Rolling Hills Cattle Company
Rolling Hills Cattle Company
Rolling Hills Cattle Company in Avon, Minnesota, has spent more than 20 years building a British White herd around cattle that can prove themselves without much help. Christina Traeger’s program is rooted in strong cow families, hard culling, forage development, and a simple philosophy: “Use the best, eat the rest.” Replacement females are developed without grain, bulls are expected to perform on pasture and quality hay, and the Minnesota environment is allowed to expose what works and what does not. With approximately 120 breeding females, Rolling Hills places particular value on fertility, longevity, moderate mature size, and cows that can remain productive well into their teens. Rather than chasing numbers or trends, the program continues to refine cattle that fit the land, the climate, and the management system they are expected to live in.
For more than 20 years, Christina Traeger of Rolling Hills Cattle Company has focused on developing British White cattle that can function in the environment they are expected to live in. Located in Avon, Minnesota, the operation maintains approximately 120 breeding females, with fertility, functional efficiency, longevity, and adaptability playing a major role in breeding and culling decisions.
Christina credits Gerald Fry and Steve Campbell as early influences and has also spent years studying the work of Jan Bonsma. That foundation helped shape a program centered on cattle that meet functional standards without requiring the environment or management to be changed to accommodate them. Cattle that do not make the breeding program still have value through Rolling Hills’ beef business, allowing the operation to maintain high standards for the animals retained for breeding.
A cornerstone of the Rolling Hills herd is what Christina calls the “grandma cow” line. That family has continued through daughters, granddaughters, great-granddaughters, and sons that have proven themselves within the program. Rather than chasing change for the sake of change, Rolling Hills has worked to continually refine the quality and consistency of the cow families already working in their environment.
Christina sums up her breeding philosophy simply: “Use the best, eat the rest.” Rolling Hills is willing to take its time evaluating cattle and cull hard when necessary. Although their heifers are capable of breeding as yearlings, they often wait until two years of age, giving the cattle more time to mature and allowing problems that may not be visible early in life to show themselves. Longevity is also important, with cows commonly remaining productive into their teens.
Replacement females at Rolling Hills are developed without grain. Calves generally remain on their dams for eight to ten months, depending on weather, forage availability, and cow condition. They are offered higher-quality hay through a creep area and continue developing through winter before being turned onto spring grass. Moderate-quality forage later becomes part of the evaluation process, helping identify the cattle that can perform without additional inputs.
Bulls are developed on pasture and quality hay, with limited supplementation during difficult winter conditions. Rolling Hills does not routinely use fly control on developing bulls, instead expecting the cattle themselves to demonstrate whether they can handle that environmental pressure. As Christina puts it, “If quality hay can’t do it, it’s not getting done.”
The cow herd remains on pasture as long as Minnesota conditions allow. Native and cultivated hays are used during the non-growing season, and rotational and regenerative grazing are utilized when conditions permit. Christina describes the operation as “supplement light,” with the goal of allowing the cattle and the environment to show which animals truly belong in the breeding program.
