Angus Producer Lucks Out on a Ranch Equipment Opportunity

KANSAS CITY, MO- Like most cattle producers, Clay Hartley wouldn't consider himself lucky, rather he'd describe himself as fortunate. He has a loving family, a viable Angus operation in Oklahoma and the ability to spend his days working alongside his father doing what he loves most – working cattle.

So imagine his surprise when Lady Luck happened upon his path. That was the day Hartley received a call from Gallagher stating his name was drawn as the winner of $4,000 worth of livestock scales and equipment as part of the company's 2013 PGG Wrightson World Angus Forum promotion.

"I was shocked when I got the call," says Hartley. "This is by far the largest prize I have ever received. It is a really nice award that Gallagher is giving away, and even better, it is something that we can put to good use on our ranch immediately."

And Hartley isn't kidding about the timing. He's already planning how he intends to use the prize earnings. A Gallagher SmartScale weighing system is one of the first things on Hartley's list. "We're always weighing cattle," Hartley says. "The decisions we make for breeding, selecting and marketing in both our registered and commercial Angus herds all involve the weight of the animal – whether we're looking at weaning weight, measuring feed conversion or which animals we want to take to sale."

"It's very important for producers to have accurate weights on their animals," he explains. "This is especially true during processing routines or determining the correct dosage of medication or supplements to administer. You're only as good as the data you enter and keep."

Hartley also has plans for additional Electra-Lock woven fencing. Hartley explains he uses the fence system for a variety of purposes on the ranch. Because of the system's versatility and ease-of-use, Hartley can quickly set up or take down fencing as needed and with little headache or backache.

"We use Electra-Lock to move cattle, set up temporary grazing pastures and contain our cattle where we need them. The fencing system is so user-friendly that we can fence off an area in one day and use the space right away," he says. "And when we're ready to section off another area on the ranch, we can roll it right back up and reuse it."

Hartley says Electra-Lock's quality and durability is the number one reason he relies on the fencing system. "When you're running cattle on 20,000 acres, you don't have time to be constantly checking and fixing fence, you need a product you can rely on – to withstand the elements, the animals and other situations you just can't predict."

The Electra-Lock system solves any fence problem you can think of, says Hartley. "Every little detail has been thought of in the development of the product."

Lastly, Hartley will add a few Power Fence Energizers to his list to round out his purchases. "We've used Gallagher energizers for years," he says. "Because of the quality, durability and dependability of all Gallagher products, we've exclusively purchased their equipment for the past three years and intend to continue to do so."

Hartley will have the opportunity to thank company representatives in person when he joins fellow producers at the World Angus Forum in New Zealand in October. Until then, he offers the following sentiments of gratitude: "I truly want to thank Gallagher for the opportunity to incorporate new technological equipment in my operation. I am pleased with the gift and to be selected as the recipient. I guess you can say that I'm fairly lucky."