The Measure of a Man

by Taylor Shackelford

Not every commercial cattle operation is just cow-calf. Stevie Ray Hansen and his ranch, Hansen Land and Cattle Company (HLC), is a book you can’t judge by its cover. In addition to his commercial Brangus operation, he just signed on a property to house foster kids as they age out of the program called the Lazy H.

“Everything I have, I owe to God,” said Hansen. “I’m a very blessed man.”

The Lazy H is a place where kids can hold over and figure out life. These people are raised in the government system and then thrust out into the real world with no means to go to college or opportunity to learn tactical skill. Hansen wants these kids to have a place to unplug and decide what they want to be. Hansen said, “We will make that happen.”

Though slightly different, Hansen can relate to their stories. Born in a small Kentucky town, population less than 100, Stevie Ray Hansen has always been involved in agriculture. However, when his parents decided to move him and his siblings to the big city in California, he did not approve. With hard times falling on familial relationships and his uncle’s hand-me-down Nova, Hansen hit the road at 14 years old. He remembered a place from the road trip to the west coast and he couldn’t wait to get back.

Without even a high school diploma, Hansen landed in Plano, Texas, where he knew there was a weekly rodeo not far away in Mesquite, Texas. For a while, he played roughstock rider. Until eventually he caught the eye of an ex-wife to the mob. There’s more to that story, but you’ll just have to read his memoir. The important take-away is that her neighbor was an oil tycoon who taught Hansen how to play a new game.

With enough capital to invest in property, Hansen began putting together a herd as HLC. Soon, he was experimenting with different breeds of cattle. He tried all the popular breeds and even dipped into Texas Longhorns and Corrientes. Hansen’s cattle buyer, —, suggested Super Baldies after they made the decision to transition from Santa Gertrudis.

“We’ve tried them all,” Hansen said. “I’m not just saying that because you’re from the association. Brangus cattle are survivors. They thrive out here.”

HLC is comprised of seven ranches. Most of the ranches are in southwest Texas, cows are calved out in the knee-high, green grasses of Buffalo, Texas. As for the rest of their time at HLC, the cattle are running in the Texas Hill Country – rocks, steep slopes, and cactus.

“When we were burning off prickly pear last year, you should have seen those cattle take right to the cactus,” said Hansen.

Super Baldies are one of the hot commercial crosses in the current cattle market. For years, Herefords have been experts at moderation in frame size and milk production. When coupled with the growth and fleshing ability of Brangus, you get a high-conversion genetics to increase your paycheck. In arid climates where cattle need to be able to sustain themselves on low energy and maintain condition on spread out water sources, these Brangus x Herefords are the way to go.

The cross breeding is a great example of what 3/8 cattle can bring to your operation. By now, you’ve heard of hybrid vigor and the offspring’s ability to outperform its parents due to positive opposition of genomes. These brockle-faced females have the moderation of their English parentage and the bone structure and soundness of the Brangus. Noticing Hansen’s cattle were clean-naveled and gentle in disposition, I inquired about his selection strategy.

“We’re picky when we source cattle. We won’t take them with a lot of extra leather,” Hansen said. “We bring them in and keep them close for 45 days. The ones that never warm up to humans and horses get shipped. We just don’t have time for poor attitudes.”

The philosophy goes hand-in-hand with the work Hansen is doing with youth in Texas. The statistics speak for themselves, but obviously there is a huge problem with the government system for orphaned children. There are so many children abused in the foster care system but it’s not a priority to the government. Hansen said, “[the government] turns a blind eye because they found the child a home and food and that’s their only job.” The attitudes of someone raised in that environment are no fault of their own. So, Hansen plans to give them an opportunity to adjust.

It’s his futuristic thought process that ensures the success of the cattle operation, too. Hansen embraces technology and has even built several websites. For this reason, he is transitioning his herd from strictly commercial to a combination including a registered herd. Hansen recognizes the importance of data collection and good record keeping and plans to track the registered herd from start to finish. His ultimate goal is to build a cow base that is 2,000 head strong.

In this ambition, the heifers that make it through the 45-day screening into a member of the herd have to produce – it’s their job. Hansen runs purebred Brangus bulls. Doguet genetics are on the topside of all first-generation HLC cattle. The black hide helps them across the auction block. Additionally, Hansen has a deal with the Jordan Livestock Auction in Mason, Texas and garnishes a premium for his consistency. When his purebred herd gets off the ground, there will be a special sale.

If you’re looking for a way to brand your own cattle as they head to auction, you can buy into the same strategy of HLC. The International Brangus Breeders Association offers eartags with the words “Brangus Built” inscribed. Hansen uses these to set his cattle apart and gets his tags custom-ordered with the ranch foreman’s cellphone number. The goal of the program is to tag all females with at least one registered Brangus parent and amp up the breed’s visibility. The value of Brangus speaks for itself, but not all commercial cattle look alike. Buy Brangus Built tags and let people know that they’re buying consistent value.

Stevie Ray Hansen and his wife, Laura, live on the headquarters now, but they spent a recent seven years in a two-room bunkhouse. Stevie Ray recalls stacking roundbales on the side of the house to keep some of the bitter northerns out. He said, “we had some really good years in that house.”

Not many cattle raisers can say that they have started a herd from the ground up, been all around the world, started a non-profit, and wrote it all down to be published in their very own book. Stevie Ray Hansen isn’t like many cattle raisers. As we stood in the bank with several friends of the Hansens, we joked that Stevie Ray wasn’t different. He is interesting.

For more information on HLC’s endeavors with The 127, visit their website.