A ranch by my definition is a place where livestock are raised on large spreads where grass and hay is the only resources for feeding of the livestock that are managed, other than a little supplemental feed. No cash crops such as baccer, corn, cotton, etc. Also in my opinion of a ranch, there should be at least some hired hands on the place and horses should be used for working the cattle to be considered a ranch. But for who aked this question I think the best answer is; There is no definition. Whats next? How many cows does it take to be called a Cattle Co.? Land and Livestock? Who knows. And to further prove my point, take for example large ranches like the King Ranch and W.T. Waggoner Ranch both in Texas. I believe they are considerd the two biggest ranches in Texas and they both have huge farming operations.