History

           Johann Ficke first laid eyes on American shores in the winter of 1860. He came to a country on a verge of civil war, but found peace on the prairie of Wisconsin. He left behind all he knew-the comforts of his family's 200-year old farm, and the traditions of his native home, Germany.

     He journeyed to Nebraska in 1869, liked what he saw of the open plains, and filed on a homestead a mile west of Pleasant Dale. When he plowed the rich soil for the first time, he set in motion a cyclical livelihood- and a commitment to family and the land-that remains intact today.

While the Ficke family has farmed and ranched in the same location since 1869, there's little doubt that their first love is cattle.
 

"In 1888, H.F. Ficke formed what is today, Ficke Cattle Company. For nearly 100 years, the Fickes raised commercial cattle, primarily Hereford and Red Angus. In the early 1970s, they added registered Herefords to their operation to raise seedstock for their commercial cow herd.

The registered Hereford cows eventually replaced our commercial cows, and we began selling seedstock into several states. For several years dad marketed bulls for Pioneer Beef Cattle in Iowa," says Del. 

"This is where he began to see the benefits of hybrid cattle. In 1984 the decision was made to use a composite bull from Schroeder Cattle Company of Palisade, Neb., on a group of Hereford cows. These first matings proved to be the beginning of our composite seedstock program that has been so successful, and also lending us the expertise to launch a more unique Hybrid line of cattle.

The Hybrid cattle we are producing today are ideally suited for today's cattlemen. They have market acceptance and forage efficiency: "Our cattle must be fertile, functional and efficient." "This is where are cattle exceed," says Del.  "They must be adaptable, consistent and possess hybrid vigor. Our females must breed in 50 days, raise a calf every year and basically be problem free. Our Registered Red Angus program follows the same set of rigid standards, while utilizing some of the breeds best genetics.

 The Ficke Cattle Company of today offers the industry the best of Red Angus and Angus Hybrids, as well as offering the largest source of Aubrac semen in the United States. We look forward to meeting you. Please join us as we continue to make history.