The Birds - A Legacy, For Over a Century

Dave's family, including great-grandfather Huffman are long time Oregonians and traveled by wagon train from Missouri to Oregon in 1865. In 1882, Lynda's grandfather and family arrived in Oregon after following the Oregon Trail from Kansas. Lynda's family settled in beautiful Pine Valley. A lifelong experience with Hereford cattle began early since both families raised commercial Hereford cattle. Dave's family bought some registered Herefords in the 1950s and sold bulls to local cattlemen. Dave and Lynda met while attending Eastern Oregon College. Following college, Dave was drafted into the Army and served a tour of duty in Vietnam. Having been school teachers for 30 years, they are now retired and fully involved with their registered Hereford operation.

Bird Herefords is located near the town of Halfway, the Gateway to Hells Canyon. Winters are long and harsh (temperatures reaching 30 below and snow levels reaching 3 feet or more) while other months are ideal for raising cattle. The ranch, a Century Farm, is the site where Lynda's grandparents lived and a few of the original buildings still stand. Dave and Lynda have always had Hereford cattle on the ranch even while carrying full-time teaching loads.

They purchased their first registered Herefords from Oveson Herefords, Wallowa, Oregon in 1978 and later cows from Hutton Herefords, Shaw Herefords, and Harrell Herefords. From the beginning, Willard Wolf, the Hereford fieldman was Bird’s mentor. He was the “go to guy” for all decisions and he was especially proud when the Bird Bull sold in Denver in 1994 for $47,500.

Over the last 46 years Birds have been involved in all aspects of raising their Hereford cattle. New barns were built to accommodate their winter time calving from November to March. They have hosted Hereford field days and conducted tours in their area of Baker County. Former students and local youth were invited to help prepare and show their animals at the Baker County Fair for 25 years. In earlier years they were competitive in the show and sale circuit which included the Western National Hereford show and sale in Reno, Nevada (29 years) and the National Western Stock show in Denver, Colorado (10 years).

The Birds have also actively participated in Bull Test Sales starting in the 1980s at the Northwest Bull Test in Parma, Idaho until present day Northwest Hereford Breeders Bull sale at the Double M Feed Lot facility near Hermiston, Oregon.

At one time Dave was a Director of WSHA (Western States Hereford Association) which was responsible for the Nugget Show and Sale in Reno, Nevada. Perhaps the most memorable event of all time was when Hereford enthusiasts were greeted with the rising of the curtain to a stage full of bulls at the Celebrity Room. Dave was a regular on that stage holding a bull calf.

Birds AI extensively to the most outstanding bulls in the Hereford breed. In turn, they have a herd of Herefords which would make anyone proud. All calves are halter broke when a few days old. The cows and their offspring have great dispositions. Birds strive to raise sound, hardy, efficient cattle with good udders, pigmentation, and balanced EPD's.