Oak Creek Farms Total Herd Management Program
Producing Forage Efficient Cattle with Desirable Carcass Traits

    Oak Creek Farms in Chappell Hill, Texas has been a grass based operation breeding registered Brangus and Red Brangus since 1967, however the Kopycinski family has been in agriculture for more than 100 years in Austin and Washington counties in south central Texas. Oak Creek is in the business of producing forage efficient, easy fleshing registered Brangus cattle that have desirable carcass traits.

    John Kopycinski, owner, says that he produces medium framed, well balanced cattle that thrive on forages and are heat tolerant. In south central Texas cattle experience extreme heat and humidity, and Oak Creek s Brangus cattle must be able to thrive in these conditions. Cows must also have good udders and be fertile in order to stay in the herd. They must calf every year without calving problems and be able to raise the calf out in the pasture on forages without being supplemented. Our cattle are raised and developed on forages, says Kopycinski. As part of his total management program, he culls about twenty five percent of his herd each year so that he is constantly improving the genetics in his cattle.

    Selecting and identifying bulls with favorable carcass traits for tenderness and marbling, plus identifying feed efficiency traits are key components in our registered Brangus herd, says John and his wife, Carolyn. Oak Creek is home to approximately 700 head of registered Brangus, Red Brangus, Red Angus and Angus cattle. He has been DNA testing his bulls for the last six years using the results in management and breeding decisions.

    Our goal is to raise cattle that produce tender, juicy beef that people enjoy eating, says John Kopycinski. To market their bulls, Oak Creek Farms has their annual Forage Tested Registered Bull Sale each October that attracts buyers from Texas and across the nation. Each year our customers become more interested in our forage based program along with the DNA testing results. Buyers will be able to use the information to select bulls that will best fit their individual ranch program, explains Kopycinski. The bulls have also been ultra sounded and fertility tested. We want to give the buyer as much information as we can so that he can make an informed decision, and we also want to be sure that the bull is ready to go to work when he gets to his new home.

    All sale bulls are OCF bred and developed at Oak Creek Farms in the hot and humid gulf coast area. Over 200 bulls begin the forage test each year, and about 125 will make the sale, held toward the end of October.

    For more information about Oak Creek Farms and their total herd management program, please visit their web page at http://www.oakcreekfarms.com/ or contact John Kopycinski at (979) 836-6832.