in 2016.

While valuable, navigating PRF solo can be daunting even for seasoned ranchers. AgRisk Advisors, affiliated with Silveus Insurance Group, specializes in helping ranchers make PRF and other USDA insurance programs work for their operations.

Filling a Vital Need
“When we first started with this program, it was a new concept for many customers. Essentially, the program pays producers when precipitation falls below the historic average during a two-month timeframe,” explains Aaron Tattersall.

With customers in every state east of the Mississippi, AgRisk Advisors has nearly two decades of experience advising cow-calf producers on how to implement PRF into their operation.

“As PRF has grown popular, more inexperienced agents see an opportunity but lack the tools and experience,” cautions Aaron Kravig, a fifth-generation rancher and AgRisk Advisor.

According to Aaron Kravig, these pop-up agents rely on easy sales pitches, implying it’s a guaranteed deal, which frustrates seasoned advisors. Misuse of the program by these agents leaves a bad taste in the mouths of producers who have dealt with them.

What Exactly is PRF?
“From a producer standpoint,” says Kravig, speaking from personal experience, “it’s increasingly challenging to stay in production agriculture, especially for cow-calf operations. This is one of the few programs available for cattlemen.”

As a true insurance program, PRF provides a safety net for dry weather and the constant challenges faced by producers. More are warming up to implementing this program to sustain and extend their operations.

“It’s subsidized and offers a higher level of coverage than the FSA NAP (Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance ProgramNoninsured Crop Disaster Assistance) Program, and PRF has really helped producers over the years,” says Tattersall.

“It’s important for producers to budget for PRF for the long term and stick with it. It works over time,” notes Tattersall.

Tattersall adds that PRF allows flexibility in premiums by adjusting enrolled acres.

Eligibility is based on two factors (1) risk in the ground they are grazing and (2), ownership of livestock. Producers may insure ground they own or lease (including government agency land) to graze their livestock, notes Kravig.

AgRisk Advisors helps customers by mapping eligible land to determine coverage options. While headcount doesn’t affect eligibility, producers must own livestock and prove the land is used for grazing.

“I think PRF may benefit smaller-scale operations and newer operators,” continues Kravig, “by easing the pain of higher input prices.”

Considerations for Newcomers
For first-time PRF producers, AgRisk Advisors ensures it fits the budget. It may be best not to insure all acres at once.

“You can cover 100, 1,000, or 10,000 acres,” explains Kravig. “It’s not all or nothing.”

He adds that many customers start with a percentage of their acres and gradually increase over time, as they see how the program performs for their operation.

Overcoming Roadblocks
“I can speak personally from for my own operation in eastern Colorado,” shares Kravig. He recommends that ranchers don’t think of it as a short term deal, It’s a long-term commitment.

Tattersall provides some additional insight based on a study of Customer policies in 2023. Last year was one of the wetter years we’ve had in a while for many Western states.

“By the billing deadline last year, September 1, 2023, 70% of our customers experienced average to above average precip during the first five months of 2023. So, most of our customers received a premium bill.

“By the time the full coverage expired on the 2023 policies, only 30% of our customers had losses that didn’t fund their premium. In other words, the below-average precipitation during the late summer and fall triggered losses to fund their remaining premium. This shows that even in wet years, as long as your policy is set up the right way with an AgRisk Advisor, you’re going to be served well. And that was a wet year.”

This year, it’s been dry in the West, so most policies are expected to be funded by the time the premium comes due, depending on the operation’s location. The key point being emphasized is the importance of maintaining coverage for the long term.

Another common objection from any operation or business is the cost of premiums. While there are ways to adjust the premium to make it more manageable, such as enrolling fewer acres or selecting different coverage levels, a large premium in an average rainfall year can deter producers from continuing coverage. This again underscores the importance of long-term planning and an understanding of how the program works over multiple years.

Long-term Success Strategies
Engaging with the PRF program requires understanding its long-term benefits and commitment. This program is not a quick fix but rather is one designed to smooth out the roller coaster of inevitable dry weather.

AgRisk Advisors has seen producer interest in PRF increase significantly during drought periods.

“Anytime you get into a drought pattern, you’re obviously going to have more interest from producers,” says Kravig. “If it’s been raining every month, you’re probably not thinking, ‘Oh, hey, I need protection against a lack of precipitation.’

But it should be noted that perceived short-term results of PRF can discourage producers.

“We’ve all run into producers who quit the program after a year or two because it wasn’t all that it was promised to be,” adds Tattersall. “Education has been crucial in helping producers understand how to integrate this program into their operations…No producer wants to receive a PRF loss because if they do it means its been dry! On the other hand when PRF losses have not funded 100% of their premium producers have experienced above average precipitation typically resulting in livestock gains…writing a PRF premium check isn’t’ a bad bet to lose!

Successful integration of PRF into a ranching operation also relies heavily on education and proper planning. AgRisk Advisors spend hours between software and customers to ensure coverage is placed correctly based on long-range weather and historical data. They can also track a policy for a customer for an entire year to help them get a feel for the program.

