​Located 75 miles northwest of Dallas, the Backbone Ranch has been in the family for 50 years and 3 generations.  For decades we ran a conventional cow-calf operation, but we were never able to see “the fruits of our labor,” namely knowing that we could consistently provide superior beef to the consumer.



For 2 years, our son, Hays (then aged 10-11) researched ALL the beef breeds, evaluating fertility, temperament, calving ease, birth weights, mothering ability, daily gain to weaning and finishing, ability to finish well on grass, carcass yield, and tenderness and marbling of the beef.  It was his research that led us to invest in our purebred Murray Grey Cattle herd, with the intention of selling local, naturally-raised beef directly to you, the consumer.

Our cattle are ranch-raised, gently handled, and fed a natural, varied diet of nutrient dense native grass, Bermuda Grass, Winter Wheat, and Clover. 

 

In 2018, we made the decision to focus primarily on raising quality seedstock for other cattle producers, while still raising a handful of steers each year for friends and family. Even though we are no longer selling beef, we still believe that carcass quality is of utmost importance. Focusing on maternal strength, longevity, hardiness, and fleshing ability, our ultimate goal is to provide breeders with a profitable animal that has genetic potential to produce a quality carcass on grass alone.