Located in the heart of Montana's cattle country, Midland Bull Test is a premier bull testing and sale operation. Its focus on rigorous, data-driven evaluations has helped set industry standards for performance testing. Since its humble beginnings, the operation has grown in both reputation and scale, but still maintains its commitment to innovation and excellence, attracting cattle producers from across the country who seek to improve their herds. Midland has continuously adapted to advancements in technology and changes in breeding practices. This evolution has kept Midland at the forefront of the industry, supporting the success of the producer.

Today, Midland Bull Test remains a trusted name, known for its dedication to providing high-quality, reliable data for producers and its unwavering support of the cattle industry. Further, their annual bull sales continue to be a highlight for those looking to invest in tested superior genetics. 

For decades, the Williams and McDonnell families have run Midland, growing it into the top-notch facility we know. The history of Midland is fascinating and showcases just how much they’ve been able to do for the cattle industry. What we now know as Midland Bull Test started as a mere discussion in the late 1950s between a small group of purebred producers who decided it was time to start measuring genetic traits of economic importance to ranchers. These purebred breeders, or performance breeders, were comprised of breeders of all cattle breeds, many of which were from Montana. The growth of this idea has been incredible; an idea to start collecting and sharing genetic traits has evolved into a program that uses the most advanced methods possible to produce positive change in any breeding program.

Several years after the initial discussions began, in 1962, Leo McDonnell Sr. created Midland. His goal was to create a place where people could bring their bulls and compare them. Midland had its first bull sale in 1962 as well, featuring around 50 to 60 head. 

However, the beginnings of performance testing were met with resistance, seeing as though it challenged a lot of the ways things had been done in the cattle industry. “It wasn't real popular, because people were used to just selling them on looks and making nice marketing claims, right?” Leo McDonnell, Leo McDonnell Sr.’s son, explains, adding that “the breed associations didn't even adopt onto it real early.” At the time, genetic ability wasn’t a main factor or priority when it came to selling cattle. And, since there was resistance at the start, many different performance breeders began their own performance associations in their own states. Montana had the Montana Beef Performance Association, which was based out of Montana State University in Bozeman. The university helped collect and compute data on traits such as birth weight, weaning weight, gainability, dam production, and yearling weights.

Midland, the Montana Beef Performance Association, and several performance breeders continued to promote performance as a primary tool in managing cattle and profitability. After around 6 or 7 years, the popularity of the performance program began to pick up and producers were soon requesting these records and data. McDonnell tells me: “When they [breed associations] saw the shift coming, it was then that the breed associations got behind it and started their own performance deals. And the state organizations kind of went their own way and faded out.” This included the Montana Beef Performance Association. But, even though Montana Beef Performance is no longer in existence, many of its guidelines have been incorporated into some of the major breed performance associations.

From here, Midland grew rapidly. “As our numbers grew, we moved the full test station from east of Billings to west of Billings, over by Laurel. Then we moved up here by Columbus,” McDonnell says. McDonnell and his wife, Sam, took over the operation in the mid-1980s. Together, they continued to build up Midland. Now, three generations later, the McDonnells’ son, Steve Williams is running the operation alongside his wife, Amy. Even though computers have long since replaced hand-testing and manual feeding of the calves has been replaced by a feed truck and the number of bulls has grown from a few to over two-thousand bulls, Williams is still operating from that original concept. 

Being in the heart of cow-calf country helped contribute to that growth. Midland also never got into feeding high-energy rations and instead focused on a high-roughage ration, which has helped them stand out from other bull testing facilities across the US. Interestingly enough, Midland was also one of the first stations to start measuring backfat. “Back then we had to do it with a mechanical kind of tool,” McDonnell recalls, “I think we were also the first test station to start measuring scrotal sizes and ultrasounding for carcass traits.” Anything they could find that could be of economic relevance, Midland was testing. 

