Angus Proud: Brian Nusbaum
Angus cattle fit cattleman’s marketing goals and helped him set out on his own.
If there’s one thing Brian Nusbaum knows, it’s Angus cattle. Located in Wyoming, Nusbaum Ranch is an Angus cow-calf operation that produces Angus calves for varying purposes, selling both steers and heifers.
“We sell the steers to Northern Video, the largest group of them,” Nusbaum says. “The lighter steers will go down to Oklahoma to a sale barn there in late October or the first of November.”
Heifers are weaned and sent to a feedlot, he says.
“They will be backgrounded till January, and we will sell a load of them to Northern Video in the first part of January,” Nusbaum explains. “We’ll sort out the replacements, and they will stay there at the yard and are developed as replacement heifers. They will artificially inseminate (AI) them for me up there, and then we’ll move them to summer grass.”
Nusbaum manages his cattle on grass during the summer and on cornstalks in the winter. He says he leases land for his cattle to pasture on year-round. The cow herd usually calves in March and April, which works well for the operation.
“That time of year is usually when the cornstalks have run out for winter grazing, so I can just bring all the cows home here to the house to calve for a couple of months,” Nusbaum says. “Then in May I can move them all back out to pastures for summer grazing.”
He started his own herd in the late 1990s, but finding land to lease was difficult. With a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work, he overcame the challenge.
“I used to just be a ranch hand, and we got the opportunity to lease some land from my in-laws in 1999 to get started on our own,” Nusbaum says. “After a couple of years, we happened to luck out and find this place to lease. Then people started financing us to purchase it from them, and I had to work a lot of odd jobs to help support our income.”
While working various jobs, Nusbaum made connections that opened more doors to lease land. He says he is blessed to have the climate that he does for raising cattle.
“We get fairly mild winters, usually,” Nusbaum says. “I can usually get by feeding hay for about 75 days during calving time, when they come here to the house. I don’t have to feed too much during the year, since we have good-quality grass in this area of the country.”
Angus cattle have had a spot on Nusbaum Ranch since Day 1, and it all boils down to experience, he says.
“I have always liked black cattle, even when I was just a ranch hand working on various operations,” Nusbaum says. “I saw a lot of different breeds, and Angus seemed to be the most trouble-free compared to a lot of other breeds. Going out on my own like that, I needed every advantage I could get, and they brought the premium.”
According to Nusbaum, the breed has a bright outlook.
“I also felt like Angus breeders were progressive with the cattle they were raising and worked to promote the breed,” Nusbaum says.
Nusbaum is one of many ranchers across the nation who struggles with the uncertainties in raising beef cattle from time to time, but one thing is certain. He remains proud to be Angus.
Editor’s note: Photos courtesy Brian Nusbaum.
Angus Proud
In this Angus Proud series, Editorial Intern Jessica Wesson provides insights into how producers across the country use Angus genetics in their respective environments.
Angus Proud: Scott Sproul
Oklahoma operation learned wisdom of moving calving season to better suit their marketing needs.
Angus Proud: Bubba Crosby
Fall-calving Georgia herd uses quality and co-ops to market calves.
Angus Proud: Jim Moore
Arkansas operation retains ownership through feeding and values carcass data.
Angus Proud: Stephen Shiner
Idaho operation rotates pastures in summer and raises crops for winter.
Angus Proud: Brian Nusbaum
Angus cattle fit cattleman’s marketing goals and helped him set out on his own.
Angus Proud: Les Shaw
South Dakota operation manages winter with preparation and bull selection.
Angus Proud: Jeremy Stevens
Nebraska operation is self-sufficient for feedstuffs despite sandy soil.
Angus Proud: Dave Rutan
Angus breeder gets the most out of his bull investment by partnering with opposite calving-season operation.
Angus Proud: Nickey Smith
AngusLink helps Louisiana cattleman gain more for his calves.