Sinclair Cattle Company: CARRYING ON THE N BAR GENETIC LEGACY By Ruth Wiechmann – This article was originally published in the January, 2025 edition of the Winter Cattle Journal of Tri-State Livestock News. The Sinclair Cattle Company of Buffalo, Wyoming, is well known for problem-free, functional, fertile, moderate framed Angus cattle. It all started in the 1980s at the N Bar, where Frank and Tom Elliot concentrated the bloodlines of Emulation 31. A son, N Bar Emulation EXT, was a “curve bender” in the Angus breed, pushing maternal and carcass performance to new levels. Sinclair Cattle Company, under owner J. Duncan Smith, acquired a significant portion of the N Bar cow herd 25 years ago. EXT genetics continue to run strong in Sinclair cattle. Nearly 40 years after he was born, EXT’s traits continue to influence industry standards.
LOGAN BAKER Logan Baker has worked full time for Sinclair Cattle Company since 2010, overseeing western operations including day to day cow herd management, and offering input on bull development and sales, breeding decisions and selecting embryo transfer candidates. “I’m the cow guy,” Baker said. “My wife Jolene and I are in charge of all the registrations and record keeping on all cattle, here in Wyoming and back east.” Although management and circumstances have changed since the 80s on the N Bar, good cows are still the heart of the program. “The cows have remained the main focus,” he said. Baker keeps the cows grazing as much as possible, and tries to feed as little hay as possible. “We try to use common sense,” he said. “We want to push the cattle but not be detrimental to them, and always keep in mind the health of the land.” Cows start calving the first part of March, and calve outside as much as possible within the limits of the weather.
“We do use some infrastructure at times depending on the weather, but mothering ability, doability and calf survivability are important to us,” Baker said. “After calving, we employ traditional methods in a rope and drag branding. My five kids like to help as much as they can.” Cows are synchronized and AI’d, with clean up bulls turned out after breeding. Calves are weaned the end of September; bulls go to Phil Veltkamp in Manhattan, Montana. Yearling bulls are sold at Buffalo Livestock the third weekend in March. “Phil is a master at developing bulls to let them express their genetic potential and still hold up and breed when they get turned out. They make good bulls for our customers. Bulls we decide aren’t good enough are fed out at Chappell Feedlot in Nebraska. We only sell the top end of the bulls. We’re always culling on them.” Sinclair Cattle Company retains ownership on these steers and the carcass data coming back from them is positive.
3.28.26 annual production sale
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