A new hay barn sits near the road in West Fork, Ark. It is the latest construction project for Chris and Diana Coker, who run a 156-acre family cattle operation.
Raising and harvesting 350 round bales of hay per year is a key component in this operation.
A previous barn, built in 1991, caved in under heavy snow during a snowstorm several years ago. Luckily the roof fell on top of the hay and Chris was able to pull bales out for use and tear down the destroyed structure as he emptied space. Fortunately, Chris had and still uses a chicken house and another barn for hay storage, but additional storage was needed.
The new barn is a good example of farmer resourcefulness combined with an eye on cost. It was built on the location of the destroyed barn but with different dimensions. The old barn was 30 feet by 100 feet while the new one is 46 feet by 50 feet. Because of the change in dimension size, a new pad had to be prepared which took six to eight hours using a bulldozer. The trusses came off a chicken house in Lincoln, but in order to use these trusses for the higher hay barn, Chris had to dig eight, 3 foot by 3 foot holes 3 feet deep to serve as footings to support and raise the trusses. Rebar was placed in each hole adding another 4 feet of height before the trusses were bolted to the rebar. Next, Chris used 16 inches by 4 feet Sonotube as concrete forms and poured concrete into each of the holes. Then the trusses were bolted into the rebar. Commercial panels were used for side and roof construction. Chris said, “This is one structure that should continue to stand during a snowstorm. I’d rather not do that again.”
Chris hays 120 acres, some on shares. The land is mostly Fescue, Bermuda and White Clover, along with naturally occurring Johnsongrass, which flourishes in summer heat, and is an important part of the mix on the bottomlands. Chris also sometimes drills rye in his pastures for winter forage. Chris explained that he was able to manage during the drought because the Johnson grass continued to grow and he was able to get a second cutting that was close to waist high. The land is crossed fenced and has four pastures used on a rotational basis.
“If a pasture looks like horses have been there, the cows have been there way too long,” said Chris.
The Coker herd has 23 mixed Angus mommas and six mixed Charolais.
“Those Charolais are left over from years ago and I’m just too sentimental to get rid of them,” Chris said. “Besides, they still produce good calves.”
He also has a 16-year-old Beefmaster cow, a remnant from his father’s herd, which was bottle fed and has produced 14 good calves over the years. The cows are serviced by one Black Angus bull Chris selected for temperament and smaller sized calves who subsequently gain weight well.
Chris administers black leg and Bangs vaccinations in addition to worming as needed. Calves are castrated rather than banded because that is what Chris’s father had always done. They are sold at 6 months. When Chris is ready to sell, he calls the sale barn in Stilwell to see if it’s a good week for selling.
Wife Diana is also very involved in the operation.
“Diana has just as much interest in this farm as I do and is as involved,” Chris said.
“Because this is a small herd and I don’t want to miss a cycle, my bull runs with the cows year round. One of the things Diana does is keep the books and alerts me when a cow is about to give birth so I can keep a closer eye on her, even though I’m with my cattle every day. They are pets that make us money, which in turn keeps the farm going.”
Chris got started in the cattle business when he was about 20 after working at Ozarks Electric for a year or so before he was able to get a $5,000 loan to buy eight cows and one bull. He has worked at Ozarks Electric for 25 years and is now the manager of operations. In addition, Chris is also the fire chief of the Strickler Fire Department, which was founded in 1986.
Fire department service is a family tradition, starting with his grandfather and father. Chris’s son, Seth, is also a firefighter and has just finished his fire science degree, and is on the path to be a career fireman.
Their daughter, Catie, is now a senior in high school and plans to attend college at the University of Arkansas, Fort Smith in the medical field. Diana has worked for IGA for 29 years and manages non-grocery, general merchandising in a local store.
