Boyd Angus Ranch is family owned and operated by Ellis and Rhonda Boyd, their son Mark, and daughter Raquel Schenk.
Boyd Angus began in 1958 with the purchase of Ellis Boyd’s first registered Angus heifer. The son of a ranch manager from New Mexico, Ellis always knew he wanted to ranch. He purchased his first ranch on credit near Wilsall Montana before he’d finished school at Montana State College (now MSU). Ellis began raising his own bulls early on when he realized he couldn’t afford to buy the same quality of bulls that he could raise. Fast forward to today, with over 50 years in the Angus business and with one of the oldest American Angus Association member codes around, Ellis understands what kind of cattle it takes to keep a cattle operation solvent.
His wife, Rhonda, originally hails from Fort Collins, Colorado; a farm girl who attended Colorado State University, earned a degree in Animal Science and competed on national champion collegiate judging teams. She met Ellis while working as a Loomix District Sales Manager in the ‘80’s, and they married in 1989. Her knowledge of nutrition and genetics have been of great value to Boyd Angus over the years. Her famous hospitality ensures everyone who stops by the ranch feels welcome and never leaves hungry!
Over the years, Ellis and Rhonda have moved around buying and in turn selling numerous ranches in Montana and even Wyoming as they sought opportunity to grow the operation before finally settling in the Ruby Valley. This has allowed them to become a part of several wonderful ranching communities in Montana and Wyoming, as well as gain familiarity with different types of cattle country and see how the their own herd performed in them. From mountain permits above Meeteetse Wyoming at an elevation of over 10,000 feet, to winters with 2+ feet of snow in the Shields Valley, to drought in the Boulder Valley, on to the Ruby Valley, some of those old cows saw a bit of everything.
The registered herd at Boyd Angus Ranch has been subject to intense selection pressure over the years, limiting its growth. That patience has paid off however, and we can stand by our integrity when we tell you Boyd cattle are bred to add payweight to your calf crop, maternal strength to your cow herd and dollars to your bottom line. Yet another saying of Ellis’s applies here, “If you take care of the quality, the quantity will take of itself”.
We greatly value and appreciate the customers have supported us and we’re always happy to hear of their herd improvement over time. Their success and profitability is integral to our business and we stand behind every bull we sell. Backing everything we do is our deep roots in the Angus business and a passion for raising cattle that we are proud of.
Above: Raquel showing her Heritage heifer.
Below: Ellis and Rhonda at the NILE with the Reserve Champion Overall Merit Heifer donated by Boyd Angus Ranch and shown by Ryan Green