Hereford

The Hereford is a beef breed that comes originally from Herefordshire, a county in the west of England close to the Welsh border. It is one of the most widely kept beef breeds anywhere in the world, and easy to pick out too: a deep red body with a white face, and white running along the belly, the lower legs and the tip of the tail.

Herefords turn grass into beef efficiently, which suits a country built around grazing rather than feeding concentrates all year. The breed copes with everything from wet, cold winters to dry summer ground, and holds condition on pasture that would leave a fussier breed struggling. A mature cow typically weighs between 540 and 730 kg, with bulls often topping 800 kg.

The breed has an easy-going, steady nature. That calmness, together with good fertility, is why Herefords turn up so often on suckler farms and in crossbreeding programmes, where a Hereford bull reliably stamps that white face onto his calves no matter what breed the cow is.

Who it suits

The Hereford suits part-time farmers and larger suckler operations alike who want beef cattle that do well off grass without a lot of fuss. The calm temperament means it is manageable even for someone without years of stock-handling behind them, and its hardiness suits ground that is poorer or more exposed, where housing and meal all winter simply is not practical.

The Hereford takes its name from Herefordshire, a county close to the Welsh border in the west of England. Farmers there set about developing the breed through the 1700s, looking for cattle that would put on beef efficiently from local grass and forage.

Benjamin Tomkins is usually credited with starting the serious selective breeding work in the mid-1700s, working from a small number of foundation animals. The breeders of the day concentrated on size, the ability to thrive on pasture, and a consistent look that would breed true.

The Hereford Herd Book was set up in England in the 1840s, putting proper pedigree records behind the breed for the first time. By the nineteenth century the Hereford had become one of the leading beef breeds in Britain and Ireland.

From there the breed spread right around the world through exports. Herefords arrived in North America in the early 1800s and later became firmly established in Australia, South America and southern Africa. In Ireland the breed has long had a place in the suckler herd, valued for doing well on grass in a climate that does not always cooperate.

The Hereford is broad, deep-bodied and well muscled, carried on short, strong legs. Its trademark is the white face, matched by white on the crest of the neck, the dewlap, the belly, the lower legs and the switch of the tail. The body coat runs from a light red through to a deep, rich red.

Herefords come both horned and polled (naturally without horns). Polled Herefords were bred to do away with the need for dehorning and are now the more common type in many herds.

Coat and colours

The depth of red varies from animal to animal and herd to herd, but it always comes paired with the white markings that mark the breed out. Pigment around the eyes is especially valued in strong sun, since it cuts the risk of eye trouble linked to unpigmented skin being exposed to it.

The Hereford has a name for being quiet and good-natured. It ranks among the more docile of the beef breeds, and animals that are handled consistently will generally move and load onto a trailer without much drama.

Cows mind their calves closely and can turn protective in the days right after calving, so it pays to give a cow-calf pair a bit of space at that stage. Out in the field, Herefords mix well with other cattle, in straight herds and crossbred groups alike. That steady temperament cuts the risk of injury, to man and beast, during the routine jobs: weighing, dosing, testing, or just moving stock between paddocks.

Grooming

• Not much grooming is needed; the short coat sheds naturally with the seasons
• Check and trim hooves as required to head off lameness
• Keep an eye on skin and eyes, particularly where sun is strong
• Keep on top of external parasites: flies, lice and ticks

Exercise

• Give plenty of grazing ground for daily movement
• Rotate paddocks to keep forage quality up and cut down on parasite build-up
• Make sure there is enough space for the herd to graze and lie up without crowding

Environment

Herefords handle both cold and heat well, but still need shelter from the worst of the weather, wind and strong sun. Provide shade where summers are hot, and windbreaks or a shed for the depths of winter. Clean water needs to be on hand at all times, and cattle will drink a good deal more of it in warm weather.

The Hereford is a grass animal at heart and does well on good pasture. Grass and forage make up the bulk of the diet, topped up with hay or silage when grazing is scarce. The breed is known for holding condition on poorer forage than many beef breeds would manage on.

Mineral supplements make up what the pasture is short of, especially salt, calcium, phosphorus and trace elements. Feeding should be stepped up to match the stage of production, with heavier demands in late pregnancy, during milking, and when finishing stock for the factory or the mart.

Treats and supplements

Put out free-choice mineral and salt blocks suited to the local soil. Bring in any change of feed gradually over several days to protect the rumen, and make sure water is on hand at all times alongside dry feed.

Herefords are generally hardy and settle well into a range of climates. With good management cattle can live 15 to 20 years, though commercial stock is usually kept on a shorter production cycle. Most health issues are kept at bay through preventive care, solid nutrition and parasite control.

The breed's unpigmented face and the skin around the eyes can leave it more open to certain eye and skin problems where sun is strong.

Preventive care

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

Hereford heifers are generally ready for breeding at around 12 to 15 months old, with first calving at close to two years under good management. Gestation runs to about 285 days, roughly nine and a half months, and cows nearly always have a single calf.

The breed is well regarded for calving ease, fertility and enough milk to rear a strong calf. Cows are attentive mothers, and calves are usually weaned at six to eight months. The white face carries through strongly to crossbred calves, which is a big part of why Herefords are used so widely as a maternal and terminal cross on suckler farms.

Bulls are used both for natural service and as a source of semen for AI. Sound feet, fertility and temperament are the main things breeders select for in replacement stock.