Betty Jo Gigot, Editor and Publisher

With thirtysome years’ experience under their belt, Doug and Chris Duncan would be considered old-timers in the Oklahoma Panhandle today. But they haven’t lost any of their enthusiasm for the art of cattle feeding. The last ten years have brought changes to the industry, and the management at Pride Feeders has been busy keeping up with the times.

A different kind of beast
“Our customer base here at Pride has not changed that much,” Doug Duncan said. “We basically have the same customers as before. Some of them may not feed as many cattle as before, but we have been very fortunate in that way.” The feedyard was full to the brim with many retained-ownership cattle on feed.

What has changed is the type of cattle on feed at the 54,000-head capacity yard south of Hooker, Okla.

“We have had to go to a much lighter weight and higher risk animal,” Duncan said. “Over 85 percent would be considered stressed cattle.” The yard received over 40,000 head between May 15 and October 1 and, of those, 30,000 are high risk.

Pride Feeders have adjusted their management program to accommodate these special cattle. A 12,500-head capacity yard west of the road has been designated specifically for high-risk animals. The west yard was built specifically for calves and has shallow pens, which work well for the program. Only Pride’s top hands are assigned to the west yard, where the new cattle spend 30 to 45 days before moving across the road.

“We get along really well,” Chris said. “It scares me to death how much we have to put into those cattle, but they perform well for us.

“We’ll put in an order for three loads of 575-pound calves, sort them and then order three more loads. We put 600 in a lot, mass treat them and watch over them carefully. We use big bales for the cattle to eat and keep salt blocks in all pens.”

“Getting them on water is the most important thing, and within two weeks, we usually have them up on feed. We use a special ration on the high risk cattle.”

A vast majority of the cattle coming in to the Pride yard come from Capital Land and Livestock near Schwertner, Texas.

“We buy Charolais and blacks from Capital Land for our customers. We find that their cutability is wonderful,” Duncan said. The company will also use the Schwertner Select program when space is not available immediately at the yard.

Doug Duncan markets cattle from the yard with some of the large cattle from Mississippi going on the grid. Regular cattle are sold on live.

Staying up with the industry
“With the rules, regulations and concerns about animal rights, you have to watch what you are doing,” Chris Duncan said.

Recent management changes include going from a card system for feeding to more modern computer technology, and they are looking at how to implement individual animal ID.

“We know it will be up and down for a while,” Chris said. “But it is coming and, like everything else, we will figure it out.”

As Chris looks to the future, he is most concerned about staffing. They have 44 people on the payroll, some of which have been with them for more that 25 years.

“It is going to get tougher to find the right people who want to do the job. It’s getting more and more competitive all the time, and we have to provide quality for the customer but get the job done with fewer people. It’s hard to compete for a labor force that has to work long hours and over holidays. Everyone is looking for help and all are struggling for people.”

“Every day is a challenge You get up, go to work and keep on going,” Chris said with a smile. He and Doug are doing what they do best – feeding cattle in Oklahoma.