Category: Livestock Management

R&R Machine Works Celebrates 50 Years Serving the Industry

Posted on by A.Miller-Cattle-Admin

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

R&R Machine Works Celebrates 50 Years Serving the Feed Industry with Modular Mill System, Advanced Hydro Technology, Enterprise Automation, and Full-Service Millwright Capabilities

Expanded Operations and Global Partnerships Power the Next Generation of Feed Innovation

Amarillo, Texas — March 2026 — R&R Machine Works proudly marks its 50th year of service to the feed industry with the introduction of its latest technological advancements: the new Modular Mill System, enhanced R&R Hydro Automated Grain Conditioning System, expanded Enterprise Automation platforms, and comprehensive millwright services capable of building facilities from the ground up.

For five decades, R&R Machine Works has built its reputation on precision manufacturing, dependable performance, and a simple philosophy — equipment built to work. As the company enters its next chapter, it continues to evolve with forward-thinking solutions designed to improve efficiency, scalability, and long-term operational success.

Modular Mill System: Flexible. Scalable. Future-Ready.

The newly introduced Modular Mill System represents a major advancement in mill design and plant efficiency. Engineered for adaptability and rapid deployment, the modular platform allows feed producers to scale operations with precision while minimizing downtime and installation complexity.

Key advantages include:
  • Custom configurations tailored to production goals
  • Simplified integration with existing plant systems
  • Reduced installation and commissioning timelines
  • Optimized access for maintenance and long-term service

The Modular Mill System reflects R&R’s hands-on understanding of plant operations and its commitment to delivering real-world, high-performance milling solutions.

R&R Hydro: Automated Grain Conditioning with Precision Control

A cornerstone of this milestone year is the enhanced R&R Hydro Automated Grain Conditioning System — a fully automated, standalone solution engineered to streamline moisture management with unmatched precision and efficiency.

R&R Hydro detects grain moisture levels and automatically applies the exact amount of

water and surfactant required to meet desired specifications.

Using highly accurate moisture sensors housed within a custom-designed “Grain Collector,” the system continuously analyzes internal grain moisture. Data is transmitted directly to the R&R Hydro PLC, where water and surfactant levels are adjusted automatically in real time.

R&R Hydro Benefits Include:

  • Automated surfactant and water adjustments based on desired moisture levels
  • Continuous monitoring of incoming grain moisture
  • Real-time tracking of surfactant tank levels and usage
  • Accurate internal grain moisture measurement with advanced sensors
  • Customizable sampling options for specific operational needs

Built for durability and long-term reliability, the system features stainless steel plumbing, heavy-duty transfer and booster pumps, a 15-inch touchscreen monitor, digital flow meters with LCD display, and secure remote support via secure VPN router for seamless remote support.

The result is improved conditioning accuracy, increased production efficiency, reduced

waste, and enhanced operational control.

Enterprise Automation: Intelligence Across the Entire Operation

R&R’s Enterprise Automation solutions bring plant-wide intelligence to feed operations. Designed to integrate seamlessly with milling, hydro systems, and other processing equipment, these platforms provide centralized control, real-time analytics, and actionable performance data.

Feed producers gain:
  • Full operational visibility
  • Data-driven decision-making capabilities
  • Predictive maintenance insights
  • Reduced labor inefficiencies
  • Improved production accuracy and consistency

Full-Service Millwright Capabilities: From Groundbreaking to Ongoing Support Beyond equipment manufacturing, R&R Machine Works delivers complete millwright services — including the capability to design, build, install, and commission feed facilities from the ground up.

Whether constructing a new facility or upgrading an existing operation, R&R’s experienced

Industrial Service and millwright teams provide:
  • Full plant construction and installation
  • Equipment setting and alignment
  • Structural and mechanical integration
  • System retrofits and expansions
  • Turnkey project execution

From initial planning to final startup, R&R ensures every system operates efficiently and reliably.

Service After the Sale: A Core Competency

One of the most common concerns voiced by customers transitioning from competitors is the lack of support and service after installation. R&R Machine Works has built its reputation on solving that problem. Service after the sale is not an add-on — it is a core competency.

R&R provides:
  • Comprehensive technical support
  • On-site service and troubleshooting
  • Remote diagnostics and assistance
  • Preventative maintenance programs
  • Roll servicing and reconditioning
  • Complete operational support

Importantly, R&R services not only R&R Machine Works mills but also other brands — providing full support for the entire operation. Customers gain a long-term partner committed to keeping their facilities running efficiently, regardless of original equipment manufacturer.

This commitment to ongoing service, responsiveness, and partnership is a defining difference in the marketplace.

Expanded Production

R&R Machine Works’ expanded industrial growth and increased production capacity have strengthened its ability to meet rising domestic and international demand.

