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Investment Potential!
Miniature Herefords have the potential to become a second income or a fulltime business. The Miniature Hereford market is expanding and will continue to grow as it gains recognition for its true commercial value. Which means the market is not to saturated, yet, which presents a money making opportunity and an investment in your future! Miniature Herefords may also be used to classify small acreages for agricultural exemption status and tax credit.
Higher Stocking Rate
Miniature Hereford cattle may be stocked at a higher rate and may produce up to 40% more beef per year on the same pasture. Miniature Herefords are an ideal alternative for small and large acreages, with the ability to stock more head per acre.
Time & Labor Efficient
Miniature Herefords are easier to handle than the larger breeds. With the manageability of these cattle, the maintenance cost on equipment, fences etc. may be less expensive. As with any breed of cattle you will need to have working facilities available for vaccinations, dehorning, and various other circumstances when you will need to confine your Miniature Hereford, although smaller these animals are still cattle.
Care/Feeding
The feeding requirements are the same as standard cattle, attention towards your minerals/supplements, as well as your vaccination program should ensure that you have healthy animals. Miniature Herefords have a high rate of feed conversion. They can maintain excellent body condition on low quality roughage, although this is not recommended if you are planning on showing your animals. You will have lighter feed requirements as you are feeding a smaller animal.
Calving should be uneventful if you pay close attention to your animals, especially your first calf heifers, at calving time. Birth weights for the Miniature Herefords can range up 60 pounds depending on your bull selection and condition of your heifer/cow at calving time. We provide literature on these issues at the time of purchase.
Heifers are able to be bred at 15 months old, in order to have the heifer calve at the age of 2yrs, although, it is recommended breeding the heifers at about 18 months of age to allow for more maturity. Breeding heifers earlier than 15 months of age is not advisable. Bulls can begin to breed as early as a year, but use them sparingly as they too are still maturing and injuries may result.
Ideal Carcass Size
Miniature Herefords produce smaller carcasses and smaller cuts of quality meat. Early maturing, natural, and hormone free will produce the quality meat that today's health conscientious family is looking for. The steaks are smaller,yet will satisfy the average person. Plus, it saves the inconvenience of finding a buyer for the other half.All the steaks are yours!
What makes them miniature?
Cattle are measured by "frame score" which is the measurement in inches from the top of the hip to the ground. The table for scoring miniature cattle starts at 1 and goes down to 0000. Where as the table for the average sized bovine starts at 1 and goes up. With this in mind your measurements should not exceed 45” measured at the hip for a mature 3 year old female and not to exceed 48” measured at the hip for a mature 3 year old bull.
So, what exactly is a Miniature Hereford?
The original purpose was to develop a small, efficient beef animal. That goal has been accomplished by improving the cow/calf weaning ratio, the rib eye area per hundred weights, the dressing percentage and the tenderness due to genetics and early maturity. The Miniature Herefords are an ideal way to fill the need for the person who desires to have animals on small acreages, to be self sufficient by raising their own beef. They can be used to classify small acreages for agricultural exemption status, a full-time business, as a secondary source of income or group investment ventures. The smaller cattle are easy to handle and make excellent show animals for 4-H, FFA or national shows.
The Future
There is a growing demand for healthy, organically raised beef. Our ever changing society has realized that people are becoming increasingly overweight and that adopting healthier eating habits are a must. Enjoying a steak from one of the miniature beef is an excellent way to start improving on your eating habits; they are smaller cuts but are still enough for the average person without consuming too much.
The Miniature Hereford is continually gaining national and worldwide attention with the price of food continually rising and the farmland decreasing in size daily, the public is beginning to educate themselves more on the benefits to raising their own beef. The Miniature Herefords have been featured on ABC World News Tonight as well as having an article printed in the Wall Street Journal. Keeping these facts in mind, our future is unlimited with the Miniature Herefords Cattle.
Fundamental Traits of the Miniature Hereford Cattle
- Early Maturity
- High Fertility
- High Feed Conversion
- Disposition
- Ease of Handling
- Hardiness
- Adaptable to various climates
- Lower Overhead
- Higher profit ability
- Lighter equipment requirements
- 3:1 ratio per acre, compared to modern beef
- Smaller cuts of beef, ideal family size
Travis and Arlou Cox
Members of Miniature Hereford Breeders Association and American Hereford Association
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