Cattle : HEREFORD (traditional)

Species: Bos taurus

Country of origin: Hereford, England.

Australian Status:

International status: 

Arrived in Australia: Early 1800's.

Australian Population: unknown; 2022 estimated at 100. Any help welcomed.

Distribution: Australia, UK.

HIstory: The Traditional Hereford is the animal as it originally was, and is rare in its country of origin, England. Herefords were exported to places like Australia and America but got changed - bred with bigger frames and far longer legs. When imported back to England the old lines became swamped. It became a matter of urgency to save the original strains. Cotmore stud in NSW, Australia, began a mission to save a family line of Herefords here that ultimately became identified as Traditional Herefords. England and Australia both have lines now, without the modern long-legged strain, some lines surviving only in one country. It has been a massive project saving them from extinction.

Breed Traits: Beef. A far shorter breed than modern Hereford (of American lines), with short chunky legs and a rounder, beefier appearance. Horned, although some studs dehorn. They have the famous white face and colouring of red with the camouflage backline and belly in white to break up their outline. The tail tassle is white. They do well on tough country, in our colonial days it was said "Herefords for hard country," and on good grass convert grass to meat very efficiently, becoming little fatties. They love to browse and eat a wide range of vegetation. In cold climates they grow a thick warm coat.

Organisation: None found, however Cotmore Stud is the home of these in Australia; their website http://www.cotmore. com.au/

Addition Notes:

Photo: Hereford cow, 1917, Queensland. Australian Archives online (Trove).

Page by Janet Lane

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