Hereford: World’s most popular cattle breed

THE Namibian Hereford is a fast growing, very fertile, medium maturing beef breed of distinctive red brown and white colour and marking.

Breed standards identify the priorities of the Hereford and continuously aim at the long term improvement of the breed through effective breeding and selection policies.These standards are regularly updated to meet the continuous changes in our beef industry.The qualities which make the modern Hereford such a great breed were implanted a long time ago. So well did the breed’s founders do their work that the characteristics which first distinguished the cattle of Herefordshire are the very ones which qualify it today as the most numerous and popular beef breed of the world.Flexibility to adapt to changes Over the years, it was necessary for cattle breeders to make changes and adapt new breeding principles. Factors such as changes in consumer preferences towards lean beef, the development of the feedlot industry, and improvement in technology made the change from a compact, early maturing type to a leaner, faster growing type inevitable. Conformation and production goals of the Hereford were re-evaluated and selection was directed towards traits of economic importance, e.g. fertility, milk production, growth, and carcass quality. It is the variation of Hereford genetics and access to the largest gene pool in the world that allows the Hereford in southern Africa to be adapted to different climatic conditions and suited for almost any production system in this country.Why breed Herefords? The Hereford is well adapted to intensive systems and feedlot production. The Hereford is also known to be an excellent forager under extensive grazing conditions, and is therefore referred to as ‘the breed that made grass famous.’ Performance testing in South Africa is compulsory with the Herefords since January, 1982. By officially measuring important traits and being able to select from the largest gene pool in the world, the Hereford is able to make faster progress than most other breeds.How does the Hereford fit into crossbreeding programmes? Hereford bulls can make a significant improvement in the profitability of any cow-calf operation. Hereford bulls have:•Shorter length of gestation (related to lighter birth weights)•Lighter birth weights. Hereford calves are 3-5 kg lighter than those of other popular beef breeds.•Less calving difficulty•Higher calf crop percentage weaned•More weight weaned per cow calving

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