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Feeders, Packers and Industry Leaders

Steve Gabel: How a Worn-Out 3,500-Head Yard Became Magnum Feedyard

A former CattleFax analyst, Gabel turned a tired Weld County yard into a National BQA Feedyard of the Year with an eye on people, data and water.

Who is Steve Gabel?

Steve Gabel is a Colorado cattle feeder who founded Magnum Feedyard near Wiggins and was inducted into the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame in 2021. The hall's biography of Gabel says his foresight, adaptation to production technology and dedication to people explain the yard's growth.

He was born and raised in Weld County, graduated from Fort Lupton High School in 1975 and earned a Bachelor of Science in animal science at Colorado State University.

From CattleFax analyst to feedyard owner

Before he owned a yard, Gabel worked for nearly four years at Cattle-Fax, first on the cow-calf side and then serving feedyards, which is where his interest in marketing fed cattle took hold, according to Drovers' profile of Magnum. He then handled risk management and fed-cattle sales for a management investment company with cattle on feed in 23 states and worked for two feeding companies on Colorado's Front Range.

How Magnum Feedyard started in 1993

In 1993 Gabel and his wife, Audrey, acquired a worn-out yard at Wiggins, which became Magnum. The hall describes it as a 3,500-head yard, while Drovers puts the starting capacity near 3,000 head, so sources differ slightly. Drovers says the facility needed major cleanup and overhaul, and it began operating on July 1, 1993, with a partner.

At first Magnum was a commercial feeder, with other owners holding the cattle. Today it owns roughly 80 to 85 percent of the cattle it feeds. The first expansion came around year five, and the biggest growth took place between 1999 and 2019, taking the yard to a 35,000-head capacity.

Technology, animal health and sustainability at Magnum

Magnum uses RFID tags for branded program cattle and for carcass data collection, and it has tested the Whisper stethoscope from Merck for detecting lung conditions. It is licensed with Progressive Beef and adopted implants, ionophores and beta-agonists to improve efficiency.

The hall says improvements focus on employee safety, sustainability and animal welfare, and Magnum was named the National BQA Feedyard of the Year in 2017. The yard also bought surrounding farm and pastureland to grow crops for its cattle and to secure water rights for future expansion.

The Key to Gabel's Success

Gabel's story is one of buying a problem and fixing it with patience. The yard he bought was worn out, and he improved it in stages over decades rather than at once.

His own advice in the Drovers profile is persistence and building a strong professional network. He says he still feeds cattle for people he met about forty years ago.

  • Buy a tired yard cheap and rebuild: Magnum began as a run-down Wiggins facility needing major repair.
  • Own more of the cattle: the yard moved from pure custom feeding to owning most of its cattle.
  • Secure water and feed: land and water rights bought around the yard support future growth.
  • Use data in the pens: RFID tags and carcass data inform branded programs.
  • Invest in people and relationships: customers from four decades ago still feed with him.

Ranches, bulls and plans for growth

The Gabel family runs a commercial cow-calf herd on three ranches in Wyoming and northern Colorado. Drovers says Gabel planned to grow Magnum to 60,000 to 65,000 head and to focus on herd quality, including selling more bulls as intact males.

Service to Colorado agriculture and honors

Gabel chaired the Colorado Beef Council for fifteen years, served as president of the Colorado Livestock Association in 2009 and 2010, has been involved with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and sits on the Colorado State University Board of Governors. Colorado State's College of Agricultural Sciences also keeps a profile page for him. Drovers reports that he and Johnny Trotter were to be inducted into the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame at the NCBA Convention and Trade Show in 2021. The hall itself launched in 2009 with Merck Animal Health, Osborn and Barr, and Drovers as founding partners.

To read more about Colorado's feeding country, visit the ranching section of farm.FM, or open a farm.FM story about a Colorado feedyard.

Timeline

  1. 1975Graduates from Fort Lupton High School
  2. 1993Acquires a worn-out yard at Wiggins, Colorado; Magnum Feedyard begins
  3. 1999Start of the yard's biggest growth period, running through 2019
  4. 2009Becomes president of the Colorado Livestock Association (through 2010)
  5. 2017Magnum named National BQA Feedyard of the Year
  6. 2021Inducted into the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame

Frequently asked questions

Who is Steve Gabel?

Steve Gabel is a Colorado cattle feeder and founder of Magnum Feedyard at Wiggins. He studied animal science at Colorado State University and entered the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame in 2021.

How big is Magnum Feedyard?

Magnum Feedyard in Wiggins, Colorado, has a 35,000-head capacity. It started in 1993 at about 3,000 to 3,500 head and has grown in stages, with a stated goal of 60,000 to 65,000 head.

What awards has Magnum Feedyard won?

Magnum was named the National BQA Feedyard of the Year in 2017. Steve Gabel himself entered the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame in 2021 after earlier industry leadership roles in Colorado.

What did Steve Gabel do before Magnum?

He worked nearly four years for Cattle-Fax, handled risk management and fed-cattle sales for a management investment company, and worked for two feeding companies on Colorado's Front Range.

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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