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Mike Collier and Collier Farms Beefmasters: From a Few Heifers to a Top Herd

Starting in 1987, a Brenham builder grew a few replacement females into an exporting Beefmaster seedstock operation.

Who Is Mike Collier?

Mike Collier owns Collier Farms Beefmasters in Brenham, Texas, with his wife, Rhonda. According to the Beef Improvement Federation tour summary, he is also owner and president of Collier Construction Inc., which means his cattle herd grew alongside a separate business career.

He was inducted into the Beefmaster Breeders United Hall of Fame in 2021. The association's induction post says that over three decades earlier he set out to raise high-quality Beefmaster cattle and that his herd grew from a few replacement females into one of the largest and most respected in the business.

Building the Herd Since 1987

Collier began breeding Beefmasters in 1987. By the time of the 2012 Beef Improvement Federation tour, the operation had grown into purebred cattle, a division called E-6 Beefmasters and an embryo division.

The herd was spread over several places: purebred Beefmasters in Washington, Austin and DeWitt counties, and an embryo division in Lee County, all in Texas.

How Large Is Collier Farms?

The tour summary reported more than 600 head of registered and recipient cattle, plus 250 head in the E-6 Division. Those numbers come from 2012 and the herd may have changed since. The summary also lists the operation as one with registered cattle, recipient cattle used in embryo work and a separate E-6 group, which shows the herd serves more than one kind of buyer.

Beefmasters are a three-way cross of Hereford, Shorthorn and Brahman, according to a Beefmaster Breeders United article on the breed. Collier's operation sits within that breed's seedstock sector, which sells bulls and females to commercial cattlemen.

Sales and Exports

Collier Farms holds biannual production sales and an annual performance bull sale in November. It consigns to major stock shows, including the San Antonio Livestock Exposition and the Houston Livestock Show, and to BBU's National E-6 sale.

The operation also ships purebred cattle, semen and embryos in volume to South and Central America, Mexico, Thailand and Africa. Embryos and semen travel more easily than live animals, which suits an export business. The tour summary does not give export volumes or dates, so those details are not stated here.

The Key to Collier's Success

The record shows a breeder who scaled up in steps and sold through several channels at once. The outside income from his construction company is part of the story, but the sources do not describe how the two businesses were financed.

The documented practices are concrete.

  • He started small, with a few replacement females in 1987, and grew the herd over three decades.
  • He split the program into purebred, E-6 and embryo divisions.
  • He sold through production sales, a performance bull sale and major stock shows.
  • He built export markets for cattle, semen and embryos in several regions.
  • He earned BBU Breeder of the Year in 2006 and the Environmental Award in 2011.
  • Limit: the sources do not describe his selection or culling practices, so those are not covered here.

Awards and the 2021 Hall of Fame Induction

Collier was named BBU Breeder of the Year in 2006 and received the Environmental Award in 2011. He joined the Hall of Fame at the association's 60th annual convention, held October 28 to 30, 2021, at the Omni Fort Worth Hotel in Fort Worth, in the same class as Fred and Judy Long of L2 Ranch in Beeville.

The hall's rules, listed on the Beefmaster hall of fame page, require members in good standing who supported BBU programs and were active in their local satellite, and the board must approve by a two-thirds vote.

Learn More

The tour summary places the main operation at Brenham, with purebred Beefmasters in Washington, Austin and DeWitt counties. To read more about beef breeds, browse the ranching section of farm.FM or see a farm.FM story on a Texas Beefmaster breeder.

This entry covers only Collier's public professional record. Herd numbers are from a 2012 report and are best confirmed with the ranch.

Timeline

  1. 1987Begins breeding Beefmaster cattle
  2. 2006Named BBU Breeder of the Year
  3. 2011Receives the BBU Environmental Award
  4. 2012Hosts a Beef Improvement Federation tour at Collier Farms
  5. 2021Inducted into the BBU Hall of Fame on October 28 to 30

Frequently asked questions

Who is Mike Collier?

Mike Collier owns Collier Farms Beefmasters in Brenham, Texas, a large seedstock herd he began building in 1987. He joined the Beefmaster Breeders United Hall of Fame in 2021.

How big is Collier Farms Beefmasters?

A 2012 Beef Improvement Federation summary reported more than 600 registered and recipient cattle plus 250 head in the E-6 Division, spread over several Texas counties.

Where does Collier Farms sell its cattle?

It holds biannual production sales and a November performance bull sale, consigns to major stock shows, and exports cattle, semen and embryos to Latin America, Thailand and Africa.

What awards has Mike Collier won?

He was named BBU Breeder of the Year in 2006, received the BBU Environmental Award in 2011 and was inducted into the Beefmaster Breeders United Hall of Fame in 2021.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

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