We are located in northeastern Wyoming near Spotted Horse on Highway 14-16 with our two sons, on a ranch previously operated by Neal’s parents. The Sorenson’s have been in Wyoming since 1882 where they first homesteaded on the Powder River. They have been ranching and farming for generations in an environment which can offer many challenges and hardships.
After graduating from the University of Wyoming we realized we would like to continue ranching. We both enjoy working with cattle and have the knowledge and the ambition to pursue the registered Angus business.
For those who have never ventured into our area of Wyoming, we are supposed to receive 12-14 inches of moisture for the entire year. Wyoming’s climate is considered semi-arid, meaning cold winters and dry, hot summers. We knew we were going to require cattle that can thrive in a tough environment, and therefore purchased our first registered Angus cows.
Our country can support a moderate-sized female (1100-1400 pounds), with depth of rib, and lots of natural muscling. If the cattle get too big they fall out of the program pretty readily. Conditions require a profitable cow. We do not have the resources, (corn stubble, beet-tops, irrigated cropland, or cool, well watered mountain pastures, etc.) to allow a cow who requires lots of feed and pampering to raise a calf. We want our females to calve unassisted, have good udders, breed back, raise a big calf, and maintain condition, along with having good feet and legs. We are big into fertility and primarily select bulls with positive Scrotal EPDs and above average carcass merits. Females, Females, Females! Without a good functional female most of what we strive for is lost. A first-rate bull calf is the by-product of a remarkable female.
BULLS BORN AND RAISED WHERE CORN DOESN’T GROW! Our cattle are grass oriented. We want performance, off grass in our cattle, since it is the one and only cheap resource around. Our calves are never fed creep feed and all harvested hay is dry land, (where we are at Mother Nature’s mercy). Our females are run in open country year-round. Through the winter we supplement with protein tubs and feed grass hay once calving begins. All mature cows are calved unassisted outside in February and first calf heifers are calved through a barn. It is vital our females are good mothers who will get a calf licked off, up and sucking in weather that is often times below zero with a wind chill.
We develop our heifer calves at home and they are fed grass-alfalfa hay along with an energy supplement. We breed the heifers to calve two weeks before the cows. Bull calves are also developed at home and receive a growing ration of grass hay, ground corn, and dried distiller’s grain. All cattle are on a mineral program year-round and we follow a rigid vaccination program along with BVD and DNA testing of all calves at branding time.
In the Angus business it is easy to get lost in the shear number of breeders. To set us apart we have just stayed with the tried and true. We concentrate on the fundamentals which allow the other traits to follow suit. A superior carcass can not happen unless that calf is born alive and can survive in its surroundings. We try not to get caught up in the fads and try to pursue a product that our customers can utilize and allow improvement within their herd. We do not feel one should give up on fertility and do-ability to achieve a superior carcass. We can provide excellent carcass traits without losing sight of the essentials.
Our production sale is the last Saturday in January. The sale is held at the ranch in a heated barn. We have marketed cattle all over Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota and Wisconsin. We enjoy how we make a living and look forward to the future.