Pros and Cons of Herefords.

[Hippie Rancher]

Huh? Never heard of the Hereford "big head problem". Haven't pulled a whole lot of calves in my life, but a few here and there and I haven't ever had a problem with a big head - usually its shoulders or hips.

I thought only humans had the big head problem. Maybe is't some sort of enhanced intelligence/larger brain size in Herefords? :lol:

 

[farmwife]

Huh? Never heard of the Hereford "big head problem". Haven't pulled a whole lot of calves in my life, but a few here and there and I haven't ever had a problem with a big head - usually its shoulders or hips.

I thought only humans had the big head problem. Maybe is't some sort of enhanced intelligence/larger brain size in Herefords? :lol:

:shock: :lol: :lol:

 

[ALACOWMAN]

glad i did'nt run across any mean tempered hereford when i was raising my brafords. i don't see hereford going away in fact just the opposite. out of all the cross's on brahman the hereford make's the best one with simbrah right there with em

 

[holly heifer]

:heart: Our hereford heifers that we sold ( I picked out the best ones for replacement heifers) brought $1.20 lb. The
black white face steers brought .99. We have never had a
"mean" herf. The bulls are quiet and respectfull. The calves
are not afraid of people and are real easy to work. They have
good maternal qualities and milk well. And yes, we have had our share of the cancer eye. :x The black ones do not seem to get this- at least ours have not. I have a reg. herf heifer
that I bred to a dandy angus. I am hoping to get a nice
4-h crossbred. :heart:

 

[S.R.R.]

If Herefords are all that bad why is the 1/2 Hereford baldie cow one of the best commercial cows going? ( I know, I know, it is the black Angus in her! :lol: ) Are prolapses a problem many of you have had?

 

[ALACOWMAN]

it takes two to tango the baldie would'nt be what it is without the hereford or vise versa. both of them compliment each other

 

[farmwife]

If Herefords are all that bad why is the 1/2 Hereford baldie cow one of the best commercial cows going? ( I know, I know, it is the black Angus in her! :lol: ) Are prolapses a problem many of you have had?

My family has been in the Herf business for more than 25 years and we've never had one to prolapse.

 

[S.R.R.]

How do you all find they are in the winter weather? Do they have to be put in at night or is a wind break enough? How about grain do they need it to stay in good condition?

 

[certherfbeef]

How do you all find they are in the winter weather? Do they have to be put in at night or is a wind break enough? How about grain do they need it to stay in good condition?

SRR, granted we don't have winter like you folks north of the 49 do, but I have no problem with herefords in the winter. The hair up like anything else. My cows gon't get anything but mineral and hay in the winter and maintain the weight well. I cull them if they are hard doing. They have to keep their flesh and feed a good calf every year to stay here.
Like any breed, they adapt to the way you manage them.

 

[Hill Creek Farm]

Pros: Best Beef Cow as a mother. A very well marbled breed that has I think raisen to the top of the charts quicker than any other breed has lately. The best disposition Beef Breed in the world.

Cons: I love Herefords a lot, but I will say that some cows are known not to milk or not be a heavy milking cow. Then there are some Herefords that give to much milk and then there udders go bad. That is another con against Herefords, there udder structure.

These are my comments based on situations that have happened inside my herd. These problems have also probably happened in other Hereford herds as well.

:cboy:

 

[Hill Creek Farm]

Question, I looked at my profile and I have been labled as a Trail Boss and I lost a star. What does this mean? It is right above the picture of the Hereford bull in my ads. :cboy:

 

[certherfbeef]

Question, I looked at my profile and I have been labled as a Trail Boss and I lost a star.

Macon is playing around again. You actually keep track of how many stars you have?????????????

 

[S.R.R.]

How do you feel about horned versus polled Herefords? Would you or do you raise terminal calves from stright breed Herefords?
How do you find their forageing ability vs other breeds?

 

[Bez?]

Well, I have been shooting from the lip a bit - so here I will be serious.

Herfs - a great animal for the following reasons - all located on this place.

1. They are as a whole far better mannered than most other breeds.

2. They are great moms and usually are easy calvers.

3. They eat anything and thrive.

4. They do not require creep and grains to get them through any season.

6. I live in Canada and DO NOT provide winter bedding. They sleep on snow and do very well.

7. I do not usually provide additional grain for their winter season - hay only.

8. They come to the call as I admit to using a bucket of corn for training purposes.

9. They manage even when it is wet and muddy.

10. Horned animals are fine - perhaps a bit more robust than the average polled animal - yes there are exceptions - but on the whole they are slightly larger - we raise them and on the odd time sell them to polled breeders for a bit of out crossing.

