Swisher County Cattle Company

Focus on sound practices leads to delivery of high-quality market cattle from Happy, Texas, feedyard

In the past decade, America’s meat consumption has trended predominantly upward as individuals increasingly turn to higher-protein diets. The United States Department of Agriculture predicted that Americans will consume a record amount of beef, pork and poultry in 2018 – nearly 225 pounds per person on average.

As Americans’ eating habits change, one thing has remained consistent for six decades – Swisher County Cattle Company’s commitment to delivering high-quality beef cattle to market. Located in Happy, Texas, Swisher County Cattle Company was founded in the mid-1960s by area farmers who ran the feedyard for several years before Amarillo-based Friona Industries purchased it.

Today, Swisher County Cattle Company is part of Friona’s eight-yard operation that includes six locations in the Texas Panhandle and two in Kansas. In total, Friona Industries has the capacity to feed more than 600,000 head of cattle, making it one of the largest such operations in the United States and in the top ten worldwide.

Swisher County Cattle Company is one of the biggest yards, housing as many as 85,000 cattle at any one time. It sources the animals from across the United States, working with ranchers and other suppliers. As many as 6,000 come and go on a weekly basis.

“Typically, we ship about 3,000 head, and whatever number goes out usually comes right back in,” said Assistant Feedyard Manager Clifton Yeary. “Yearling cattle arrive somewhere between 600 and 900 pounds, and in the course of 180 to 200 days, we feed them locally grown corn and other commodities to prepare them for market.”

Comprehensive process

Swisher County Cattle Company Feedyard Manager Trevor Peterson noted that each animal shipped out of the facility is graded. “We consistently receive high marks,” he emphasized. “It comes down to solid practices and attention to detail, and that includes planning and managing resources through all aspects of our operations.”

This philosophy includes a serious, proactive approach to animal health. The parent company has staff members dedicated to checking suppliers’ backgrounds and their cattle management operations. Every supplier to Swisher County Cattle Company – or to any Friona Industries location, for that matter – must sign a compliance position statement of understanding regarding critical items such as antibiotic use before it brings cattle to the yard.

“Our model for animal health is to manage risk differently than what much of the beef industry does,” said Tom Portillo, DVM, Friona Industries Manager of Animal Health in a statement on the company’s website. “If you look at the investment we have in cattle, we recognize there is value in cattle that are vaccinated and backgrounded appropriately before they arrive in our feedyards.”

During their time on site, the cattle are closely watched and managed to ensure they remain healthy. No matter the weather conditions, pen riders tour the yard with the goal of seeing every animal, every day. Cattle are fed three times per day and pen maintenance is a seven-days-a-week job.

Komatsu loaders provide boost

Mixing feed and cleaning pens requires machinery. Nearly two years ago, Swisher County Cattle Company added two Komatsu WA320-8 wheel loaders, which have increased efficiency. Swisher County personnel worked closely with Kirby-Smith Machinery and Territory Manager Brady McAlister to acquire the loaders. The facility also runs a GD655-3 motor grader, mainly for road maintenance.

“The loaders handle various tasks, from loading silage and other commodities into the feed mixer to scooping out pens and water pits,” said Yard Foreman Mario Nunez. “Certainly, you don’t want to use the same bucket for those applications, so we worked with Kirby-Smith and Brady to have them equipped with JRB quick couplers for fast changes.”

McAlister and Kirby-Smith assessed Swisher County’s needs and determined that Rockland rollout buckets would be the most beneficial. “Brady and Kirby-Smith helped us properly size the machines and buckets, based on several factors such as the materials we move,” said Yeary. “The rollout buckets deliver increased versatility in loading trucks, and we believe they are safer for filling taller trucks and trailers.”

Along with the couplers and buckets, Nunez is equally pleased with the loaders. “They are solid,” he proclaimed. “This is a seven-days-a-week operation, and those loaders are running almost constantly, so we can’t afford significant downtime. We place a lot of trust in the loaders, and they reward us with durability and outstanding uptime.”

Kirby-Smith Machinery provided complimentary routine services for the first 2,000 hours under the Komatsu CARE program. During that time, Kirby-Smith’s technicians taught Swisher County’s mechanic how to perform the maintenance so it could be completed in-house when Komatsu CARE expired.

“Komatsu CARE was a great deal, and the way Kirby-Smith stepped up to train our mechanic was value-added,” said Yeary. “Brady and everyone else we work with at Kirby-Smith provide good customer service. We buy our parts from them, and they always have them available when needed. If we do have an issue, all it takes is a phone call and Kirby-Smith is on it right away.”

Good stewardship

No one knows for sure what lies ahead for the future of the beef industry as diet trends come and go. Whatever it brings, Swisher County Cattle Company and Friona Industries are committed to maintaining a quality approach to management practices.

 “We believe in being good stewards of the animals, land and resources,” said Peterson. “The animals’ welfare is of utmost importance and is critical to safe and wholesome beef for consumers. We follow Beef Quality Assurance protocols, too, which are geared toward quality in every aspect of the beef industry as well as in consumer transparency.”

See more Loaders here!

Learn about the Komatsu CARE program here!