hbr program

History of the Ranch

Our family has been ranching in the same location near Collins, Mississippi since 1926.  The ranch began with 15 acres of land west of Collins and 10 head of cattle.  Today, Rogers Bar HR runs over 500 head of Charolais cows, and we sell over 250 bulls per year to commercial and purebred operations.  AICA awarded Rogers Bar HR top in registrations in Area 12 for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020!

Although we are known for our Charolais cattle, our family is also heavily involved in the commercial cattle industry.  We are one of the largest commercial operations in the Southeast.   Along with our Parker cousins, we run over 125,000 head of stocker cattle.  We graze cattle as far east as Florida, as far west as New Mexico, and as far north as the Flint Hills of Kansas.  Beef Magazine has recognized both Doug Rogers and his cousin Ted Parker as top stocker operations in the United States.    

The purebred operation known as Rogers Bar HR began in 1959, when the late Harlan Rogers started breeding Charolais cattle.  A couple of years later Harlan began performance testing the Charolais making the Rogers Bar HR herd one of the oldest performance tested herds in the nation. 

Throughout the years Harlan was recognized as one of the leading cattlemen in the nation.  His dedication to the breed did not go unnoticed.  During his lifetime he served on almost every committee and held every office with the American-International Charolais Association (AICA).  In 2009, Harlan and his wife Dorotheann received the ultimate honor when they were inducted into the AICA Hall of Fame.  They were also the recipients of the Beef Improvement Federation Pioneer Award and the AICA Seed Stock Producer of the Year Award.  Rogers Bar HR bulls continue to win weight gain tests around the country including the University of Florida Bull Test and the Hinds Community College Bull Test in Mississippi.  Although Harlan and Dorotheann have both passed away, their legacy and hard work lives on through the quality bloodlines they developed and preserved as the foundation for the Rogers ranch. 

Today, their son Doug Rogers operates Rogers Bar HR.  Doug is the third son of Harlan and Dorotheann.  He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York and the University of Southern Mississippi where he earned his MBA.  Doug was named one of the top stocker cattlemen in the United States by Beef Magazine in 2006.  Farm Bureau recognized Doug and his wife, Missy, as being among the top ranchers in Mississippi in 2003 and 2004. 

Breeding Program

Although the ranch has been established for many years, we are not clinging to the past.  We are constantly working to improve it.  We incorporate all modern technology such as Artificial Insemination (AI), Embryo Transplant (ET), DNA Testing, and Genomics Testing. 

We use AI to tie our information to other Charolais ranches’ information.  This helps us compare our herd to other herds.  We AI not only to highly accurate outside bulls, but also to our own bulls.  By doing this we stack our pedigrees with trait leaders.  This effort produces a calf that has very predictable performance.

We use our ET program to try to recreate great animals.  We do not play the “what-if game” with our program.  Breeding a great cow to a great bull does not guarantee a great calf, even though the mating looks good on paper.  Our method is to identify a great animal, find that animal’s dam and sire, and try to recreate that same great animal.  While this is not always perfect, we have found the results to be more predictable than hoping for a good outcome from a previously untested mating. 

Due to all these efforts our cattle have some of the highest EPDs in the nation.  We encourage potential buyers to request EPD information and compare our numbers with EPDs from other herds.  Total maternal is a value used to predict the weaning weight and performance of calves from an animal’s daughters using genetics for growth and maternal ability.  The majority of our herd consistently ranks in the top 10% of the breed for total maternal. 



Location

In addition to superior genetics, our cattle also have the advantage of being raised on quality land.  Rogers Bar HR is located about 90 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico in the rolling hills of the coastal plains.  Our area of south Mississippi gets approximately 65 inches of rainfall annually.  Most of the soil is well drained internally and externally.  The winters are mild, and we are able to grow excellent rye grass and clover.  Due to the good rainfall and cheap fertilizer in the form of chicken litter, we have a stocking rate of 1 head to 1 acre.  Our climate is hot and humid.  As a result, our cattle do well all across the Southeast.  In addition, our cattle adapt to all areas of United States and Canada.  You can ship cattle west and north and they will adapt, but it is very difficult to ship cattle south and east.  It is easier to adapt to the cold than it is to the heat and humidity. 


ANNUAL SALES

Each year we conduct two sales. The Spring Turn Out Bull Sale is held the last Saturday of February.  We sell approximately 60 Charolais bulls in this sale.  Our third sale is the Fall Turn Out Bull Sale, which takes place the third Saturday in October.  We sell approximately 100 bulls in this sale.  We invite you to arrive early and take a look at our outstanding animals.  Lunch is served around 11:00 am CST with the auction following at 12:30 pm CST.  About one month prior to each sale date the catalog for the upcoming sale will be available on our website and on our Facebook page.  You may also request to be added to our mailing list by calling us at 601-765-8848 or e-mailing us at [email protected].



STOP BY AND SEE US

At Rogers Bar HR we are proud of our cattle and our community.  We hope you will visit us soon.  We are located two miles west of the intersection of US Highways 84 and 49 near Collins.  We are sixty miles south of Jackson, twenty miles north of Hattiesburg, and one hundred twenty miles northeast of New Orleans.  Give us a call a day or two prior to your visit.  We would love to show you around!