Open Range Land
Sustainable Ranching

Livestock & Cattle

Cattle grazing on 687 acres of open range in Dell City, Texas. Rotational grazing practices maintain soil health while producing premium grass-fed beef integrated with our renewable water and land management systems.

Heat-Tolerant Genetics

Beefmaster and Brangus cattle selected specifically for West Texas conditions. These breeds thrive in arid environments with minimal supplemental feeding, converting native grasses into premium beef while maintaining body condition through summer heat exceeding 100 degrees.

Aerial View of Property

Rotational Grazing

687 acres divided into managed paddocks. Cattle rotate through sections allowing grass recovery and preventing overgrazing. This regenerative approach builds topsoil, sequesters carbon, and improves the land over time rather than depleting it. Water provided by solar-powered well pumps distributed to stock tanks across all paddocks.

Infrastructure
Revenue Model

Direct-to-Consumer Beef

Grass-fed, pasture-raised beef sold direct to consumers and local restaurants. Premium pricing for verified sustainable ranching practices. Additional revenue from breeding stock sales and cattle leasing arrangements.

Business Plan

7-Year Herd Growth Projection

By starting with 12 cows and adding 12 more each year, while retaining heifers to grow the herd, we can reach roughly 350 to 400 breeding cows by Year 7. In the current 2026 market, cow-calf margins are exceptionally strong, with projections estimated at $1,078 per cow.

Year 7 Financial Breakdown

By the seventh year, the operation will have scaled significantly due to both annual purchases and the natural growth from calves born each year.

  • Total Breeding Herd: ~375 cows (includes original 12, annual additions of 12, and retained female offspring)
  • Annual Calves Born: ~318 calves (based on a typical 85% weaning rate)
  • Year 7 Gross Profit: Approximately $404,250 (Estimated at $1,078 profit per breeding cow)
  • Steak & Ground Beef Revenue: If harvesting male calves (steers) for meat instead of selling as weaned calves, a single steer can generate roughly $4,000 in retail revenue. With roughly 150+ steers available to harvest in Year 7, gross revenue from meat alone could exceed $600,000 annually.

Key Production Stats for Growth

To achieve these numbers, we manage the biological timeline of our cattle:

  • Gestation & Breeding: Most heifers are ready to breed by 15 months, with a gestation period of over 9 months
  • Market Weights: Calves reach their finishing weight (for optimal steak quality) in 18 to 20 months
  • Current Prices: In Texas, 500-600 pound steers are currently selling for an average of $450 per hundredweight ($2,250 - $2,700 per head), significantly higher than 2025 levels

Operational Costs

Running a larger herd in a dry environment like Dell City requires careful cost management:

  • Annual Maintenance: Estimated cash costs per cow for 2026 are roughly $667, covering hay and pasture maintenance
  • Feed Costs: In a continuous dry-lot situation, hay costs alone can reach $905 per cow per year if feeding roughly 33 pounds of hay daily
  • Additional Expenses: Non-cash costs like equipment interest (~$80/cow/year), labor (~$150/cow/year), and facility depreciation (~$80/cow/year), totaling another $515 per cow annually