About Bar 46 Ranch

The Land and the Longhorn

From a distance and as the shadows deepen, the oaks clustered across the rolling hills of Bar 46 Ranch paint an image as poetic as any Eyvind Earle landscape. Look closely, you may see a lone Texas Longhorn grazing on one of the gentle California slopes.

But look again. In total, 21 Longhorn cows and three bulls make the 120 acres of Bar 46 Ranch their home. And depending upon the time of year, there may be as many as 16 calves standing close to their mothers.

Ranch owner Kristiane McKee Maas has made Bar 46 her home since the 1990s and says it’s like living in the most idyllic vacationland:

“The 100s of ancient oaks–both Live Oak and Valley Oak–create groves,” she says, “and I can’t help imagining an early Franciscan monk enjoying the shade as he contemplated passages in his Bible or a surrey full of satin- and silk-skirted women stopping for a brief respite and picnic. The sheer beauty of the land stimulates the imagination.

“In truth, our reality is equally inspiring. We look out and watch the Longhorns meandering the trails. They love to roam. We’ll grab the binoculars and say, ‘Oh, there goes so-n-so.’ My Longhorns have a good life and return the favor many fold…to me and to the people who own our calves.”

Since 2004, Kris has aggressively built her her herd to the 21 producing cows and three bulls she has today. The herd is a mix of Foundation stock and great bloodlines, including Classic, Texas Ranger, Measles and Rural Delivery. And she continues to add fresh blood to the gene pool. Her youngest adults–Hazel and Texas–both introduce new genetics.

The Process for Getting a Calf from Bar 46 Ranch

If you are interested in obtaining one or more calves, contact Kris Maas at any time of year. She’ll be happy to talk and tell you about the offspring coming along or what she’s expecting. The calves are born at the end of the year and weaned at four to six months. She vaccinates and castrates in January…so if you want a bull you’ll need to get to Kris early. She invites interested buyers to come and see the calves prior to making a final selection.

Calves are not fully mature until about six years. But you can get a good idea of what the animal will be like from seeing the mother, father or even an aunt. Kris will work with you to ensure you get the right animals for your needs. And if you have an issue and need Kris to take an animal back, she will do that. “All I ask is that you explain why.”