In today’s Beef Buzz, senior farm and ranch broadcaster Ron Hays speaks with Colby King, president of the Braunvieh Association of America, during Cattlemen’s Congress 2026 in Oklahoma City. The Braunviehs were among the first breeds to arrive at OKC State Fair Park for the show that runs thru January 24th.
King described his eastern Oklahoma operation near Webbers Falls, explaining that his family ranch focuses on selling bulls, replacement heifers, and direct-to-consumer beef. “Probably in the past six or seven years, we sell beef to restaurants, daycares—actually, a lot of daycares,” King said, noting that all steers are fed out on the ranch. He added that pandemic-era supply disruptions helped expand their customer base, and today, “they can get pretty high-end ranch-raised beef for the same price or cheaper than the grocery stores.”
Discussing his path into the Braunvieh breed, King said his interest grew after returning to eastern Oklahoma and researching registered cattle. “I started doing a lot of research and I happened upon an American Rancher with Braunvieh cattle in it,” he explained. What stood out, King said, were the breed’s dual-purpose strengths, including strong maternal traits and carcass quality. “They can really milk, high butterfat and on top of being good maternal cows, their carcass quality was good too,” he added, emphasizing the importance of sound feet and structure in eastern Oklahoma’s wet conditions.
A major focus of the association’s national meeting was the rollout of a new specified hybrid, designed to bring consistency to commercial markets. “In the commercial world, these guys that are wanting to sell pot loads of cattle, they need like-type,” King said. The new hybrid will target roughly 60 percent Braunvieh, be homozygous black and polled, and DNA verified. “We wanted to give some guardrails and something for people to aim at,” he explained, calling the Braunvieh–Angus cross a natural fit given the breed’s maternal base and structure.
King said the future looks bright for the breed, both in the show ring and commercially, as interest continues to grow. With more than 120 head exhibited, Braunvieh had a strong presence at Cattlemen’s Congress, a venue King believes makes sense long term. “Geographically, we’re right smack in the middle of everything,” he said, adding that Oklahoma City’s investment and accessibility were key reasons the association moved its national event from Fort Worth. “It seemed like the logical thing to do.”
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
