Rocky Rush is an expert at growing things. He knows how to grow crops – farming more than 1,000 acres of row crops, and even raises soybean seed for Andrews Farm and Seed. He knows how to grow pigs – he and his father operate for Murphy Family Ventures and over 50,000 pigs pass through their doors every year. He knows how to grow a good family – he and his wife, Karen, have been married 27 years and have two children, Tyler and Shelby, and a business called Karen’s Kutting Korner. He also knows how to grow good cattle.
He used to raise registered Simmental cattle but didn’t like the emphasis that was placed on raising and breeding large-framed animals, so he started crossing Simmentals with black Angus cattle. He liked the results, except for the coloration of the animals. He didn’t like the way they looked, and they didn’t sell well, so in the mid 1990’s, he bought some Red Angus bulls to put with his Simmental cows, and it worked well.
When his son Tyler was old enough to start showing cattle, he purchased some show heifers and now the family raises 40 head of registered Red Angus cattle. Though he enjoys his Red Angus cattle, he is currently focusing on quality more than quantity, and would like to cut his herd number down a little.
He utilizes embryo flushing technology to take full advantage of exceptional cows. He said, “I like to be able to multiply a good thing quickly.” As an example, he pointed out a 4-year-old cow in his herd. Tyler showed her and her bull calf at the national show in Denver two years ago and won the cow-calf show. Since then, he has raised 16 calves from the same great cow.
He also raises embryo transfer calves for other producers. Some might think that would add more stress and worry to an already busy schedule, but Rocky said he very rarely has any trouble during calving. He attributes that to the good genetics of his Red Angus cattle. He feels that low birth weight is over-rated, and believes that “performance starts at birth.” Just like the runt of a litter of pigs is often overshadowed by its litter mates, the smallest calf in the herd often doesn’t become a great animal.
The Rush family has had great success in the show ring. This year, both Tyler and Shelby showed bulls and won their divisions at the Tulsa State Fair; Tyler won the Supreme male and female shows at the Jasper County Fair; and Shelby took home the same honors at the Barton County Fair. In addition, Shelby had the Overall Red Angus bull at the Ozark Empire Fair.
If raising a family, crops, pigs and show-winning Red Angus cattle didn’t keep Rocky busy enough, he also runs close to 200 head of commercial cattle.
Rocky is an expert at growing things, and he is also an expert on quality and on satisfying customers. Whether he is selling seed, pigs, market cattle or Red Angus show cattle – superior quality keeps customers happy. Just as Karen’s clients come to the Rush farm time after time to have their hair cut and styled just the way they like it, people keep coming back for more Rush Red Angus.
