‘Our EX cows are our most valuable cows, and the cows from whom we want offspring.’ These words spoken by Patrick Maddox describe exactly the breeding strategy followed by him and his brother Stephen. Despite the large numbers – at Maddox & Ruann Dairy, 4000 and 1250 Holsteins are being milked respectively – quality is highly appreciated: strong cow families and talented bulls. Besides two commercial dairy farms, the Maddox brothers operate the genetic branch “RuAnn Genetics”.