HEREFORD BREED OF COWS 🍗: CHARACTERISTICS AND DESCRIPTION OF BULLS AND CALVES, FEEDING OF BEEF CATTLE, CONTENT AND PHOTOS

Homemade meat has always been valued more than the purchased product, mainly because of its high quality and the pronounced benefits to human health.

Farmers who are building up their beef business prefer to make their choice in favor of cattle breeds that have a high level of adaptation to various climatic factors and good productivity.

Hereford breed of cows can certainly be attributed to this group.

The history of the breed Hereford

The roots of the Hereford cow breed originate in Great Britain. For the first time the calf of this breed was born in the XVIIIth in the English county of Herefordshire, thanks to the initiative of the peasants who decided to improve the physique and productivity of the local cattle.

Already in the next century, representatives of the Hereford breed from Great Britain were brought to Canada, from where they came to the USA.

The Americans did a great job in order to bring this breed to the present state.

As a result of this activity, the Hereford cows gained a strong constitution, impressive muscle mass and a high ability to adapt to any climatic conditions.

These qualities helped them to become popular all over the world - from North and South America to Africa and Australia.

They were brought to our country during the times of the Soviet Union, before the outbreak of the war of 1941-1945.

Appearance of cows and bulls

Hereford cows are characterized by good endurance, endure long hauls without any problems.

The appearance of these pets is quite impressive..

Due to their heavy, massive and muscular physique, the Hereford cows stand out significantly against the background of the cattle of other breeds.

They are easily recognized by the following features:

head - wide and strong, color - white; the neck is short;
horns - short, white, at the ends - dark, set forward and sideways;
The color is reddish-brown, but the nose, lips, withers, neck, neck, abdomen and tassel on the tail are white;
the body is squat and long, the skin integuments are thick;
legs are short and steady;
udder in females - mild.

Today, the Hereford breed of cows is one of the most common in the world. This is due to the fact that their content does not require much effort and high financial costs.

They live 15-18 years, characterized by rapid growth and unpretentiousness in food. Another huge plus - bring healthy offspring.

Breeding cattle at home for beginners is a profitable business. You may be interested to know how to start breeding bulls, as well as dairy breeds of cows, including the Red Steppe.

Specifications

Hereford breed cows are characterized by impressive dimensions:

growth adult animals - above 130 cm;
chest girth: heifers - 190-195 cm, bullheads - 210-215 cm;
weight: heifers - 550-700 kg (in the UK - up to 850 kg), bull - 850-1000 kg (up to 1300 kg - in the UK).

Calves are born weighing 25-28 kg (heifers) and 28-34 kg (bullheads). A good constitution of cows contributes to easy calving, thereby reducing the mortality of newborn calves to a minimum.

They grow quickly and gain weight well. By the age of one year, the female individual weighs up to 290 kg, the male individual - 340 kg (with good fattening and up to 400 kg). Over the next 6 months, they add about another 100 kg.

Attention: Herefords are a meat breed, therefore, this breed of cattle produces no more than 1100 - 1200 liters of milk per year.
As a rule, these cows are not milked, all the milk goes to feed the calves, which are grown on the suction of uterus.

Hereford cow meat highly valued in the consumer market due to high taste qualities: it is “marble”, juicy, tender, nutritious and high-calorie. Fibers have a thin texture, the fat layer in them is evenly spaced.

Adult animals are sent for slaughter. Pulp weight, received from one head of cattle, is about 82-84%, slaughter yield - 58-70%.

A photo

Photo of the Hereford cow breed:

Maintenance and care

Consider these two important issues as detailed as possible so that novice breeders can do everything correctly.

The requirements for keeping the Hereford breed cows are the most modest.

Attention: the room in which the Herefords live should be dry and clean. Cattle of this breed acclimatize even to the most severe weather conditions, however, drafts can cause discomfort to them.

Owners must take care to all the cracks in the barn were sealed. Animals should always have free access to water and food, so feeders with water should be installed in the center of the barn.

Necessary condition - the presence of a large pasture. It does not hurt to build separate pens for females with calves and stalls for grown calves.

Provision will be the construction of a special room for pregnant cows. Bring them there should be a few days before the birth of the calf, and after calving, they should stay there for another week.

Nutrition

Keeping Hereford Cows Costs owners very sparingly. Their daily diet consists of hay mixed with crushed and lightly salted barley.

Attention: cows with calves should receive special nutrition, since a lot of energy and strength is spent on feeding the baby from the uterus.

The cow menu should consist of silage, dry food and essential mineral dressings.

Newborn calves eat mother's milk, which they should receive in the first 1.5 hours after their birth. After 2 weeks, their diet can begin to be diluted with hay., then gradually include in it juicy and concentrated (last of all) feed.

The calf sits on the mother for half a year, then it is taken away from the udder and transferred to a separate stall. The ration of bulls should consist of hay, concentrated and succulent feed. It is important and it is necessary to add phosphorus, calcium and proteins to it.

Diseases

Hereford breed of cows characterized by excellent healththerefore, the incidence among its representatives is an extremely rare phenomenon.

In particular, calves may catch a cold if there is a high level of humidity and drafts in the room where they are kept.

To avoid this, the owners will certainly take care of optimal conditions in the barn.

Breeding rules

Breeding cows Hereford breed special wisdom is no different. On the part of the livestock breeder, it is required to provide the Herefords with the necessary conditions of housing and a balanced diet, including the most necessary things in certain stages of their life.

Attention: if it is necessary to preserve the purity of the Herefords and their inherent qualities, the crossing of individuals should be carried out only within the given breed.

The meat signs of this type of cow are dominant and are well transmitted to the future generation of cattle.

Experts use this quality when the Herefords are crossed with their fellows of other breeds.