AgRisk Advisors’ Role and Expertise
AgRisk Advisors play a significant role in helping producers navigate the complexities of the PRF program. Having a local presence and production background offers customers a sense of comfort and trust.

“I’ve been working with AgRisk Advisors as an agent for six years,” Kravig shares. “And I’m proud to work with the company. We have a great team and excellent resources. (Many) are involved in production practices while serving as agents, which gives our customers a real sense of commonality.

Cattle producers can visit PRFadvisors.com to learn more about the insurance program and working with the AgRisk team.

By focusing on long-term success and integrating the PRF program into their operations with professional support, Tattersall and the AgRisk team are confident that producers can effectively manage their risks and achieve sustainable growth.

“We are very proud of who we serve and our customers, ranchers and farmers.”

For more resources such as weekly weather forecasts, long range forecasts, podcasts, and much more, visit AgRiskAdvisors.com or PRFAdvisors.com.

Tips for Building Fences in Difficult Terrain

Posted on by Twin Rivers Media

Tips for Building Fences in Difficult Terrain

By Heather Smith Thomas

Building a good permanent fence can be challenging in rocky, frozen or swampy ground when it’s impossible to dig post holes efficiently, or set posts with a tractor-mounted post-pounder. Regardless of the type of fence, it will only be effective and durable if posts are well set. People who build a lot of fences have come up with innovative and effective ways to get the job done.

Fencing In Rocks
If terrain is too rocky to drive wood posts, metal T-posts are often used, since they are much smaller in diameter and can often be driven farther into rocky ground. If a person can get them down past the “shovel” portion, they are usually deep enough to hold.

If you need to set larger posts, like brace posts, in rocky ground, you might look for other options. A small rock drill is more portable than a jackhammer, since it doesn’t need compressed air. An electric drill can be used for drilling holes into concrete or breaking up concrete, and has various bits—including 1.5 inch chisel bits for drilling into solid rock. “This drill rotates and drills at the same time and can make a hole exactly the right size for a metal T post,” says Thomas.

In solid rock you only need to drill down about a foot and drop the metal post into the hole and it is tight and secure because there’s no give in the surrounding rock. For a brace post you can make a deeper hole using extra-long bits that can go down about 30 inches.

In rocky terrain where it’s not too steep and there are lots of surface rocks, you can create an above-ground basket/cage of rocks as a brace to anchor the fence. “Stacked rocks can be secured with net wire, or you can make a net-wire cage to put rocks in. A cage 3 to 4 feet in diameter makes a solid anchor to secure your wire and stretch it from there. If terrain is too rocky to set wood posts, you can usually put steel posts into the ground deep enough to hold, using rock baskets every so often for braces,” says Thomas.

Pilot Post
When using a post pounder to set wood posts along a challenging fence-line you can use a metal “post” to create a pilot hole. The metal post will often go down through rocky ground if it’s not solid bedrock, whereas a wood post would be forced out of line or shatter. Roger Swanson, a rancher in Lemhi County, Idaho, many years ago created a 7-foot metal pilot post, 3 inches in diameter. This can be driven into the ground with a post-pounder, creating a hole to start the wood post into. The pilot post is solid enough that you can drive it into just about anything but solid rock.

Thomas has made several of these for his own use. “A person can drive that pilot post down as far as possible, then pull it out with a tractor or skid steer loader. Then, you can insert a wood post into the pilot hole and drive it—forcing it into the slightly smaller hole—and the post will be very solid and secure,” says Thomas.

Pipe Posts
Some people use pipe posts; oilfield drill-steel pipe is great for making braces in rough terrain and won’t burn up in a wildfire. In western regions, fires destroy many wood fences, but pipe fences are still standing; the pipe posts will last more than 50 years. A person might have to replace the wire if a really hot fire goes through and makes it brittle, but the pipe posts will still be there and won’t have to be replaced.

Dick Iversen (Timber Creek Ranch, near Culbertson, Montana) has had a lot of experience building fences and hiring fence builders. “We had a huge flood in 2011 and had to replace 7 miles of fence on our river bottom. Then we had a fire during the summer of 2017 and had to replace 6 miles of fence between us and the neighboring ranch, in rough terrain,” he says.

For permanent fences he now prefers posts created from oil field drill-steel pipe. “This is great for making braces.” Oil field pipe is surplus and usually reasonable in price and is easy to cut with an electric hand-held band saw. “If I’m cutting pipe in a place where there’s no electricity, I use a little portable Honda generator,” says Iversen.

“Once a pipe post is in the ground, the ground tends to rust it to the soil around it, and it’s very solid. It’s very difficult to pull it back out. These posts work really well for corrals,” he says.