Midland began looking at feed efficiency in the early 1990s. Through a lot of research, they chose to use the GrowSafe system, which is a feed intake recording system that enables continuous data acquisition, for their data collection and monitoring. McDonnell and his wife spent about a month traveling across the US and even to Canada before making the plunge. By 1999, they had put in 98 of these feed bunks. Nowadays, Midland has 7 feed bunks, or “nodes” in each pen that monitor the weight of the feed in the bunk every second. The system is equipped to read EID tags, so when an animal comes to the bunk to feed, the system is able to record his consumption for the duration of the time at the bunk. Amy Williams tells me that the system is sensitive to 10 grams, making it incredibly accurate in terms of its weight monitoring. “We take in about 7 million bytes of data per day,” McDonnell says. All cattle at Midland are on an efficiency trial for 49 days. During that time, they measure approximately 7 to 11 partial body weight measurements on each animal per day when they present to an In-Pen Weight (IPW) system to drink water. At the end of a trial, Midland also verifies its data with feed reports in order to ensure the data collected is reliable. 

Further, all animals are recorded over 112 days for weight gain in order to gain a more accurate understanding of how these cattle are gaining. They measure beginning and end weights two days in a row for more accurate results. “The results of this information alone are so valuable to any breeder, but we take it many steps further to uncover as much as we possibly can about an animal's ability to produce consistent long-term valuable genetics,” Amy Williams says. All of the methods of data collection and testing showcase just how much work goes into performance testing, but it also highlights just how much care goes into what Midland is doing.

Midland might see as many as 2,200 to 2,500 bulls on the place at a time. Of course, this number changes based on the year and how many bulls get placed in a pen. On top of their ability to compare how bulls grow and perform, they also offer herd testing. 

Steve Williams tells me that “Midland has evolved more in the regard of what data we provide to prospective bull buyers and for the breeders themselves. In this era of genomics and indexes, it is fairly easy to get wrapped up in the data however, Midland provides data that is reflective and transparent.” Midland strives to provide an objective method by comparing the EPDs and actual performance of the bulls that producers can use to evaluate cattle and select breeding stock to meet their specific breeding program’s goals. After all, breeding decisions aren’t made lightly, as they’ll be impacting the producer when their first calves from that decision hit the ground. 

In the 63 years Midland has been in operation, one thing has remained its ultimate focus: balanced performance. Midland continues to focus on capturing and reporting the original herd data, such as birth weight and weaning weight, as well as measuring individual feed intake, monitoring gain on a standardized high roughage ration, genetic testing for defects and performance, carcass ultrasound for quality, and a thorough breeding soundness exam. They also perform assessments for resilience, structure, feet, and docility. Those at Midland continue to forge ahead in the cattle world, both in terms of their testing and in how they care for their customers. “We are very fortunate to work with a lot of top-notch, forward-minded consignors that have the same mindset,” Steve Williams states. Everything is done with the producer in mind—both the consignors and the buyers. McDonnell further elaborates on the notion: “I think it’s important to know [that] Midland just wasn't built by our family. Midland was built by some very dedicated performance breeders that brought their bulls in here and got this thing rolling.”

When asked about Midland’s future and what’s next, Amy Williams tells me that “one of the most important things to know about Midland is that we don't stop here.” With the producer and further improvement in mind, Midland continues to participate in research, try out new products, and run tests to improve the selection process or cost-effectiveness. In terms of the future, “Midland will continue to implement and utilize data acquisition methods to identify cattle that excel in terms of economic importance,” Steve Williams says. 

The founding concepts of Midland Bull Test still ring true today and are the guiding principles with which they continue to operate. But more than that, it’s Midland’s dedication to the producer that has ensured continued success. By prioritizing the needs of the producer, Midland Bull Test has fostered strong relationships and trust. As McDonnell says, “this whole industry starts with the rancher.” Their focus on providing accurate, unbiased data helps producers make informed decisions that enhance the productivity and sustainability of their herds. This commitment to excellence and service underscores every aspect of their operations, making them a valued partner in the cattle industry.