Bullis Creek Ranch

The Brawner Family, owners and operators of Bullis Creek Ranch, have been raising cattle for generations. Our family's original farm is located in Delevan, Illinois, where we raised Registered Polled Herefords and commercial cattle. In the late 1960s, we began crossbreeding with Angus bulls on our Hereford cowherd, recognizing the benefits of this practice for the future. This led us to investigate new continental beef breeds, ultimately identifying Limousin as the best suited for our operation and environment. We found Limousin cattle to be easy calving and vigorous at birth, essential for our rugged terrain where it was challenging to monitor calving. Our calving pasture consisted of unfenced tree-covered terrain with deep draws and steep hills.

As we progressed, we realized the need for a breed that would increase meat yield and beef production. Limousin did this better than any other breed, remaining moderate-sized, winter hardy, and good forage converters. With limited Limousin genetics available, artificial insemination was the only option. We started a small purebred herd to produce bulls for our cowherd, which grew in size and soon attracted neighbors and local cattleman interested in buying Limousin seed stock from us. Today, our cowherd consists of 150 females.

In the early 1990s, we introduced Red Angus via artificial insemination on our commercial replacement heifers, which were by then fairly high percentage Limousin. This cross-worked effectively, enhancing our beef production. Throughout our history, we have remained committed to quality and innovation in cattle breeding, making us one of the leading ranches in the region.