"Hybrid vigor is like 2 + 2 = 5. It is as close to a free lunch as you will find in the cow-calf business. Allow me to provide another analogy. Breeding Angus to Angus is like depositing money into a checking account. What you put in is exactly what you will be able to take out. In contrast, breeding Angus to Hereford is like depositing money into a savings account. When you withdraw your money from a savings account you will take out more money than you deposited - because of the interest your money earned."