Renowned Reputation: Ken Haas Angus boasts reputation for developing total-package bulls 

Ken Haas grew up in the Angus business. 

His grandfather brought the first registered Angus into Wyoming, and as one of seven children growing up on the family cattle ranch in Veteran, he knows the meaning of hard work and dedication to livestock.

After graduating high school, Ken spent some time traveling the country and clipping cattle. From his time in show barns and prepping cattle for sales, he made connections and built a network which has helped him get to where he is today. 

His name is widely recognized in the big show rings across the country.

With over 50 years in the registered business and 45 years of selling bulls, Ken has established a reputation for developing quality bulls that are the “right combination” of high maternal traits, carcass quality and growth. 

Bulls are sold either private treaty or through their annual production sale, which is held on the third Tuesday in January every year.

Family affair

Today, Ken’s wife Heather and daughter Kendall have stepped into a more active role at the ranch, while Ken continues to give them guidance and direction. 

Kendall graduated from Oklahoma State University in May and returned home to be at the ranch full time. 

“I’m home for good now, and my dad is taking more of a – not really a backseat role – but more of a managerial role,” explains Kendall. “But, he is the main driving force behind our operation.”

Being a seedstock operation, the Haas family’s year-to-year schedule may look a little different than their commercial neighbors. With both a spring and a fall calving program, there are always calves to tag and data to record. 

Ken’s son Kirk helps out with the constant rotation of heat syncing and artificial insemination (AI) marking the calendars. The second oldest, Kevin, is an ADM Animal Nutrition specialist and is an integral part of the program with his expertise in nutrition and feeding cattle. 

Unique challenges

The operation is unique in the fact they consider themselves to be pretty confined compared to many other producers. 

“We don’t have the acres some people have, so we have to develop our weaned calves in feedlots. The yearling bulls are sold in January, and we winter them until March before they go out to work for our customers. Our yearling heifers are turned out on grass after we AI them,” says Kendall. “It’s sometimes hard to rotate our cattle through our pastures, and we have to be very organized for timely rotations and pasture management.”

Open door policy 

The family knows sales aren’t necessarily made on sale day, so they welcome buyers to stop by any time to check out the bulls at the ranch, which is located one mile west of LaGrange on Highway 151.

“We know our customers don’t just want to see the bulls when everything’s clipped and all prettied up or when we have them on a show halter, they want to see them in their natural state. They want to be able to see how you’re taking care of the animals year-round, not just the month or the week before the sale,” says Heather. 

Heather and Kendall are excited to continue to build on the high standards Ken Haas Angus has established over the last four decades. 

The reputation for consistently high-quality bulls has expanded across the country. 

In spite of all of the dedication and success within the cattle industry, when asked what the legacy of Ken Haas Angus is, Heather notes it is ultimately their three children – Kevin, Kirk and Kendall. 

For more information on Ken Haas Angus, visit kenhaasangus.com.

Tressa Lawrence is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.