The Hays Converter is a breed of cattle

Cattle

Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...

 native to Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. Named for Harry Hays

Harry Hays

Harry William Hays, PC was a Canadian politician and Cabinet minister in the government of Lester Pearson....

, the agriculturalist and politician who developed the breed, it was the first pure breed of cattle created in Canada. Work on breeding the Hays Converter began in 1959, and it was officially recognized by the Canadian beef industry in 1975.

The Hays Converter is a beef cattle

Beef cattle

Beef cattle are cattle raised for meat production . The meat of cattle is known as beef. When raised in a feedlot cattle are known as feeder cattle. Many such feeder cattle are born in cow-calf operations specifically designed to produce beef calves...

 breed, and was created through crosses of a Holstein bull on Hereford cows. It was selected almost exclusively for beef production in the harsh Canadian climate while still being able to reach the preferred market weight, and is today a medium to large animal with a black or red coat and a white face and underbelly.