The expansion supports:
  • Increased manufacturing output
  • Accelerated product development
  • Enhanced quality control
  • Faster lead times
  • Expanded service infrastructure

The Texas Panhandle continues to serve as a strategic manufacturing hub, reinforcing R&R’s commitment to American manufacturing excellence while supporting global growth.

Strategic Global Partnerships and Mexico Roll Fabrication Division

As part of its continued global expansion, R&R Machine Works has established strategic partnerships worldwide, including the launch of a new R&R Machine Works Roll Fabrication and

Service Division in Mexico.

This division enhances regional roll manufacturing capacity, strengthens service responsiveness, and expands on-the-ground technical support throughout Latin America.

50 Years Strong — Built to Work

Since 1976, R&R Machine Works has remained dedicated exclusively to serving the feed industry. Over five decades, the company has evolved alongside its customers — adapting to new technologies, expanding service capabilities, and strengthening global partnerships. As R&R Machine Works celebrates 50 years, it does so with the same principle that built its reputation: Built to Work. Backed to Last. Supported for the Life of the Operation.

About R&R Machine Works

Founded in 1976, R&R Machine Works is a leading manufacturer of milling equipment, roll manufacturing, industrial automation systems, grain conditioning solutions, and full-service industrial service and millwright construction for the feed industry. Based in the Texas Panhandle, the company combines precision engineering, expanded production capacity, global partnerships, and unmatched service support to deliver reliable, long-term solutions worldwide.

For more information, visit www.randrmachineworks.com. Media Contact: Cori Burns, cori.burns@estacar.com 806-676-9960. Sales contact sales@randrmachineworks.com 806-244-5686.

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Introducing CERES GEN6

Posted on by A.Miller-Cattle-Admin

Introducing CERES GEN6
Measure, Manage, Multiply

Livestock producers across the globe make decisions every day that shape herd performance and long-term profitability. Those decisions are grounded in generations of experience formed from a learned understanding of land, cattle, and seasons. Yet even with that knowledge, uncertainty remains, particularly around reproduction, animal health, and labour efficiency. Beef production has always been built on resilience and responsibility, but modern pressures demand clearer, faster insight to support those requirements.

CERES TAG is not looking to change what has always been, but rather enhance it. CERES TAG offers more than a livestock monitoring device, but rather a phenotype performance and intelligence platform that gives producers clearer visibility and decisions across their ranch.

The launch of CERES GEN6 introduces a significant advancement, with the introduction of the industry’s first reproduction suite delivered via a solar-powered, satellite connected smart ear tag. This includes automated estrus detection for beef cattle, real-time calving alerts, and mounting behavior monitoring. These algorithms work alongside CERES TAG’s established capabilities, including pasture feed intake indicators, GPS location data, and behavioral patterns linked to health and welfare. By analyzing behavioral data at the animal level, producers gain clearer visibility across reproduction, health, movement, and pasture utilization, enabling more confident, data-supported management decisions that convert to greater productivity and profitability.

The CERES GEN6 device also delivers a new price point that changes the conversation. Through continued innovation and refinement, CERES TAG has introduced an 80% reduction in upfront price, positioning CERES GEN6 as not only more powerful, but more accessible. The focus on improvement and supporting ranchers to improve their profitability at scale remains at the centre of what CERES TAG does.

The impact of CERES GEN6 is practical and almost immediate.

Remote, in field, heat detection improves breeding timing, increasing conception rates and tightening calving windows. Real-time calving alerts reduce labor demands and enable faster intervention during high-risk periods, particularly valuable in large or remote grazing environments where constant visual observation isn’t feasible. Mounting activity monitoring provides further confirmation of breeding dynamics, offering insight into bull performance and identifying females that may require attention.

The cost of operating without this level of visibility is often underestimated; Missed heats, extend calving intervals and reduce lifetime productivity. Inefficient breeding timing wastes both labor and bull power. Calving complications that go undetected increase losses. Subtle health or welfare issues can quietly erode performance over time. Without objective behavioral data, producers may unknowingly retain animals that are underperforming or fail to identify opportunities to optimize herd efficiency. CERES GEN6’s design is there to reduce that uncertainty. It strengthens producer intuition with measurable, animal-level intelligence, not replacing experience, but enhancing it.

The goal is straightforward: provide clear insight so that every management decision carries greater confidence and economic impact.

By combining advanced reproduction algorithms, health and behavioral intelligence, and a significantly lower entry cost, CERES GEN6 represents a meaningful shift in what smart livestock technology can deliver. As innovation continues, accessibility increases, ensuring more ranchers can benefit from tools that improve reproductive performance, streamline labor, and drive long-term profitability.

The future of herd management is not about replacing tradition. It’s about equipping it with better visibility.

Contact your local supply store or one of our CERES TAG team to earn more from your heard today.

