HISTORY | MISSION STATEMENT | PERSONNEL | ABOUT THE PROGRAM | COWHERD

PERKS RANCH HISTORY

Perks Ranch was founded as a working horse and cattle ranch in 1961 by Cam Perks and his family thus the start of the well known CP brand. Over the years, the ranch has expanded to approximately 1,200 acres of fertile rolling grass pastures, cropland, and protected forests. Today after 50 years of continuous livestock operations the ranch is co-owned by the Doug Perks family who takes the lead with the purebred cattle business while his brother, Lachlan, takes the reins with a nationally recognized cutting horse program.

In 1978, we purchased our first foundation Hereford females in the famous Northern Pump Co. dispersion. From that point forward, the complexion of the cattle division at Perks Ranch has made rapid changes and improvements. Major female purchases from Imig Herefords and others, along with replacements pushed numbers well over 150 registered cows by the late 1980s. More recently a sizeable group of select Hereford heifers coming from Topp Herefords in North Dakota have been purchased.

In 1997, the nucleus of the Perks Ranch Red Angus program emerged through select purchases of females from Von Forell’s foundation cow herd. The strong maternal genetic base of these cows combined with the power of RBJR Advance A709 has proven to be a successful combination in the Red Angus industry and was followed with several years of success within the business. These years were highlighted by being named premier exhibitor at various shows as well as winning several grand and reserve grand champions.

With a serious analysis of the cattle industry and a continued commitment to raising the best beef possible, the ranch made a strategic decision to consolidate operations to one beef breed. Therefore, in June 2010 the ranch dispersed their Red Angus herd and now is focusing all their resources on producing top Hereford cattle.

After several years of hosting a spring bull sale, we switched over to selling bulls private treaty. This allows for more personal contact with the customer and a chance to help match a bull that best fits your program. More recently a majority of the bulls have been developed and marketed in a cooperative arrangement with a breeder in Oklahoma. Bulls sold off the ranch include ones exhibited at the National Western Pen Show and additional herd sire prospects.

Since the addition of the Red Angus, two production sales have been hosted each fall; one for Herefords and the other for Red Angus. Majorities of the sale offering are females; however, we have also marketed some of the top bulls produced in the herd. Currently we have postponed any production sales as we continue to build on the overall quality of the herd.

To promote our genetics, we exhibit at the National Western Stock Show, Fort Worth Stock Show and the Illinois State Fair. In years past the youth at Perks Ranch also exhibited at the state preview show and competed at the Hereford Junior National show every year.

Members of Perks Ranch are involved in many cattle and civic organizations.  Doug Perks served on the American Hereford Association board of directors and is active with the Hereford Youth Foundation of America board.  He also serves on the newly formed board for GiGi’s Play House- Rockford, which is a Down syndrome awareness center.  He and his wife Mary have four children Wade, Anna, TJ and Shannon.

Doug’s son, Wade, has an animal science degree from Oklahoma State University and a certificate in ranch management from Texas Christian University, is currently on the staff of The Cattleman magazine.  Wade has served on the National Junior Hereford Association board of directors and served as their president.  He is active with the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association and Texas Hereford Association.  In addition, Wade serves on the Auction and International Committees for the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. 

Craig Crutcher, who manages Perks Ranch, has an Associate in Applied Science degree in Ag Production and Management from Lakeland Community College and a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Illinois University in Animal Science.  Served on the American Junior Hereford Association board of directors and also served as their president.  He is currently serving as a director for the Illinois Hereford Association.  Locally, Craig helps with the local FFA chapters and 4-H clubs by offering animal husbandry and judging constests.  He and his wife Brenda are the proud parents of two boys Shawn and Trevor.

In 2009, Steve Koelm, a former rodeo and livestock hand, and a SIU Animal Science Graduate, joined Perks Ranch as their herdsman.

Our calving season is Feb. 1 through April 30.  The 90-day calving season matches with the market we are targeting for fall production sales and a yearling bull market.  Heifers and early calving cows are bred through artificial insemination; however, we pride ourselves in the fact that most of the AI sires are bulls that Perks Ranch owns.  Following a short AI season, a combination of ranch-raised and purchased bulls are turned out.  A majority of the purchased bulls being nationally recognized AI sires.  Each group of cows is specially selected and put together to best utilize the strengths of the herd sire.  We pride ourselves on holding our Herd sires to the highest standards here at Perks Ranch.

By keeping cows within a strict 90-day calving window, females that have a higher rate of fertility tend to stick within that parameter.  This increases the overall fertility of the cow herd.  In the fall cows are checked for pregnancy using an ultrasound machine.  Not only are open cows identified, but the next years calf crop is sexed.  Sexing each calf crop gives a glimpse into the future and gives an idea for marketing for the next year.  Emphasis is placed on the selection of AI and herd sires by finding bulls that have muscle and growth in a moderate package.  These sires are backed by strong mothers with sound udders and a productive history.

Complete performance information is collected through the birth, weaning, and yearling phases of production.  All yearlings are scanned for carcass data and bulls have a breeding soundness exam.  In addition, cows are scored for udder soundness and body condition is scored at weaning.  Herd sires have a breeding soundness evaluation 30 days prior to turnout.

Ultrasound data is one of the tools that is used to make genetic improvements within the herd. By consistently collecting data for more than 18 years, Perks Ranch has been able to measure progress and increase muscle put into the cowherd and offspring.  Utilizing scales to collect weaning and yearling weights has helped to mark progress made by annual calf crops and to help identify the parents of higher performing offspring. 

The Genetic and Economic Management (GEMS) computer program is utilized to measure herd performance, records, and analysis.  The GEMS program allows total breeding, health, embryo transfer, and marketing information and can interact with the American Hereford Association for registration and transfer.  GEMS gives us a centralized database allowing for us to measure and manage the productiveness of the cowherd.  Having complete data history on the cowherd allows for the consistently top producing cows to be identified and for non-producing females to be culled.