Stucky Ranch... a historical review

Cooperate with all levels of your coworkers. Listen if you want to be heard. Be interested in finding the best way, not in having your own way. -Coach John Wooden

Gordon Stucky knew early on that Angus cattle were the kind of cattle you could make a living on. In December 1976, at age 17, he traveled to the Kansas Angus Futurity in hopes of starting his Angus herd. An open yearling heifer consigned by Ramsey Ranch of El Dorado, Kan., quickly caught his eye. Blackcap A127 was purchased for $350, and would become the foundation for Gordon's herd.

The following year, Blackcap A127 raised her first bull calf. Gordon returned to the Kansas Angus Futurity sale, entered and sold the bull calf for $1,500. With such a high return on his investment Gordon knew he was on the right track , and that the right kind of Angus held the key to his family's future in the cattle business.

The Stucky roots in Kingman County, Kansas trace back to 1937 with Gordon's parents establishing a diversified crop and livestock operation. Gordon's lifelong dream to build a registered Angus herd started in 1976, to compliment the existing commercial Angus herd. From 1976 to 1982 approximately 200 females were purchased from sales in Kansas and the Midwest. The current Angus herd is based on nine cow families from that original group. The keep/cull decisions were always based on within-herd performance data. Over the years a "type" of female has been developed that only happens from the disciplined use of proven sires selected to keep the herd moving in the same direction. The maternal base is founded on the line breeding of Traveler, New Trend, and Emulation bloodlines. The cowherd has been scrutinized for reproductive traits, moderate mature size, skeletal soundness, fleshing ability, chest capacity with base width, udder structure, and maternal instinct…then wrapping them together to design the Stucky Ranch trait balanced female.

The Stucky Ranch mission statement reads, "To provide the beef industry a high quality product, designed to provide our customers economic benefit and satisfaction, with the assurance of our personal customer service." This statement reminds the Stucky's daily of the responsibility to quality and service, in a customer oriented world.

Willa A. Foster once stated, "Quality is never an accident–it represents the wise choice of many alternatives." The current genetic program at Stucky Ranch seeks to identify and propagate high accuracy sires and cow families that combine the best of calving ease and top performance, with maternal efficiency and a high quality consumed product. Complete weight and carcass ultrasound scan performance data on every calf, along with scores for dam udder quality, disposition, and dam weight at calf weaning plus body condition score, are reported to the Angus Herd Improvement Records system using the Angus Information Management System. Continual evaluation of performance data, combined with visual appraisal for "good looking, functional seedstock" help round out the current selection criteria. The Stucky Ranch herd currently calves 250 head per year at the ranch, plus contracts calves from three cooperator herds. Embryo transfer has been a major tool to multiply the genetics from the top females, and create uniform, closely related brothers and sisters to offer for sale. Thirteen to eighteen month old bulls and heifers are offered for sale in the annual production sale held the second Wednesday of March each year at the ranch. Bulls, frozen embryos, and semen from herdsires are also sold private treaty.

Shortly after Gordon married his high school sweetheart Christine in 1979, two significant dates were etched in time: May 19, 1980, lifetime membership started in the American Angus Association; and January 14, 1981, birth of son Jesse and the start of the Stucky Angus family. The old fashioned values of a good work ethic, combined with the discipline to set and work towards goals, provide the foundation for the day to day operations.

The Stucky family. Pictured left to right: Elizabeth, Jacob, Jesse, Christine, Gordon and Jonas.

The Stucky family continues to be involved in the livestock industry, church, and local community. Gordon is a current director for the American Angus Association, and has served as director and president of the Kansas Angus Association. Gordon has also served as president of the local Extension Council, Farm Bureau director, and Kingman county chairman for the Kansas Livestock Association. The Stucky family are parishioners at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Kingman, with Gordon being past chairman of the St. Patrick's School council and Wichita Diocesan School council. Gordon also continues to be the chairman for the Kansas Angus sponsored commercial female sale at Pratt Livestock, Pratt, Kansas, where 1000 head annually are offered from the top customers of seedstock genetics in southern Kansas, that meet Certified Angus Beef visual specifications. Gordon has also been an active participant in the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF). Christine has been employed at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita as a registered nurse in the area of labor & delivery since 1988, and currently serves on the I.V. Start Team.

Gordon and Christine have four children. Jesse currently works at the ranch is owner of the Swinging Diamonds Hay Company. Jesse and Shannon's daughter Coye turned four in January. Jacob received his degree in mechanical engineering from Kansas State University. Jacob and his wife Jessica, children Gavin and Ethan live in Cheney, Ks. Elizabeth and daughter Audrianna live in Wisconsin. Jonas is a graduate of Motorcycle Mechanics Institute, Phoenix, Az.

While the Stucky's take pride in their successful production sales, the driving force to promote genetic improvement in our livestock, is the ability to help our customer's operations with economic benefits resulting from our genetics or services.

"Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might-Be active, be energetic and faithful, and you will accomplish your objective." , Ralph Waldo Emerson.