Email: info@cerestag.com

Web: www.cerestag.com

 

Brute Cattle Handling Equipment

Posted on by A.Miller-Cattle-Admin

Brute Cattle Handling Equipment

Every ranch and feedlot needs durable cattle-handling facilities. Even though there are many available today, some are more user-friendly and dependable. Austin Gubbels, Sales Manager for Brute Cattle Equipment, has been with this company for 10 years. “This is my family’s business–a multi-generational company in northeast Nebraska. My great uncle started it in 1968 as a manufacturing company that designed the equipment and hired another company to do the sales,” Austin says.

After his great uncle died, Austin’s grandmother owned the company for a little while. “My uncle purchased the company from her and at that time switched colors to tan, initiated the Brute Cattle Equipment name and began handling all sales in-house. That’s when we began a little different model, producing the heaviest equipment in the industry, to our knowledge. Our bread and butter has always been selling to the largest feedlots across the country, and more recently into cow-calf operations,” he says.

That doesn’t mean the facilities are any different. Ranchers must be able to restrain large bulls and need durable equipment. “Even for manufacturing it makes sense to utilize some of the same parts on all the chutes. It’s better to be extra strong than not strong enough. My great uncle believed in that goal because at that time everything—whether washing machines or TVs–were getting cheaper and only built to last 5 years. Cattle folks need something that will last. We are not just welders or businessmen; we are in the cattle industry ourselves. I use our equipment every day,” Austin says.

Today, Brute Cattle Equipment offers a full line of hydraulic cattle squeeze chutes, cattle alleys, tubs, and loadouts—designed to save time, withstand wear and tear of daily use and harsh weather and built with safety in mind for the operator and the livestock. “This is something we believe in, and also feel we have a responsibility to our fellow cattlemen to sell them equipment that will last forever; we know what they need.”

This company doesn’t utilize dealers. “Our customers deal with me directly, throughout the majority of the process. We have a hands-on approach, whether for customer service, quality control, etc. to make sure our customers actually receive the product they need. That’s also a way we can cut our margins and produce a heavy piece of equipment and still stay competitive in price. A dealership will want a 15 to 20% markup on top of our price, since they need to make money, too. If we sell something straight from the factory, we can give our customers a better deal,” he says.

Brute equipment has now gone into 40 states and 5 different countries. Over the years, quality control has become better, with a more consistent product. “Now with hydraulic chutes we not only have the heaviest, but also strive to be the quietest.” This makes a big difference when people are working cattle, stressing them less.

“We’ve made a lot of changes in the past couple years, making everything as quiet as possible as well as being as strong as it can be. We have a unique, patented angled headgate for these squeeze chutes. This is a simple design change, since cows don’t have square shoulders. Everyone else produces a square chute, but the angled headcatch spreads the impact across a greater surface area, which reduces stress and bruising,” Austin says.

“I know that cattle going through a facility or squeeze chute by themselves, if there are fewer bruise points, and less stress on the animal. The lower we can keep the cortisol levels in that animal and the less sore it is, the faster it will return to full feed. This makes for more efficient feeding.

Even on a cow-calf operation where cows may only be worked once or twice a year, if a cow has a bad experience in the chute, she doesn’t want to go into it again. “Our angled headgate sets us apart. People think our chute looks funny but it gives superior neck injection access—whether in front of the headgate or behind it. The animal also comes out more readily. The design encourages forward movement and the animal doesn’t back up in the chute as much,” he says.

A big factor is less bruising, fewer abscesses from vaccines, etc. “Antibiotics are going into healthy tissue versus damaged tissue, so the animal responds better to these drugs as well. Everything is geared to low stress handling. Temple Grandin has had an influence on what we do; we believe in keeping things quiet, and fewer bruise points.”

The way the Brute equipment is made, everything is built in sections. “We can talk the customer through many different scenarios based on their existing yard or pens or the setup they already have. We can outfit a barn that’s been there for 40 or 50 years. Also, we can help them remodel and improve what they already have. I can get a general understanding of what they need, whether through photos, hand sketches or visiting them in person, to get an idea how their operation works. Then I can put this through a computer program and drag and drop our pieces into that and see exactly how they fit, to scale with what the farmer or rancher already has,” he says.

“There are many different customizable designs that we can make work, in an existing infrastructure. This is a huge benefit and we can make a good, flowing system they will be happy with, utilizing a lot of what they already have. If they are going to spend a lot of money they want to do it once and do it right. I don’t believe in cookie cutter one-way-to-do things,” Austin says.

“We take a lot of things into consideration, whether we are using the equipment or hear from our customers; we are big on wanting feedback, all the time. We are always willing to change or see our product from a different point of view. In everything we do, we also use as many U.S. materials as possible. Our equipment is built here, our sales and shop are in the same area, using American hoses, steel, etc.”

March 2026
By Heather Smith Thomas

Home – American Cattlemen

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