The NL ranch is located 30 miles southeast of Big Sandy on the Cow Island Trail. This ranch was added to the operation in 1969 and is home to over 400 cow/calf pairs during the spring, summer and fall. During the winter months, the ranch utilizes the NL to pasture and feed 1,000 mother cows. Two large center pivots and a wheel line provides the winter forage necessary to feed these animals from December until March, when they are separated into calving groups and trailed to the other ranches.
IX Ranch Co. also leases the Bear Paw Springs (BPS) ranch, 20 miles east of the NL. Each year around April 20th, the 4 main ranches truck those cows that have not calved to this lease. Approximately 220-240 cows calve out on this 10,000 acres and remain there until December. Steer and heifer calves are weaned and shipped from this location in mid-September.
Geography on this part of the ranch is termed as “breaks” country. There is plenty of Silver and big sage brush, clay soils and rugged terrain for cows and other wildlife to roam. An inch of rainfall received on this part of the ranch can fill reservoirs, create gully washers and tear out fence in a very short time. Cattle grazing on this part of the ranch tend to be heartier and in better body condition due to the high protein content in the grass. Species of grass include Wheatgrass, Blue Grama, Rough Fescue and Green Needle grass.
Shane Rigby and his wife Josie manage day to day operations at the NL and BPS lease.
