The Black Hereford cattle are a breed of beef cattle and raised mainly for meat production. Originally it derived from the Hereford cattle, but with some mixture from the black Angus cattle.
The mixture from the black Angus breed resulted in black colored cattle with a white head and finching. Late John Gage established the American Black Hereford Association as a non-profit corporation in 1994.
And in 1997, the first Black Herefords to qualify for registration were recorded. And the breed received international breed designation in 2003 by the National Association of Animal Breeds.
The association implemented it’s own Expected Progeny Difference (EPD) ratios for individual animals by 2005. These EPD ratios help producers for using performance data collected from each animal and its offspring to accurately predict the performance of future offspring.
The American Black Hereford Association is experiencing strong growth throughout the United States with a surge in both breeder membership and animals registered. Read more information about this cattle breed below.
Black Hereford Cattle Characteristics
The Black Hereford cattle are just like the original Hereford cattle in size and appearance, except the coloration. They are mainly a black cattle breed with a white head and finching.
They are often crossed with the black Aberdeen Angus cattle for producing hybrid vigor. Photo and info from Wikipedia.
Uses
Black Hereford cattle are mainly a beef cattle breed. They are raised primarily for meat production.
Special Notes
The Black Hereford cattle are very strong and hardy animals. They are becoming known and popular gradually because of their feed efficiency and docile temperament like the red Hereford cattle.
Many cattle breeders want to raise black cattle as the black cattle tend to bring more money at market. But at the same time the breeders also want to have traits of the red Hereford cattle.
Some breeders also want to introduce Hereford type traits into their black cattle along with maintaining the black color.
The Black Hereford cattle breed allows the breeders to accomplish both of these goals. Currently the breed is used mainly for producing beef.
Review full breed profile of this cattle breed in the following table.
| Breed Name | Black Hereford |
| Other Name | None |
| Breed Purpose | Mainly meat |
| Special Notes | Strong, very hardy, well adapted to native climates, good for meat, excellent meat quality, grow relatively faster |
| Breed Size | Medium to large |
| Climate Tolerance | Native climates |
| Coat Color | Black |
| Horned | No |
| Milk Yield | Poor |
| Rarity | Common |
| Country/Place of Origin | England |
