Breed Spotlight: Hereford Cattle
The Hereford breed was developed 300 years ago by farmers in Herefordshire, England in response to a high demand for beef during Britain’s Industrial Revolution. At the time, there was not a breed in existence that could convert native grass to beef efficiently and profitably. Beginning in 1742 with a bull calf from the cow Silver and two cows, Pidgeon and Mottle, inherited from his father’s estate, Benjamin Tomkins is credited with creating the foundation of the modern Hereford breed. Herefords in England were much larger than today. Many mature Herefords of weighed 3,000 pounds or more. Cotmore, a winning show bull and noteworthy sire, weighed 3,900 pounds when shown in 1839. Gradually, the type and conformation changed to less extreme size and weight to get more quality and efficiency.
Herefords began their journey to the states in 1817 when Henry Clay brought a bull and two cows with him. Clay’s cattle grabbed the attention of many farmers and regular importations were soon commenced. The first established Hereford breeding program within the US was created in 1840 by William H. Sotham and Erastus Corning of Albany, New York. The breed began in the eastern part of the US but was soon found throughout the United States as the demand for beef increased. More than 3,500 head of Herefords were imported during the 1880-1889 period. During this time, breeders of Herefords battled for breed acceptance in the agricultural fairs and expositions which furthered the use of Herefords in American beef production. On June 22, 1881, The American Hereford Association was established for the two-fold purpose of keeping the breed’s records and promoting the interests of Hereford breeders. The Polled (or hornless)variety of Herefords was established in the early 1900’s by breeding together cows with this trait.
Today’s Herefords are characteristically red with a white face and white markings. Mature cows weigh an average of 1200 pounds with bulls weighing around 2000lbs. Approximately 85% of modern Herefords express the polled trait. The breed is popular with consumers and have been distributed to over 50 countries.
