Herefords, with their red coats and unique white faces, are perhaps one of the most familiar breeds of cattle in the world. It will come as no surprise that they originated in the county of Herefordshire in the mid-1700s. The herdbook came into being in 1878; thanks to Queen Victoria.

Due to their adaptability, the Hereford can be found all over the world in climates ranging from the extreme Russian cold to the hot, arid regions of the Middle-East and Africa. The breed is renowned for its ability to produce a premium, naturally marbled, meat from grass, hay and haylage. It continues to excel as modern organic and economic systems develop and with its reputation for easy calving.  It’s no wonder that the beef industry has adopted the Hereford so widely.

History

The Miniature Hereford has been developed over the last 30 years by selective breeding of stock that was originally imported to the US from England in the early 19th Century. The Miniature Hereford breeding program was started by the Largent family in 1974, whose ranch is located in the Davis Mountains of Texas.

After working on size reduction for several years with efficiency in mind, a bull called Laser was used at the ranch that enabled a reduction in frame size to be achieved at an increased rate. Since Laser, there has been a succession of small animals. The herd has been systematically culled and improved on an ongoing basis in an effort to produce the base herd.

The first Miniature Herefords were sold on the open market in 1991. All Miniature Herefords are able to be registered with the American Hereford Society, once they are checked free of the dwarfism gene.

Characteristics

The only difference between a Hereford and a Miniature Hereford is its height; the Miniature has the same body profile in terms of proportion to a full-sized Hereford. A Miniature Hereford averages around 42 inches in height and weighs in at around 1000 lbs.  Apart from that, the Miniature Hereford is the same in characteristics as its larger counterpart. Think Mini-Moo if you want to get the full picture.

Statistics

Easy to handle

Very passive

Retain the great traits of the full-sized Hereford

Mature up to 20% earlier

Offer quality beef

Are commonly used as pets

Good for kids; make great 4H or FFA animals

Distribution

Miniature Herefords are now available in almost every US state.  Check out miniature-cattle.com for a breeder near you.