Most Herefords in the USA have some percentage of their DNA with Line 1 traits as Line 1 was the original Hereford herd in America when Herefords came over from England in the 1930’s to Montana State University.  Since that time there obviously have been a lot of other cattle brought into the USA, so dilution of the Line 1 original herd has occurred even amongst pure Line 1 breeders today. Our goal is to return the prominence of Line 1 Herefords back into the breed. With this goal in mind, it makes our operating plan simple – everything we do breeding wise and culling/retaining is based on getting to these goals as quickly as possible. 

Line 1 Herefords, with their closed and highly consistent genetic base, provide greater uniformity and predictability when crossed with purebred Angus compared to Herefords with mixed or non-Line 1 genetics. Because Line 1 cattle are intensely selected for structural soundness, maternal traits, and fertility, the cross tends to maximize hybrid vigor and produce calves with consistent growth, carcass quality, and strong maternal performance. In contrast, Herefords outside of Line 1 often carry more genetic variation, which can reduce the uniformity and reliability of the cross, making Line 1 × Angus a more dependable and valuable breeding choice.