Experts cite many matriarchal societies in the animal kingdom – honeybees, killer whales, Bonobo apes, and elephants, to name a few.  At V8 Ranch, we respectfully add Brahman cattle to that list. Brahman bulls might command the most attention in the show ring, but behind every impressive bull, there is a strong cow family. 

Since 1944, the V8 Ranch breeding program has focused on cow families. As we like to say, “the magic is in the cows.” Why? Because they’re powerful producers of consistent, award-winning progeny. We line breed to cow families and trace the kinship of our entire herd through female lines, respecting and honoring the contribution of our dams make in creating superior Brahman cattle.

For us, these dams are like Brahman royalty – queens with noteworthy genetics and storied pedigree. It’s why we commissioned renowned Colombian artist Natalia Tamayo to paint official portraits of our matriarchal dams. And it’s also why we often breed animals from one prominent cow family with bulls who boast the power of another important cow family; we call the result a V8 Superblend™.

We invite you to learn more about the V8 cow families by visiting the ranch or requesting one of our comprehensive herd reference guides.