Winter Cattle Journal 2025 | Axtell Cattle Company: Real World Cows 

Axtell Cattle Company was a young boy’s dream that began with a single registered Red Angus heifer in 1997. That dream wouldn’t be realized for at least another 10 years, but now it’s a full-time gig for Brian and Jamie Jo Axtell. 

It’s hard to believe cattle can not only survive but also thrive on what appears to be almost barren pastureland in Anton, Colorado. It’s called Short Grass Country for a reason, and it takes a special kind of animal to push through the rugged terrain and harsh environment, but the ones that do can quite literally live anywhere because of it. “This is a short-grass prairie environment, so we don’t really have any irrigated corn stalks or cover crops to fall back on, we fully rely on what nature provides for us,” Jamie Jo Axtell said. “Our stocking rate is incredibly important because of that fact and, more recently, we’ve seen a lot more drought years than wet ones.”  

The two-man crew that makes up Axtell Cattle Company includes Jamie Jo and her husband, Brian. He’s the one who knew he’d be a cattle rancher of his own accord someday. “I was infatuated with bull tests growing up, I’ve always liked that side of things more than the stock show stuff,” Brian said. “Both Jamie and I grew up with a ranching background, but it was always my goal to have registered cattle and sell bulls.” Today, Brian and Jamie are doing exactly that. When they first got married, raising cattle was secondary to their full-time jobs in town. Building the herd into the powerhouse that it is today was a slow and tedious process that took almost 15 years. Around 2008, Brian quit his job to focus on ranching full time. Even though Jamie kept her town job, she’s still Brian’s right hand at home. It’s a tough balancing act of working with the environment, changing cattle genetics and everything else life throws their way, but Brian and Jamie are making a strong bid to be an integral part of the Red Angus industry. 

Foundation Stock  

Even though the herd has changed in significant ways since the very first AX- brand was forged, Axtell cattle remain true to the foundation they were built on. In the beginning, Brian looked to respected Red Angus herds for highly maternal genetics that would fit his vision. Much of the base of the herd comes from Boot Jack, Beckton and Buffalo Creek. Other genetics like Ohlde Cattle Company, have more recently been added to the mix.  “We didn’t go out and buy cattle from any one operation to start ours, it was more about the focus of each herd that we were drawn to,” Jamie said. As the Axtell herd grew, Brian focused on which cow families worked for them and fit their goals. Cows and heifers keep the world on its axis for Brian and Jamie which is why they’ve had to cull hard over the years. It takes a lot of discipline to stick to their guns when a cow looks good on paper but, later, fails to perform. 

“We cull really hard on feet; that’s our number one thing,” Brian said. “We’re also really big on udder quality and disposition. Of course, we still need those cattle to produce but if they can’t do the first three right then they need to go to town.” If Brian and Jamie find themselves pulling a calf, that’s a one-way ticket to town as well. “We want to be as hands off as possible; we want our cattle to do things on their own as much as possible,” Brian said. “Last year we didn’t touch a single calf at birth. We don’t have the manpower to be helping pull a bunch of calves and neither do most of our customers.” Even though it’s a registered herd, they’re run a lot like their commercial counterparts. “These cows don’t get babied at all because they have to make it in this tough environment,” Jamie said. “We treat them like they’re real-world cows so when they go to work for someone else, they don’t have any problems with them.”  

 Even though a drought can’t last forever, it’s likely felt that way as Brian and Jamie have structured their herd to withstand the dry years. “We strive for a more moderate frame, probably smaller than most because of our environment,” Brian said. “We often look to pedigrees of tried-and-true cattle that fit our goals. We aren’t afraid to use old genetics that have withstood the test of time.” Axtell Cattle Company doesn’t chase trends or numbers; they’re simply sticking with what works best for their program. That, in turn, has created a herd that works well for their customers. “We aren’t looking for the perfect cow on paper; our cows need to be efficient and perform in our environment,” Jamie added.  

Feet First 

Something the Axtells will chase, however, is a single animal that fits right into their program. Brian combs through sale catalogs searching for animals that can only be described as a perfect fit. “A lot of times we have to rule out bulls that look great on paper but don’t meet all the criteria,” Jamie said. “We also really like to see the dam of any bull we’re trying to buy. It makes a difference to us where that bull came from and what she looks like.” Even at the larger sales, Brian will only look at two, maybe three bulls after he’s done all his homework on the lots. A quick glance at the feet will let Brian know if he needs to move on to the next prospect or not. Feet are the hard and fast rule that’s created everything Brian didn’t know he was striving for when he first decided to become a Red Angus man. 

Axtells have been selling registered bulls and heifers since the early 2000s and now have a customer base spanning multiple states.  “We’ve started to notice that we have a lot of repeat customers,” Brian said. “I think it’s because they know exactly what they’re going to get: moderate frame size, calving ease and sound structure.” Hosting their annual production sale in late March, a selection of yearling bulls and both commercial and registered heifers will find new homes. For several weeks after the sale, Brian spends a lot of time on the road delivering cattle. “He really likes getting to know our customers,” Jamie said. “Brian deliver cattle so he can understand our customer’s operation and get a better glimpse of it so he knows what animals will work for them and which one’s won’t.”  

Pull Quote:  

“”We’ve started to notice that we have a lot of repeat customers. I think it’s because they know exactly what they’re going to get: moderate frame size, calving ease and sound structure.” 

– Brian Axtell 

Both Brian and Jamie know cattle from a lifetime in the industry. They grew up in Northeastern Colorado in ranching families and both graduated with agricultural degrees. They complement each other well with their skills and interests which propels Axtell Cattle Company forward. “Brian knows our cattle by heart because he’s out with them every day. He also knows pedigrees,” Jamie said. “He can rattle off a cow family or a pedigree without skipping a beat.” While Brian takes the reins for the genetics of the herd, Jamie gets their name out to the public as she handles the marketing side of things. Even still, it takes both sets of eyes to find cattle that hit every mark on the list. “We play well on each other’s strengths,” Jamie said. “I bring in a fresh set of eyes after Brian’s spent days combing through a sale catalog.”  

When Short Grass Country does get adequate rain, the buffalo and blue gramma is powerful. And when it’s dry, the cattle somehow make the forage work them. Moderate, efficient cattle with a lot of depth are a direct result of real-world experience and passion for the industry from both Brian and Jamie Jo.  

For more information about Axtell Cattle Company, visit http://www.axtellcattlecompany.com.