Cattle Operations

Matador Ranch, which applies Koch Industries’ Market-Based Management® business philosophy, is managed to meet consumer expectations for beef that is tasty and tender.

The ranch uses a Hereford-Angus rotational breeding system, which has evolved from the straight Hereford program used when Fred C. Koch acquired the ranch. Mr. Koch was an entrepreneur who encouraged his employees to follow suit. Matador was an early adopter of artificial insemination to improve cow herd genetics. This technology remains in use today with a portion of the ranch’s heifers bred artificially each year.

In the mid-1980s, Matador Ranch began crossbreeding Angus and Hereford genetics. Today’s bulls are purchased from select suppliers from Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. The ranch has improved the overall performance of its calves both from feeding and carcass traits while maintaining the reproductive performance of its cow herd.

The ranch also runs stocker cattle, which are purchased and wintered on native grasses then transitioned to introduced-grass pastures within an intensive grazing system. At various times, the company will retain ownership of its calf crop or stocker cattle. These cattle are fed in northern feedlots and marketed on various different market grids.

Occasionally the ranch offers bred females. These cattle, with the Matador genetics, make a good replacement cow for almost any cow herd.

Learn more about Matador Ranch’s horse operations.