The Texas Heat Doesn't Bother Our Cattle—Here's Why

Fast Facts

  • Fewer flies on cattle since starting the Riomax program
  • Cattle stayed calm and kept grazing at 102-103°F instead of bunching up
  • About 10 tubs covered roughly 400 head of cows, calves, and yearlings
  • Cattle made better use of lower-quality hay with free-choice access to the tubs
  • Hardly any health problems across the herd
  • Weaning and shipping weights up significantly

Horse Creek Ranch sits up by Highway 83 in the Texas Panhandle, where Swasey Brainard's family has run cattle since 1882, mostly Hereford cows and bulls with a few crossbred cows that came from the rancher's dad. Cattle country doesn't leave much room for error. As he put it, "we're in the cattle business, and you can make all the right decisions and all it takes is one catastrophic event and there you are." The ranch has been on the Riomax program since 2024, running about 10 tubs across roughly 400 head of cows, calves, and yearlings.

The difference showed up in the heat. On a 102-103 degree afternoon, most cattle are laid down or standing around fighting flies, but his were still out grazing and chewing their cud, calm rather than stressed. He credits some of that to the garlic in the tub keeping flies off. The tubs also let cattle self-feed when the available hay wasn't the best quality, instead of hand-feeding 400 head every day. Health problems have been minimal, and weaning and shipping weights came in up significantly. His advice to anyone considering it: "My suggestion would be to try it, put your pencil to it, decide if that's what you wanna do."

"My suggestion would be to try it, put your pencil to it, decide if that's what you wanna do."

Open cows, pounds you don't wean, sickness, or forage that goes out the back end don't make you money, do they?

A healthy herd drives profits higher. And a profitable ranch can withstand volatile markets and unpredictable weather. Gain control of your future.

15-30% forage & hay savings with Riomax

Riomax® is revolutionizing the way ranchers deal with high input costs. With better digestion, your herd can get all the nutrients they need from less grass. This leaves you with more days on grass (you start feeding later in the fall), less stress, and a more padded pocketbook.

RANCHING AIN'T EASY.

FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO, YOU DESERVE
MORE IN RETURN.

15 - 30% FORAGE SAVINGS

3 - 10% INCREASE IN CONCEPTION RATES

10 - 40 LBS. INCREASE IN WEANING WEIGHTS

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we've positively impacted 12,000+ ranches across north america. We'd love to work with you too.

Lance Smith

"We've been able to save enough hay with Riomax and we're increasing our production with Rhyzogreen. Both of those products have made it possible for us to have the confidence in knowing we're gonna be just fine.

Dan Reinke
Sheridan, WY

Lance Smith

"I think it's a pretty cheap way to get way more out of your soil than what we do weithout. More out of what they eat, so they eat less, and Rhyzogreen gives them more grass."

Shane Keller
Valentine, NE

Lance Smith

"...It's a win-win. You're attacking it on both fronts and you're nailing it on both fronts, so it's kind of a no-brainer. Why wouldn't you do both (Riomax and Rhyzogreen) at the same time?"

Bradley Franke
Cross Plains, TX

Lance Smith

"I saw increased yields on every field I treated, every one...The worst yield increase was 17% up to 85%."

Todd Farrington

Collbran, CO

“The ground I sprayed versus the ground I didn’t was about 3 bales to the acre difference... $300/acre value. The product has more than paid for itself. This is something we’ll continue to do. It speaks for itself.”

“The ground I sprayed versus the ground I didn’t was about 3 bales to the acre difference... $300/acre value. The product has more than paid for itself. This is something we’ll continue to do. It speaks for itself.”

Jim Lambert

Whitney, NE

“Went from 40 acres/cow in this drought to 30 acres/ cow . . . that’s $70/ cow/year!“

“Went from 40 acres/cow in this drought to 30 acres/ cow . . . that’s $70/ cow/year!“

Raymond Rivale

Des Moines, NM

Lance Smith

"My disease in my calves has went down tremendously, and I attribute it to Riomax. That's the only thing I changed."

Leon Mcelprang

Huntington, UT

How do ya get it?

Reach out & let’s talk about your ranch

Help us understand the needs of your ranch & the challenges you face. Then we’ll crunch the numbers to see if Riomax is a fit for your ranch.

FIND THE RIGHT NUTRITION PROGRAM

Get a program that fits your needs and pays for itself. Shipped direct or through our dealer network.

ENJOY ONGOING SUPPORT

Our herd health guides and network of dealers are here to ensure Riomax® is paying for itself.

Reach out & let’s talk about your ranch

Help us understand the needs of your ranch & the challenges you face. Then we’ll crunch the numbers to see if Riomax is a fit for your ranch.

FIND THE RIGHT NUTRITION PROGRAM

Get a program that fits your needs and pays for itself. Shipped direct or through our dealer network.

ENJOY ONGOING SUPPORT

Our herd health guides and network of dealers are here to ensure Riomax® is paying for itself.

In this video, we'll cover...

9 Metrics Every Profitable Rancher Should Track!

Progressive, profitable ranchers don't become successful just by a little bit of luck. They treat their ranching operation as a business that's gotta make money. Download this PDF to discover 9 key metrics that many successful ranchers watch to keep them on the right track.

Download the PDF
9 Metrics Every Rancher Should Track Book Mockup

Are input costs eating your profits? Hold on to your fair share.

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