Hereford cattle
The Hereford is a red, white-faced beef breed that its association describes as docile and hardy. It comes horned or polled, so you can choose. It is not a small animal: cows average 1,300–1,500 lb and bulls 2,200–2,300 lb.
Is the Hereford right for you?
Good fit if
- You want a beef breed its association describes as docile and hardy
- You want a choice of horned or polled cattle within one breed
- You plan to cross a Hereford bull on black cows for baldy calves
- You want cattle bred from the start to grow and gain on grass and grain
Poor fit if
- You want a small animal. Cows average 1,300–1,500 lb
- You want a rare or heritage breed
- You want a dairy breed. The Hereford is a beef breed
Appearance and varieties
Alberta Agriculture says the breed is easy to recognise by its consistent colour pattern: red with a white face, brisket and underside. Herefords can be horned or polled.
Mature bulls weigh 2,200–2,300 lb and cows average 1,300–1,500 lb, on Alberta's figures. Oklahoma State notes that English Herefords of the 1700s and early 1800s were much larger, with many reaching 3,000 lb or more, and that American breeders of the 1930s and 1940s went the other way, to short, compact cattle, before selecting for more frame again from the 1960s.32
Temperament and handling
The American Hereford Association says breeders reshaping the breed never lost sight of its fundamental traits, particularly fertility and docility, and lists superior disposition among what Herefords offer today.
That is the breed's own association speaking, not an independent rating.4
Animals vary within a breed. Treat this as what to expect, not a promise, and meet the animal before you buy if you can.
Production numbers
What our sources report for the breed. If two sources disagree, you see the full range.
| Measure | Typical | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Baldy cross | Hereford-sired black baldies showed a $30 a head advantage over purebred Angus, and baldy females a 7% advantage in pregnancy1 | The association's own 2005 Harris Ranch Project, as it reports it. |
| Feed intake | Advantage of nearly 2 lb in the 2017 US Meat Animal Research Center across-breed comparison1 | As reported by the association. |
| Certified Hereford Beef | Brand established by the association in 19951 | |
| Gestation | 283 days, give or take 1910 | All cattle, from Oregon State. |
Housing, feed and health
Housing
Oklahoma State says Herefords proved themselves on the western range in the late 1800s, surviving rough ranching conditions while improving the beef quality of the local longhorned cattle. Alberta Agriculture describes them as hardy and able to adapt easily to diverse conditions.
For beef cattle in general, Oregon State says elaborate housing is not needed and cattle do very well outside in most weather. It recommends a mud-free area with protection from wind and rain, such as a three-sided shelter, a perimeter fence with strong corner braces, and a corral, narrow alley and squeeze chute so animals can be handled safely.2310
Feed
Oklahoma State lists Benjamin Tomkins's goals as economy in feeding, a natural aptitude to grow and gain from grass and grain, rustling ability, hardiness, early maturity and prolificacy. The association reports that a 2017 across-breed comparison from the US Meat Animal Research Center showed a feed intake advantage of nearly 2 lb for Hereford.
For beef cattle in general, Oregon State says an animal eats up to 3 percent of its bodyweight in good-quality feed a day on a dry-matter basis and drinks 4 to 20 gallons of water a day depending on size, age and weather, with much more in high heat. Clean water must be available at all times.2110
Health
The basics are the same as for any beef herd. Oregon State puts prevention first: clean sheds, lots and troughs, a sound vaccination programme, parasite control, and frequent observation of the herd.
This is a starting point, not veterinary advice. If an animal goes off its feed or seems unwell, call a large-animal vet or your county extension office.10
Price and where to buy
| Quality | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Registered replacement heifer (12–16 months) to bred heifer (17 months) | $3250–$540067 |
| Registered bull, weaned calf to 18 months | $4000–$700089 |
Asking prices from private-treaty listings on The Cattle Range, read as archived copies on 9 October 2026. The pages show no posting date; the months below come from the listing addresses and archive copies. Heifers: 20 registered replacement heifers of 12–16 months in the Oklahoma Panhandle at $3,250 (May 2026), and 8 registered polled heifers of 17 months, bred, in north-central Texas at $5,400 (March 2026); both lots were offered as a group and neither page says 'each', so we read the prices as per head. Bulls: registered polled bull calves born February to June 2025 in northeast Texas at $4,000–$5,000 each (January 2026), and registered fertility-tested bulls of 14–18 months in east-central Oklahoma at $4,500–$7,000 per head (July 2025). We found no dated page pricing steers or unregistered cattle.
