Howdy! So glad you stopped in! We’re the Hickle family – first generation producers of Red Angus genetics for purebred operations and commercial cattlemen alike. We also custom farm, produce & sell retail hay, & bring a bit of ranch life to you through our online Ranch Goods store. In December 2021, a lifetime dream was realized as we began building a commercial cowherd in Hall, Montana.
As each new year begins, beautiful red calves are born and begin to the fill the pastures at our home place. Spring is breeding season, and those little calves grow as quickly as the green grass here in Western Washington. Through the late spring and summer months, you can hear the tractors running as we produce hay for our herd and other local farms. In the fall, calves are weaned and shipped. Mamas settle into their pastures across the Enumclaw plateau until calving season, and we regroup. Winter is a time for planning and preparing for the new year that is just around the corner, and you’ll find the shop lights on late into the night as the equipment gets ready for another season. On the Montana ranch, the seasons have their similarities and differences, and what a blessing for us to experience this way of life in both locations.
Whether you’re here to learn about our cattle or hay operation, want to get a taste of ranch life, follow along on the blog, or you’re shopping the Ranch Goods store, we’re thankful you took the time to visit. Each and every day, we’re grateful for the blessing of living the ranch life, and equally grateful for all of you who support agriculture and help to make this first-generation dream a reality. Happy Trails!
Our History
Every farm & ranch tells a story. This is ours.
Hitched
1997
Two young dreamers in cowboy boots say, “I Do”
Cattle
2002
Purchase of first commercial cows
Branded
2005
The Rocking Bar H brand is drawn up late one night at the kitchen table
Red Angus
2005
Registered Red Angus cow herd established
Sold
2007
First Rocking Bar H bulls sell at Feddes/C-T Red Angus Bull Sale in Manhattan, Montana
Hay Season
2013
Custom hay operation begins
Diversified
2019
Expansion of hay sales and custom farming; Ranch Goods online store opens to the public
Expansion
2021
Commercial cattle herd established in Hall, Montana
Our Story
In 2005, our young family of four dove head-first into the purchase of an old dairy farm and a small herd of registered Red Angus cattle. The following year, one more baby boy came along and the cow herd began to grow. Time passed quickly as the dream to become a ranching family continued to turn to reality. Along the way, setbacks can sometimes feel bigger than gains, but we learned that the old saying really is true: “When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” {Remember to tie that knot tight, friends…it’s worth it!} Fast forward 19 years – the now converted dairy barns and green pastures continue to serve as the home of Rocking Bar H Ranch. It is here, along with a number of beautiful leased pastures across the Enumclaw plateau, we continue to raise Red Angus and quality grass hay for ourselves and our customers. We also haul & sell retail hay produced in Eastern Washington, and operate an online Ranch Goods store, allowing us to share a piece of ranch life with folks across the world. In 2021, the Big Sky Country of Montana became home to our first commercial cow-calf herd, and we now divide time between both locations. The short history of Rocking Bar H is a full one, and we look forward to what God has in store for our operation in the future. Ranch life is the best life!
Since our Beginning
1097
inches of rain
thru September 2024
1207
calves born
thru September 2024
365
great days
year after year
Red Angus
“Red Angus are Angus; yet the Red Angus breeders’ history of leadership and innovation have made a profound difference in the red strain. Red Angus breeders have maintained a commercial focus, allowing them to avoid the short-term fads that have negatively affected so many other breeds. The Red Angus gene pool offers a consistent source of traditional Angus traits, including carcass quality, maternal characteristics, calving ease, and moderate size. In addition, Red Angus offer uniformity, good disposition, and outstanding feeding characteristics.”
-Red Angus Association of America
Our decision to choose Red Angus cattle back in 2005 proved to be the right one for our ranch. Red Angus are leading performers in the industry and were the first breed to require performance records of entire calf crops. The Red Angus Association of America provides the best program out there to commercial producers for marketing cattle, which adds value for purebred breeders as well. We’re thankful to be part of such a solid program. In addition to all the financial and practical traits that make good sense, we don’t think you’ll find a nicer set of cattle in a pasture anywhere than beautiful Red Angus. As of September 2023, Keith is proud to represent the RAAA as Region A Director.
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Hay & Custom Farming
In 2007, Rocking Bar H began producing hay for our own livestock to ensure the quality we wanted and to help keep input costs as low as possible. Some will remember our boys – barely tall enough to see over the steering wheel – mowing, raking, baling, and driving hay truck back in the early days; a favorite memory for all of us. In the following years, we began to sell limited quantities of locally-produced hay, and by 2013 expanded our equipment operation to include custom work for local farmers. Each year, hay production and sales increased with demand, and in 2019 we expanded our hay operation to include hauling & selling hay from Eastern Washington. We’ve enjoyed seeing this side of our operation grow under the leadership of our son Clay, who opened Hickle Transport in 2021. For more information about hay sales or custom farming, please contact Clay or Keith.
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The Family
Home is where your story begins...
Keith
Brook
Clay
Cole
