Note to Editors: Adapted from the Kansas Profile radio series, this column profiles a different Kansan, Kansas community or Kansas-based company every Wednesday, as a regular feature of the K-State Research and Extension News  lineup. A photo of Ron Wilson is available at  http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/news/sty/RonWilson.htm.

Released: February 14, 2007

By Ron Wilson, director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University.

Black...White.  It’s that simple. Well, most things aren’t that simple these days, but it is true that in the cattle breeding business, there are traits associated with the colors of cattle breeds. Black Angus, for example, are known for good meat quality, and white-faced Herefords are known for being hardy and efficient. Today we’ll meet a cattleman and his family who are looking to combine the best of both breeds in producing high quality, high performance seedstock for beef producers.

Dave and Diane Breiner own Mill Creek Ranch near Alma, Kansas. Dave grew up on an Angus farm near Norton in northwest Kansas. After graduating from K-State, he became manager of the Mill Creek Ranch in Wabaunsee County. In time, he bought into the ranch ownership.

The Breiners raise white-faced Herefords at Mill Creek Ranch. In the early 1990s they brought the Angus herd from Dave’s parents place at Norton. But even before that, they had been working on creating an excellent crossbreeding program. In 1985, they added some selected Gelbvieh cows. They continue to maintain herds of Herefords, Angus, and Gelbvieh.

Dave says, "It’s our main goal to provide our customers with cattle that excel in many areas, including performance, eye appeal, maternal ability, udder quality, and carcass merit."

The fundamental building block which Mill Creek Ranch has used is the cross between their black Angus and white-faced Herefords. The result of that cross is a black, white-faced cow.

Dave says, "The black white-faced female is the best crossbred cow in the country.  It’s been proven through the years." This is an example of hybrid vigor, or heterosis as it is called.

The Breiners tell customers, "We believe that the Angus and Hereford breeds are the answer to your cross-breeding needs. By combining the two largest English breeds in the world, you will be able to use their large genetic databases to make the most informed decisions possible."

Raising the best beef cattle is a high-tech business these days. The Breiners maintain meticulous herd records with EPDs, which is short for expected progeny differences.  EPDs are a scientific way of predicting the desired traits which are likely to be passed down from a given bull or cow.

In addition to breeding stock, Mill Creek Ranch also offers bull semen and fertilized embryos for embryo transfer programs. In late February they have a production sale of their top bulls and heifers. Dave says, "Our program is designed to supply the industry with progressive genetics that meet the needs of both the purebred and commercial cattleman."

Mill Creek Ranch is truly a family operation in a rural setting. Son Chad lives at the ranch, where he is the Mill Creek cow herd manager and his wife works with an orthopedics company. Son Clay is a veterinarian and embryo transfer technician in Wamego, where he is married to an equine veterinarian. Son Ryan is the manager of the Purebred Beef Barn at K-State and married to a graduate student. Daughter Ashley is a loan officer in Ellsworth and is married to a young rancher there.

Mill Creek Ranch is located in southern Wabaunsee County. In fact, Mill Creek township has a population of 296 people. Now, that’s rural.

This rural Flint Hills setting is a wonderful place for producing topflight cattle, noted for producing increased efficiency in the cowherd and feedlot as well as value in the meat case and champions in the show ring. Mill Creek Ranch has sold cattle into most states in the Union, from Washington to West Virginia. For more information, go to www.millcreekranch.com.

Black...White. It’s that simple. This phrase is one of the slogans of Mill Creek Ranch, reflecting the plain truth that a black Angus - white-faced Hereford cross is one of the best crossbreeding patterns for beef producers. We commend Dave and Diane Breiner and all their family for making a difference with their hard work and commitment to quality. Their goal is to offer the best cattle for their customers. That goal is as simple as black and white.

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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus in Manhattan.

For more information:
The Huck Boyd Institute is at 785-532-7690 or rwilson@ksu.edu

K-State Research and Extension