Todd Hermanson (Hermanson Fencing Company, Inc.) built Iversen’s new fences. Hermanson has been building custom fences for 40 years, in three states. He used to do traditional fences with wood and steel posts, but now does mostly pipe fencing, using discarded drill steel piping from the oil drilling industry. With a jack-hammer type hydraulic post pounder that he invented, he can pound pipe posts into any kind of terrain—solid rock, frozen ground, or bogs.

“This kind of fencing started with us. We took Bobcat hydraulic cement breakers and modified them to use for pounding posts. It was trial and error, but I have a guy in my shop who is good at making things. We came up with a system to do this kind of fencing—and it has caught on like crazy,” Hermanson says.

“The only thing that might shorten the life of these posts would be alkali ground that tends to eat up metal. It takes 2 minutes to pound another pipe post in. Even when repairing fence, if there is a broken off or rotted-off railroad tie, we don’t have to dig it out; we just pound a pipe post right down through the middle of it. This saves a lot of time,” says Hermanson.

In difficult terrain, this system is equal to none. “When we put fences across creeks or gullies. It’s very cost efficient and will be there a long time.” The pipe holds much better in places where it would be hard to brace with wood posts or the traditional steel posts.

The pipes are much stronger, and take less time to install. “You can put in a pipe brace, with the right equipment, in 10 to 15 minutes, which makes it a lot cheaper; a double H brace with wood posts or railroad ties takes more than an hour, and even longer to install in rocky or frozen ground,” Iversen says.

Steep Terrain
On steep slopes that are risky for a tractor, often a person can use a pounder mounted on a skid steer or a track machine, since it has better stability than a tractor and can go up relatively steep slopes without tipping over. Some people walk beside a track machine and drive it from the ground with a joy stick; you don’t have to be on it to drive it. This is safer, especially going through areas where it’s too steep to take any kind of vehicle or tractor.

This is handy for one person fencing alone because you can drive it as you walk beside it, and stop it where you want to set a post. This can save time and labor and one person can set a lot of posts.

Bogs And Swamps
Metal posts can often work when a fence has to go through wet areas and sloughs where it would be difficult to drive wood posts. If a bog is not too deep, you can use 7-foot T-posts that go far enough down to hit solid ground where they could hold. In some situations where the bog is too deep to hold posts, a person can build an above-ground jack fence. Building any kind of fence across a bog is often best accomplished in a dry season, or in winter when the bog is frozen, so you can get around in that area with a machine to set posts, without sinking into the mud.

Frozen Ground
Winter is not the best time to build fences that require posts set in the ground, but sometimes a person has no choice. There are times a fence must be repaired or a new fence built, regardless of the weather. Frozen ground can be challenging for setting posts, and cold weather is hard on machinery.

In cold weather, some people set metal posts instead of wood posts, since wood posts tend to shatter if the ground is solidly frozen. “With a jack-hammer hydraulic post pounder, however, a person can usually pound wood posts through a foot or more of frost (especially if a pilot post is used to start the hole) and then go on down to desired depth, and pipe posts will go even deeper,” says Thomas.

If frost is too deep for driving posts, fire is a common way to thaw ground for post holes.

“Old metal tubs or half barrels work well to make these little ovens. A cutting torch can be utilized to create small vent holes along the bottom edge (to draw air in, to keep the fire going) and a 5-inch-diameter hole in the top of each oven for the smoke to come out,” says Thomas. Fires can be set under several ovens, on the spots where you need to dig a hole or drive a post, letting them burn while working on other parts of the fence, and the ground underneath may be thawed within a few hours. In places where frost is really deep, scoop out the embers after the fire dies down, dig down through the thawed dirt, put the embers or coals back in, and add more wood.

Another method is to use hot water. One fence builder who had to set posts for a feedlot on frozen ground used a pressure washer with hot water, sticking the wand into the ground at those spots, slowly melting the frost down to the depth needed for setting posts. It was faster than fire, but still time-consuming for the hot water to melt its way down that far through the ice.

Above-Ground Fence
Another alternative in terrain that’s difficult or impossible to set posts is a jack fence (buck fence) or worm fence. A worm fence is created by stacking logs or large-diameter poles on one another, interlocking in two directions. The finished fence is a continual series of corners/angles. A short, small-diameter pole or short board is nailed or screwed to the logs/poles at the corners, to keep them stable so they will never shift around.
A pole jack fence (poles nailed/screwed onto jack legs) works well where ground is too rocky or boggy to set posts, but in windy country must be anchored so it won’t blow over. Fence jacks should be treated on the bottom end of those posts, to keep them from rotting. They will draw moisture, especially if built over swampy ground.

Portable Fencing
Temporary fences in winter or on rocky ground can be created with portable metal panels that interlock and don’t require posts. Portable corrals also have this advantage.

Portable electric fence can be installed with step-in posts, even if the ground is frozen, inserted into holes made with a cordless, battery-powered drill. For this type of fence it’s usually best to use portable posts made of metal rods, rather than the plastic step-in posts because the metal ones are less apt to break. You can add screw-on insulators to the rebar after you pound those in.

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