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Ag Research

Our Facility

The Department of Animal Sciences' South Range Cow Research Center is used for cattle nutrition and reproduction research studies. It is also used in cooperative studies with researchers in Veterinary Medicine and Entomology. Most of the acreage surrounds the west half of Lake Carl Blackwell, west of Stillwater, Oklahoma.


Our Purpose

The Range Cow Research Center is focused on providing applied research answers, timely extension educational programs and hands-on cow/calf management experiences for graduate and undergraduate students. Estimated service of the facility is 85% research and 15% extension.

The research program includes component projects as well as systems studies investigating beef cow nutrition, reproduction, genetics, carcass quality and associated interactions. Research capabilities include replicated pasture experiments, replicated pen studies including water intake, individual feed intake and feed efficiency measurement, individual beef cow supplementation and greenhouse gas measurement for individual animals.

South Cow Research Range

Our Land

The South Cow Research Range consists of approximately 1,800 acres of native range (15% wooded) and 85 acres of bermudagrass. This unit is equipped with one individual feeding barn with 32 stanchions, a processing/equipment storage building that also serves as the office, and two animal handling facilities.


Pastures are in four main tracts: 640 acres, About 600 acres north of the lake, 380 acres in a single pasture and additional land with the “headquarters” area.

Our Herd

This unit supports approximately 175 commercial, spring-calving beef cows and 40 replacement heifers. All calves are weaned at the unit and preconditioned/grazed for 45 to 60 days. After weaning and preconditioning, steers are either shipped directly to a feed yard for finishing or grazed from December through April on leased wheat pasture prior to entering the feed yard.


Cattle inventories of research leaders are combined and selected for projects according to most appropriate breed, age, weight, condition, etc.

Herd Manager

Have questions? Contact the herd manager for the South Cow Research Range.


Herd Manager: Mike Major