Buford Ranches: Rooted in Ranching, Passion for Pasture and Cattle
Roots are important to Sam Buford. He cares deeply about nurturing their cattle with the forages grown on his family’s ranching operation in the hills of Oklahoma.
Buford traces his ranching roots back to 1941 when his maternal grandparents established the Dunkin Ranch outside of Hominy, Oklahoma, in southern Osage County. Sam and his sister, Sharon Linsenmeyer, and brother, Stephen, purchased the family ranch in 1997 to create Buford Ranches LLC. Together they would grow the ranching enterprise through the following decades to include nine locations across northeast Oklahoma where they raise commercial and registered cattle.
“We love how cattle perform on native grass,” Buford says. “The more grass they can harvest naturally, the less feed and money you’ll have in your cattle when you sell them.”
A rotation of burning and spraying pastures every other year helps maximize the growth of native forages such as big bluestem, little bluestem, Indiangrass, switchgrass and grama grass. Their forage management program also halts the advance of woody and invasive species like Osage orange trees, blackberries, sericea lespedeza and western ragweed.
“Native grass is shown to be resilient with moderate care and grazing, so we try to give a cow seven acres on native pasture,” Buford says. “If we have some brush encroachment, then the acres per animal go up just slightly.”
“The bread-and-butter part of our operation is our commercial cattle,” Buford says. “We try to raise as big a calf as possible right off the cow.”
Agreeing with this sentiment is longtime ranch manager Doug Branch, who runs two of the ranches in Osage County.
“The crossbred female is the cornerstone of our operation. She’s who pays the bills around here,” Branch adds. “The only free thing you get in the cattle business is heterosis.”
Both spring and fall calving herds are utilized across the ranches. Typically, fall calving goes from September 10 to December 10, and spring calving begins on February 10 and ends on April 15.
The steers and non-replacement females are sold directly to feedlots, while replacements are weaned for up to 60 days.
“We want an animal that works for all facets of the industry,” Buford says. “We want to raise a replacement heifer that works as a cow on pasture. We want to raise a steer that can perform in a feedlot and be tender to eat at dinner.”
In addition to raising their own bulls, Buford Ranches markets approximately 200 bulls twice a year via private treaty.
“We’re very selective about the bulls we choose to raise, and we know what our customers are looking for,” Branch says.
The bulls aren’t pushed on their growth since they prefer to wait until they are 18 months before marketing or using on Buford Ranches. Post-weaning, bulls have free-choice access to Purina® Accuration® tubs on pasture and will occasionally be supplemented with a 14% protein range cube.
“We develop bulls slowly to let them grow and mature,” Branch says. “The bulls are in great shape by the time they reach 18 months old.”
Proper development and condition are essential for females, too. The goal is to have cows and first-calf heifers in a body condition score (BCS) 6 at calving across all herds. To help supplement their nutrition on pasture and get them back to condition at the Osage County ranches, cows receive Purina® Accuration® liquid.
“It has really aided our first-calf heifers to maintain their condition and get them rebred,” Branch says. “We’re also getting the added benefit of optimal fetal programming for that next generation of calves.”
Using Accuration® liquid has also helped keep bulls in condition on the Buford Ranches, where they need to be able to perform for the two separate breeding seasons.
“We try to let each of our managers decide what they want to do and how they want to do it,” Buford says.
At the ranch near Adair, Oklahoma, improvements in management protocols and changing to Purina® Wind and Rain® mineral helped make a big difference in performance. “The Purina® products are a big part of how we turned that ranch around,” Branch adds.
Since 2018, Wind and Rain® mineral has been used year-round at the two Osage County ranches. This past year, donor cows for the purebred Hereford herd had trace minerals from Availa® 4 added to the mineral, which Branch believes helped result in a better flush.[1]
In the future, the plan is to use Wind and Rain® mineral with Availa® 4 with the purebred Hereford herd in preparation for the breeding season.
“I think having a quality mineral program is vital. It’s never going to go away, and it’s going to become more important,” Buford says.
Branch calls Steven Meyers, Ph.D., Purina nutritionist, his “go-to guy” when he has any nutrition questions.
“If I have an issue with anything, I call him, and he’s got the answers I need,” Branch relates.
Working with Meyers and local Purina® dealer Allen Brothers Feed & Supply in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, has benefited the Osage Country ranches.
“As producers, we have to look to companies like Purina, who have a roster of specialists who are educated well beyond the ordinary ranchers’ means and levels. We must incorporate their knowledge into our programs and put our trust in them,” Buford says.
“I think if we want to survive as a beef industry, we have to keep earning a positive return,” Buford says. “We’re going to have to figure out how to continue to become more efficient.”
Buford looks to employ technology further with radio frequency identification (RFID) and the ability to capture data on the individual animal to collect better performance numbers.
“We need to utilize our technology. We need to take advantage of all the information at our disposal, and I think that will become an ever-increasing need,” Buford adds.
He’s also optimistic that the next generation of the Buford family, whether it be his children, nieces or nephews, will continue to drive the business further.
“At a minimum, I desire to help cultivate a respect and a love for the land,” Buford says. “We love the land. We desire to clean it up and make it better. And it’s a wonderful lifestyle.”
Does your cattle nutrition program stack up? Find out with a Proof Pays trial.
Buford traces his ranching roots back to 1941 when his maternal grandparents established the Dunkin Ranch outside of Hominy, Oklahoma, in southern Osage County. Sam and his sister, Sharon Linsenmeyer, and brother, Stephen, purchased the family ranch in 1997 to create Buford Ranches LLC. Together they would grow the ranching enterprise through the following decades to include nine locations across northeast Oklahoma where they raise commercial and registered cattle.
