Episode 28: The Next Steps in Herd Improvement with Hays Boyd 

-Full video episode available on YouTube-

What separates cattle that look good from cattle that actually hold up?

In this episode, Patrick Powers sits down with Hays Boyd of Backbone Ranch to walk through his recent trip across Australia, sharing photos, stories, and the cattle behind them.

From ranch to ranch across Victoria, New South Wales, and Western Australia, one thing kept showing up. Consistency. Cattle that looked alike, performed alike, and held together over time. Fertile, sound cows still raising calves well into years most herds have already culled them out.

But alongside that consistency, there was also variation. Even within the same breed, producers are selecting in different directions. Different environments, different expectations, and different ideas of what “good” looks like continue to shape the cattle.

Hays focused on programs that aligned with his values, but didn’t take anything at face value. Larger cattle, different types, and traits that could add value all came into view, but only if they could hold up under pressure without increasing inputs or sacrificing what already works.

That mindset shows up clearly when evaluating a standout bull from the trip. Not based on how he looked or how he was presented, but in questioning how he would perform if taken out of ideal conditions and made to work. It is a reminder that true evaluation happens under pressure, not in comfort.

From there, the conversation turns practical.

We discuss hard culling, tightening up the bottom end, and building herd consistency without losing the foundation that already works. The balance between older genetics and modern expectations is explored, along with the importance of knowing when to push forward and when to step back before progress turns into regression.

At its core, this episode comes back to consistency, what it takes to build it, and why most herds never quite get there.

Watch the full video episode on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/r9dJ9DOtysk

Connect with Hays Boyd and Backbone Ranch:
https://www.facebook.com/backbone.ranch.murray.greys

Check out Bos Sires:
https://www.bossires.com/

If this episode made you think differently about consistency, selection pressure, or what it really means to evaluate cattle, share it with someone who is open to questioning the status quo.

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