11. Used a 14 month old bull last year to breed about 25 cows on our rented pasture - all calves turned out fine - one of our mature buls managed to breed 40 on his own at another pasture - not ideal but we were stuck and I was not going to buy another bull.

12. With a house full of women I do not have to worry about the catlle giving them a hard time when we work them in the chutes.

13. Excellent carcass quality.

14. Continual farm gate sales just because they taste good.

More but who cares ......

Cons -

1. Usually get docked about 10 cents a pound just because they are not black.

Bez?

 

[certherfbeef]

Not sure if you are talking to me but, I'll answer anyhow.

How do you feel about horned versus polled Herefords?

I'm not getting into the h/p debate...cause txag will yell at me...but I prefer the horned. I can't sell horned seedstock here though. So my foundation is polled and I cover them with a horned bull. I'm very please with the result. I get polled calves with the horned influence that I prefer. Now Texan is going to yell at me for crossbreeding the horns and the polls,

Would you or do you raise terminal calves from stright breed Herefords?

Of all my terminal calves...the simmy hereford crosses grow off better. Can't give you any science behind that comment but that is the way it has been in the past here. This new bull may add the growth I need to upend those numbers. I'll let you know in a few months. As far as sale barn marketing...herfs get hammered here. Red white faces (hereford or not) take a 20 cent hit easy. Good quality, uniform herf looking calves will bring less than a bunch of black whatevers that look mangey and sick. Unless selling the terminals private treaty, right now...they have to be black.

How do you find their forageing ability vs other breeds?

They do great here SRR, but grass is almost always plentyful.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Not sure if you are talking to me but, I'll answer anyhow.

How do you feel about horned versus polled Herefords?

I'm not getting into the h/p debate...cause txag will yell at me...but I prefer the horned. I can't sell horned seedstock here though. So my foundation is polled and I cover them with a horned bull. I'm very please with the result. I get polled calves with the horned influence that I prefer. Now Texan is going to yell at me for crossbreeding the horns and the polls,

Would you or do you raise terminal calves from stright breed Herefords?

Of all my terminal calves...the simmy hereford crosses grow off

• better.

Can't give you any science behind that comment but that is the way it has been in the past here. This new bull may add the growth I need to upend those numbers. I'll let you know in a few months. As far as sale barn marketing...herfs get hammered here. Red white faces (hereford or not) take a 20 cent hit easy. Good quality, uniform herf looking calves will bring less than a bunch of black whatevers that look mangey and sick. Unless selling the terminals private treaty, right now...they have to be black.

How do you find their forageing ability vs other breeds?

They do great here SRR, but grass is almost always plentyful.

I used simm bulls on braford cows and the calves do grow off better and makes a great calf .

 

[Caustic Burno]

The breed that lead the industry out of the 19th century known as the great improver, the demise of the longhorn empire. Say what you want they have a proven track record.
Three breeds have built todays modern cattle industry in the USA Herefords, Angus, and Brimmers got to be something there.

 

[S.R.R.]

I know we have been over this before but it is a real piss off that color has such an effect on price.

 

[randiliana]

How do you all find they are in the winter weather? Do they have to be put in at night or is a wind break enough? How about grain do they need it to stay in good condition?

Herefords have NO trouble with the winter weather!! Many of the large ranches around here run straight hereford cows, and they never grain them. The herefords we have are some of the hardiest cows, and they can handle the weather and still come out of it looking fat and sassy!! We don't grain anything except our replacement heifer calves and some of the old girls that are starting to fail.

 

[Ned Jr.]

Herefords are very fertile and efficient, it can take alot of extra money at the sale barn to overcome cattle without those two traits. They can adapt to most any enviornment. Good Hereford cattle around here have topped the sale many times (especially yearlings) but alot of the big quality commercial breeders sell privately leaving some of the smaller, not so good producers to represent the breed. I don't have problems with bad udders but that's one thing I watch very close and have low tolerance for. A black baldy steer can go into CHB or CAB, many feeders like that and are realizing how well they convert. Herefords also have the advantage of being identifiable. I think Herefords should have a very bright future.
I guess one thing the breed needs to try and change is the perception many still have about them. I know there is still some of the crap out there that are not helping but there is an almost new Hereford out there that is just awesome.

Oh ya, Hereford calves are without doubt the cutest in the field too.