Although the name, Mossom Boyd, is usually associated with Polled Herefords, Mr. Boyd actually started his livestock career as a breeder of Aberdeen Angus cattle. This herd was dispersed and later replaced by a herd of horned Herefords.

In 1901 he became interested in developing a polled herd and obtained a number of hornless Hereford males and females from Iowa. By following a carefully planned breeding program, under which hornless males were mated to horned females and vice versa, he succeeded in his objective, and became recognized as the founder of Polled Herefords in Canada.

His original animals left much to be desired from the standpoint of type and conformation, but by selecting the best and discarding inferior individuals, he was able to produce cattle possessing beef characteristics quite the equal of horned Herefords.

Of all the great animals produced by this breeder the most outstanding was a bull, Bullion 4th. He was acclaimed the best Polled Hereford produced up to that time. His influence has been far reaching in that most modern Polled Herefords trace to him.

Mr. Boyd’s other livestock activities included the importation and breeding of Suffolk and Percheron horses; and the crossing of American Bison and cattle, a project designed to produce a hardy beef animal called the Cattalo. The program he started was continued at the Manyberries Experimental Station until 1964.