“We love how cattle perform on native grass,” Buford says. “The more grass they can harvest naturally, the less feed and money you’ll have in your cattle when you sell them.”
A rotation of burning and spraying pastures every other year helps maximize the growth of native forages such as big bluestem, little bluestem, Indiangrass, switchgrass and grama grass. Their forage management program also halts the advance of woody and invasive species like Osage orange trees, blackberries, sericea lespedeza and western ragweed.
“Native grass is shown to be resilient with moderate care and grazing, so we try to give a cow seven acres on native pasture,” Buford says. “If we have some brush encroachment, then the acres per animal go up just slightly.”
Harnessing heterosis
Through the years, Buford Ranches has always concentrated on raising crossbred cows and calves. Their commercial breeding program is focused on Angus and Hereford crosses.“The bread-and-butter part of our operation is our commercial cattle,” Buford says. “We try to raise as big a calf as possible right off the cow.”
Agreeing with this sentiment is longtime ranch manager Doug Branch, who runs two of the ranches in Osage County.
“The crossbred female is the cornerstone of our operation. She’s who pays the bills around here,” Branch adds. “The only free thing you get in the cattle business is heterosis.”
Both spring and fall calving herds are utilized across the ranches. Typically, fall calving goes from September 10 to December 10, and spring calving begins on February 10 and ends on April 15.
The steers and non-replacement females are sold directly to feedlots, while replacements are weaned for up to 60 days.
Developing genetics
Buford Ranches also raise the bull battery for the commercial cowherd with a purebred Hereford herd at Hominy and a purebred Angus herd at Welch, Oklahoma. Natural service is utilized throughout the commercial herds with the Hereford and Angus bulls they develop to create calves that an meet multiple goals.“We want an animal that works for all facets of the industry,” Buford says. “We want to raise a replacement heifer that works as a cow on pasture. We want to raise a steer that can perform in a feedlot and be tender to eat at dinner.”
In addition to raising their own bulls, Buford Ranches markets approximately 200 bulls twice a year via private treaty.
“We’re very selective about the bulls we choose to raise, and we know what our customers are looking for,” Branch says.
The bulls aren’t pushed on their growth since they prefer to wait until they are 18 months before marketing or using on Buford Ranches. Post-weaning, bulls have free-choice access to Purina® Accuration® tubs on pasture and will occasionally be supplemented with a 14% protein range cube.
“We develop bulls slowly to let them grow and mature,” Branch says. “The bulls are in great shape by the time they reach 18 months old.”
Proper development and condition are essential for females, too. The goal is to have cows and first-calf heifers in a body condition score (BCS) 6 at calving across all herds. To help supplement their nutrition on pasture and get them back to condition at the Osage County ranches, cows receive Purina® Accuration® liquid.
“It has really aided our first-calf heifers to maintain their condition and get them rebred,” Branch says. “We’re also getting the added benefit of optimal fetal programming for that next generation of calves.”
Using Accuration® liquid has also helped keep bulls in condition on the Buford Ranches, where they need to be able to perform for the two separate breeding seasons.
Mineral matters
While all nine ranches are under the Buford Ranches umbrella, they are each managed independently to fit the unique needs of that particular ranch.“We try to let each of our managers decide what they want to do and how they want to do it,” Buford says.
At the ranch near Adair, Oklahoma, improvements in management protocols and changing to Purina® Wind and Rain® mineral helped make a big difference in performance. “The Purina® products are a big part of how we turned that ranch around,” Branch adds.
Since 2018, Wind and Rain® mineral has been used year-round at the two Osage County ranches. This past year, donor cows for the purebred Hereford herd had trace minerals from Availa® 4 added to the mineral, which Branch believes helped result in a better flush.[1]
In the future, the plan is to use Wind and Rain® mineral with Availa® 4 with the purebred Hereford herd in preparation for the breeding season.
“I think having a quality mineral program is vital. It’s never going to go away, and it’s going to become more important,” Buford says.
Branch calls Steven Meyers, Ph.D., Purina nutritionist, his “go-to guy” when he has any nutrition questions.
“If I have an issue with anything, I call him, and he’s got the answers I need,” Branch relates.
Working with Meyers and local Purina® dealer Allen Brothers Feed & Supply in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, has benefited the Osage Country ranches.
“As producers, we have to look to companies like Purina, who have a roster of specialists who are educated well beyond the ordinary ranchers’ means and levels. We must incorporate their knowledge into our programs and put our trust in them,” Buford says.
Looking to the future
While Buford has roots in ranching, he holds a bachelor’s degree in economics.“I think if we want to survive as a beef industry, we have to keep earning a positive return,” Buford says. “We’re going to have to figure out how to continue to become more efficient.”
Buford looks to employ technology further with radio frequency identification (RFID) and the ability to capture data on the individual animal to collect better performance numbers.
“We need to utilize our technology. We need to take advantage of all the information at our disposal, and I think that will become an ever-increasing need,” Buford adds.
He’s also optimistic that the next generation of the Buford family, whether it be his children, nieces or nephews, will continue to drive the business further.
“At a minimum, I desire to help cultivate a respect and a love for the land,” Buford says. “We love the land. We desire to clean it up and make it better. And it’s a wonderful lifestyle.”
Does your cattle nutrition program stack up? Find out with a Proof Pays trial.
[1] Availa® 4 is a registered trademark of Zinpro Performance Minerals.
