Rocking B Ranch

Welcome to the Rocking B Ranch! This 320 acre working ranch is owned by the Brownson family: Thomas, Julie, Stephanie, Devan, and Wesley.  Founded in 2001, the Rocking B is located between Mason and Menard in the heart of the Texas hill country.  We are a grass-fed livestock operation, and our stock includes Angus, Hereford, and registered Devon cattle as well as Boer-Cross goats.  Our cattle are bred for the quality of their beef and receive a forage diet free of pesticides.  Our animals are never held in confinement, never fed antibiotics, and never receive synthetic growth hormones. What’s So Special about Organic Beef? Grass-fed, pastured, organic beef is better for you. Compared with feedlot meat, meat from grass-fed beef and goats has less total fat, less saturated fat, less cholesterol, and fewer calories. Grass-fed beef is leaner than beef obtained from cows imprisoned in feedlots and provides health-promoting omega-3 fatty acids and “conjugated linoleic acid.”  Furthermore, grass-fed beef has more vitamin E, more beta-carotene, and more vitamin C than feedlot beef. Raising animals on pasture requires more knowledge and skill than sending them to a feedlot. In order for grass-fed beef to be succulent and tender, the cattle need to forage on high-quality grasses and legumes, especially in the months prior to slaughter. Providing this nutritious and natural diet demands healthy soil and careful pasture management so that the plants are maintained at an optimal stage of growth. Because high-quality pasture is the key to high-quality animal products, many pasture-based ranchers refer to themselves as "grass farmers" rather than “ranchers.”  We raise great grass; the animals do all the rest! Just like their human counterparts, cattle are healthier and eat better when they experience less stress.  Weaning is always a stressful time for calves, especially if they are weaned just before being shipped to distant feedlots. Calves that are raised and finished on pasture are not subjected to the stress of shipping because they remain on the farm from birth to market.  The calves still have to be separated from their moms, so a number of grass farmers are experimenting with ways to ease this transition. One technique is called "across the fence" weaning. In this case, the calves are removed from their mothers but are kept separated from them by only a minimal fence. Because the cows and calves can still see, smell, and hear each other, weaning tends to be less stressful. Another stress-reduction technique is called "delayed weaning." In this variation, the calf remains with its mother for a few months longer than customary. Ranchers report that the older calves accept separation more easily. Sincere thanks to Tex and Beulah Brownson for all their help and guidance with the cattle and goats. We’ll never forget all we owe to Oak Hill Technology, Inc., for endorsing our efforts and making it all possible.  Thank you, Joan and Reigh. Copywrite © 2001-2012 Thomas Brownson rocking B ranch. All rights reserved.