Jim Dismukes of Checotah, Ok., is a first-generation rancher making a big difference in the cattle industry
CHECOTAH, OKLA. – Dismukes grew up in Elk Grove, a suburb of Sacramento, Calif., where Dismukes Ranch began. At nine, Dismukes took out a loan (with help from his parents, of course) and purchased two steers that he exhibited at a county fair. This earned him enough money to pay off his debt and purchase an Angus heifer from a local breeder.
“That’s when I was hooked in the cattle business,” Dismukes said.
In 2012, Dismukes moved to McIntosh County, Oklahoma to grow the clientele and scope of his operation. Today, he and his wife, Heather, 38, manage Dismukes Ranch with their six children, the youngest of whom is three.
“We calve around 550 mother cows and sell 250 bulls and 200 females annually by private treaty,” Dismukes said. “And we have a beef business where we sell directly to the customer.”
Dismukes Ranch works with Purebred Angus and Charolais cattle, primarily due to the maternal traits of the Angus and the Charolais’ muscle, power, and pounds. According to Dismukes, approximately 100 embryos are transferred annually; the remainder of the herd is artificially inseminated (AI), while the high-quality herd bulls are turned in for cleanup.
“Our primary focus on both breeds is visual quality and real-world traits,” Dismukes stated.
All cattle on the ranch are developed in fields ranging from six to thirty acres in size, with 50 cows in each pasture; they are fed daily in feed bunks and round bales in hay rings. The feed, provided via a feeder on the back of a Kubota tractor, is a 14% protein ration of cracked corn, distillers grains, and beet pulp pellets. Dismukes conducts soil testing every three years, but typically fertilizes using Urea in the spring and fall of each year.
“This gives the fescue that early and late push, and the rest of the year, we have Bermuda to graze,” Dismukes said. “Depending on feed cost, drought, etc, we utilize the OSU (Oklahoma State University) cowculator to ensure we give the cows a proper and cost-effective feeding program.”
Dismukes said the operation keeps every heifer born on the ranch, raising them and giving them a chance to breed.
“The reason for this,” he said, “is to identify the good, bad, and ugly of all the genetics we use.”
Dismukes Ranch breeds 700-750 cattle per year, so it’s inevitable that some of the cattle will end up in trouble. Apart from Dismukes and his wife, one hired hand assists with farmwork, leaving little to no time for needy cows. In rural Eastern Oklahoma, cattle will face many natural enemies. Momma cows must defend their young from coyotes, bobcats, and black vultures, among other animals.
“We don’t check cows at night during calving and we expect our cows to do their job just the same as any commercial producer would,” Dismukes said.
On Dismukes Ranch, cattle are vaccinated in both spring and fall. Boosters are given at weaning, and anaplasmosis vaccinations are given to the heifers and bulls as yearlings.
Dismukes, who just finished his term as the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association Southeast District Vice President, has also served on the County Cattlemen’s Board, County Fair Board, and the Oklahoma Charolais Association.
“I’m currently trying to use my spare time to be more present with my family,” he said.
Dismukes said that many of his challenges as a cattle farmer were based on moving his operation from California to Oklahoma. In California, he had an established customer base – one that he had to build from the ground up upon relocating.
“I learned that to be profitable, I needed to have every cow making money to stay in business,” he said. This mentality has enabled him to earn a living from his cattle.
“I eat, breathe, and sleep cattle. This is how I support my family – there is no backup plan, so I’m always trying to learn from someone.”
“Since 1988, the ranch motto has been ‘Real World Cattle for Real World Cattlemen’ and we concentrate on raising problem-free cattle that have the ability to gain quickly and efficiently. The need for these kinds of cattle is imperative for the success of real world cattlemen.”
