Hereford

The Hereford is a beef breed that got its start in Herefordshire, in the west of England. It's now one of the most widely run beef breeds on the planet, easy to pick out by its deep red body and white face, with white also running along the belly, lower legs and tail switch.

Herefords are known for turning grass into beef without much fuss. They cope with everything from cold tablelands to hot, dry rangeland, and tend to hold their condition on country that would flog a fussier breed. Mature cows typically run 540 to 730 kg, and bulls often top 800 kg.

The breed has a settled, easy-going nature. Calm handling and solid fertility make Herefords a go-to choice for commercial herds and crossbreeding programs across Australia, where that white face shows up reliably in the calves.

Who it suits

The Hereford suits graziers and hobby farmers after a low-maintenance beef animal that does well on grass alone. Its calm temperament makes it manageable for less experienced handlers, and its hardiness suits properties running on marginal or variable country where heavy supplementary feeding isn't practical.

The Hereford takes its name from Herefordshire, a county in the west of England near the Welsh border. Farmers in the region developed the breed through the 1700s, after cattle that turned local grass and forage into beef without a lot of extra input.

Benjamin Tomkins is usually credited with starting the breed's development, beginning his selective breeding in the mid-1700s with a handful of foundation cattle. Breeders focused on size, growth off pasture and a consistent look.

The Hereford Herd Book was set up in England in the 1840s, putting pedigree records for the breed on a formal footing. By the nineteenth century, Herefords had become a leading beef breed in Britain.

Exports carried the breed around the world. Herefords reached North America in the early 1800s, and by the mid-to-late 1800s they were established in Australia too, taking readily to tougher grazing country from Victoria's Western District through to Queensland's channel country. The breed's knack for holding condition on dry, extensive runs made it a natural fit for Australian beef production, and it later spread to South America and southern Africa on the same strengths.

The Hereford has a broad, deep, well-muscled body on short, strong legs. The giveaway is the white face, which shows up together with white on the crest of the neck, the dewlap, the belly, the lower legs and the tail switch. The body coat ranges from a lighter to a deeper red.

The breed comes in both horned and poll (naturally hornless) types. Poll Herefords were bred to do away with dehorning and are now common across most Australian herds.

Coat and colouring

The depth of red varies between individual animals and studs, but it's always paired with the white markings that mark out the breed. Pigment around the eyes is prized in hot, sun-drenched paddocks because it cuts the risk of eye trouble linked to sun exposure on unpigmented skin.

The Hereford has a name for being quiet and good-natured. It's one of the more docile beef breeds, and animals generally move and load through the yards with little fuss when they're handled consistently.

Cows are attentive mothers and protective of young calves, so give cow-calf pairs plenty of room in the days right after calving. Herefords mix well with other cattle in mixed mobs and crossbreeding programs. Their steady nature cuts the risk of injury to both stock and handlers during routine jobs like weighing, vaccinating and shifting mobs between paddocks.

Grooming

• Routine grooming is minimal; the short coat sheds naturally with the seasons
• Check and trim hooves as needed to stop lameness setting in
• Check skin and eyes regularly, especially in sun-exposed paddocks
• Keep on top of external parasites such as flies, lice and ticks

Exercise

• Provide plenty of paddock space for daily grazing and movement
• Rotate paddocks to keep forage quality up and limit worm burdens
• Make sure the mob has room to graze and camp without crowding

Environment

Herefords cope well with both cold and heat but still need shelter from wild weather, wind and harsh sun. Provide shade in hot climates, such as tree cover or shade cloth over water points, and windbreaks or housing in severe cold. Constant access to clean water is essential, and intake climbs sharply once the mercury rises.

The Hereford is a forage-based animal that performs well on good paddock feed. The bulk of the diet is grass and other forage, backed up with hay or silage when grazing is short. The breed is known for holding condition on lower-quality forage than a lot of beef breeds need.

Mineral supplements help make up what the paddock lacks, particularly salt, calcium, phosphorus and trace elements. Adjust feeding to the stage of production, with higher demands during late pregnancy, lactation and finishing.

Treats and supplements

Provide free-choice mineral and salt licks suited to local soil conditions. Bring in any feed change gradually over several days to protect rumen health, and make sure water is always on hand alongside dry feed.

Herefords are generally robust and settle well into a range of climates. With good management, cattle can live 15 to 20 years, though commercial stock are usually run on a shorter production cycle. Most health needs are covered by preventive care, solid nutrition and parasite control.

The breed's unpigmented face and skin around the eyes can raise the risk of certain eye and skin conditions in high-sun country, which is worth factoring into management on Australian properties.

Preventive care

• Keep a vaccination program suited to local disease risks
• Stick to a regular drenching and parasite control schedule
• Check and trim hooves to stop lameness
• Provide balanced minerals and clean water all year round
• Keep an eye on body condition through the production cycle

Hereford heifers generally reach breeding readiness around 12 to 15 months of age, with first calving near two years under good management. Gestation runs about 285 days, roughly nine and a half months, and cows almost always drop a single calf.

The breed is valued for calving ease, fertility and enough milk to raise a strong calf. Cows are attentive mothers, and calves are usually weaned at around six to eight months. The white face carries through strongly to crossbred progeny, which is one reason Herefords are so widely used as a maternal and terminal cross across Australian herds.

Bulls are used both for natural joining and as a source of semen for artificial insemination. Sound feet, fertility and temperament are the key traits to select for in breeding stock.