The Broken Pick operation consists of two ranches. The headquarters ranch, consisting of approximately 7,000 acres and bounded on the west by more than three miles of Birch Creek, is located 14 miles west of Valier, Montana, at the intersection of US Highway 89 and MT Highway 44. The Gypsy Basin Ranch, consisting of approximately 9,000 acres, is located 10 miles southwest of the main headquarters, approximately three miles southwest of Dupuyer, Montana.

The facilities at Broken Pick are relatively new and state-of-the-art. The branding/working barn and associated pens are designed to process and work large numbers of animals quickly and safely—both for animals and humans. We strive to actively interact with the cattle to calm them to human presence, yet handle them minimally to reduce stress and the chance of injury.

The calving barn is new and centrally located. Its design and operation permit us to tag, weigh and administer calving protocols quickly, efficiently, safely and accurately.

The Vet/ET barn is new and state-of-the-art. Its design and operation permit us to implant embroyos, flush donor cows and artificially inseminate (AI) cows cleanly, quickly, efficiently, safely and accurately.

The facilities at Gypsy Basin, while recently refurbished, are modest. Substantial investment has been made to improve the cattle handling facilities, build new fences, and improve the ranch’s water resources.

The Broken Pick operation also includes approximately 450 acres of alfalfa and sainfoin under pivot irrigation. We usually are able to achieve two cuttings of hay and produce excellent winter pasture. Hay produced from irrigated fields plus approximately 500 acres of dryland fields usually totals 3,000 tons annually of high grade alfalfa and alfalfa/grass, more than adequate winter feed for both ranches.  Depending on the year, we sell between 300-5-- tons of hay annually.

All facilities have one purpose: to assist in the production of superior cattle.



Cattle Herds

The ranches are located in the hard grass country of the Montana Front Range. We currently run 150 registered Angus cows and 100 registered Hereford cows at the main ranch. Our plan is to increase those numbers to 200 cows of each breed. Gypsy Basin’s black baldy commercial operation presently consists of approximately 700 cows.

Our registered herds are run under the same conditions as the commercial herd. We believe it important that all cattle face the same challenges any commercial herd faces. The majority of our bulls sell to commercial operations and we want to be sure our cattle work in almost any environment.

The registered herds remain at Broken Pick, and the majority of the commercial herd remains year-round at Gypsy Basin. First calf heifers usually are calved at Broken Pick to permit us to keep a closer eye on them. We usually sell our commercial calves at weaning. Depending on market conditions, we will occasionally retain ownership through the feed yard.

Using nationally known artificial insemination (AI) sires and our herd sires, we strive for a compact, 45-day (March 1-April 15) calving season with our registered herds. Natural clean-up may push a few calves out a little later.

We calve our commercial herd beginning March 15 and also target a 45-day calving season. This operating plan gives us the greatest flexibility, matches our resources to our operation and permits our operating personnel not to be unduly stretched. We maintain rigid culling standards and actively cull all herds.

Our registered calves are weaned, depending on circumstances, between September 15 and September 30. Commercial calves are usually weaned and sold off the cow between October 1 and November 1. Registered bull calves go to a high roughage diet modestly supplemented by Bull Challenger. All registered calves are maintained at the Broken Pick Ranch, and can be viewed at any time.