Where to look
Start with a breeder you can visit. Nobody pays to be on this list.
| Seller or directory | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| American Hereford Association | Breed association | The site's menu has a Find a Breeder search, Hereford sales listings and a commercial marketplace |
| The Cattle Range | Classified listings | Dated private-treaty listings by breed and state; archived copy of one Hereford listing |
Similar breeds
| Breed | Cow weight | Bull weight | Beginner | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hereford (this breed) | 1300–1500 lb | 2200–2300 lb | $3250–$7000 | |
| Angus | 1250 lb | 2300 lb | $3500–$5000 |
History
Farmers in Herefordshire, England, founded the breed nearly 300 years ago in response to the demand for beef created by Britain's Industrial Revolution. Benjamin Tomkins, a primary founder, began in 1742 with a bull calf from the cow Silver and two cows, Pidgeon and Mottle.
Henry Clay of Kentucky brought the first Herefords to the United States in 1817, a bull and two females, but they were absorbed into local cattle. The first lasting breeding herd was started in 1840 by William H. Sotham and Erastus Corning of Albany, New York. Only about 200 head had been imported by 1880; more than 3,500 came over between 1880 and 1889 as western ranchers bought Hereford bulls. One import of that decade, Anxiety 4, is called the father of American Herefords.
Breeders founded the American Hereford Cattle Breeders Association in Chicago on 22 June 1881. Warren Gammon later fixed the hornless trait from naturally polled Herefords he saw at the Trans-Mississippi World's Fair in Omaha, using the bull Giant and 11 females, and the American Polled Hereford Association followed in 1910. The two merged in 1995 as the American Hereford Association, which registers horned and polled cattle alike.142
Common questions
How big do Hereford cattle get?
Alberta Agriculture's breed guide puts mature bulls at 2,200–2,300 lb and cows at 1,300–1,500 lb.3
What colour are Hereford cattle?
Red with a white face, brisket and underside. The pattern is consistent enough that the breed is easy to recognise.3
Do Hereford cattle have horns?
Some do. Herefords come horned or polled (naturally hornless), and the American Hereford Association registers both. The polled strain had its own association from 1910 until the two merged in 1995.4
Where do Hereford cattle come from?
Herefordshire, England, where farmers founded the breed nearly 300 years ago. Herefords first reached the United States in 1817, and the first lasting US herd dates from 1840.14
What are Hereford cattle used for?
Beef. The association also promotes Hereford bulls for crossbreeding: its own studies report advantages for Hereford-sired baldy calves and females over straightbred Angus.1
Are Hereford cattle docile?
The American Hereford Association says so: it calls docility a fundamental trait of the breed and lists superior disposition among its strengths. That is the association's own account, not an independent rating.4
Sources
The small numbers beside each fact point to one of these.
- American Hereford Association, History.
- Oklahoma State University, Breeds of Livestock: Hereford Cattle (archived copy).
- Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Alberta Beef Breeds (with Alberta dairy breeds).
- American Hereford Association, Hereford Heritage fact sheet (PDF).
- BreedBarn, Editorial rating, method on the editorial policy page.
- The Cattle Range, Listing: 20 Reg. Hereford Rep. Heifers, OK Panhandle, May 2026 (archived copy).
- The Cattle Range, Listing: 8 Reg. Polled Hereford Bred Heifers, N. Central TX, March 2026 (archived copy).
- The Cattle Range, Listing: 10 Reg. Polled Hereford Bull Calves, Northeast TX, January 2026 (archived copy).
- The Cattle Range, Listing: 10 Reg. Hereford Bulls, E. Central OK, July 2025 (archived copy).
- Oregon State University Extension Service, Beef production for small farms: An overview (EC 1514).
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