Cattle Ranch Of The Week: Neben Ranch

Ranch owner Bob Neben first became involved in ranching through the 4-H program when he was nine and has been in the cattle business since that time. When Bob and his wife Fran were first married they were in partnership with Bob's father. In 1972 they bought their first ranch and have been fortunate enough to add to it several times. The farm ground is located on the north edge of the Platte River Valley in Lexington, Nebraska.

The pastureland lays to the north in rolling clay hills. The native grasses are big and little bluestem, buffalo grass, side oats, and many others. They have many cross fences and rotational graze the entire ranch.

In 1982 Bob went to the Denver Stock Show in search for a breed of cattle that had small birth weights, livability, fertility, milk, and meat. He was tired of c-sections, pulling calves, and calves that were slow to get up. What he found was the Salers breed.

Within a month the Nebens were on their way to Canada to observe the cattle in ranch conditions. They brought two fullblood bulls back with them. Later that year they returned and bought J'Aime Les Salers (which means "I love Salers" in French) from Stewart Robertson's AC Ranch. The Nebens were known as J'Aime Les Salers Ltd. partnership.

In the early years Neben Ranch was all A. I. and embryo transfer. When they dissolved the partnership there were nearly 100 fullblood cows, all direct descendants of this great cow. Neben Ranch now has a herd of about 50 fullblood cows. Today their cattle are both black and red and mostly polled. They are developing a herd of homozygous polled fullbloods.

Neben Ranch synchronizes and AI everything in 3 days and then clean up for 60 days. This past year 69% calved in 10 days. This next year they will go to a 45 day clean up period. They retain a high percentage of heifers in the herd. After their first calf they start culling according to production. A cow producing low weaning and yearling weights will be culled even though her EPD's are above average.

Click here for more information about Neben Ranch.

1. Oil edges up on book squaring, but posts big weekly drop
2. Cattle theft and brands
3. Cattle Outlook: Cattle on feed down nine consecutive months
4. Supplementation on summer pasture
5. Beef is the centerpiece of many wacky minor league stadium menus
6. Commentary: Message to Occupy Monsanto: Occupy yourself

1. Former Eastern Livestock CEO, CFO sentenced for federal crimes
2. Post-tornado composting a solution for disposal of dead livestock
3. TSCRA works with sale barns to catch Houston cattle thief
4. More beef cows in worst drought regions than a year ago
5. Michigan hay buyers should plan purchases early
6. New animal identification rules aid disease traceability

1. Commentary: In praise of animal foods
2. What’s on America’s grill this weekend?
3. Meat industry associations quick to attack the new MCOOL rule
4. Seven jobs more dangerous than farming
5. NASA backs 3D food printer to feed growing population
6. Post-tornado composting a solution for disposal of dead livestock