Hays was a lawyer, while also carrying on his father’s farming, ranching and cattle-breeding business, which had resulted in the Hays Converter, the only Canadian-developed pure breed of cattle.
Hays a exercé le droit tout en exploitant la ferme et l’entreprise d’élevage de bétail de son père, qui avait créé le Hays Converter, le seul bovin de race d’origine canadienne.