Research Statistics - Herefords Top of the Efficiency Chart
The production of more total kilograms of calf weight at weaning is the goal of every cattleman. Getting these extra kilos with less feed and maintenance costs would be considered a bonus. This is exactly the result straight Herefords produced in a breed comparison research project at the northern agricultural research centre, Montana, U.S.A.

Researchers studied the overall effects of pregnancy rate, calving problems, weaning weight and weaning rate among four breed groups. The breed groups compared were straight Hereford (Hereford cows bred to Hereford bulls and nursing Hereford calves), Angus-Hereford (Hereford cows bred to Angus bulls and nursing half Angus and half Hereford calves), Simmental-Hereford (Hereford cows bred to Simmental bulls and nursing half Simmental and half Hereford calves, and 3/4 Hereford and 1/4 simmental (Hereford cows bred to half blood Simmental bulls and nursing 3/4 Hereford calves). The project was conducted over a four year period so that the effects of re-breeding could be considered.

Overall results shows the straight Herefords to be significantly superior in weaning more kilos of calf than the Angus-Hereford or the Simmental-Hereford groups and equal to the to the 3/4 Hereford -1/4 Simmental group. The biggest difference recorded was in the area of pregnancy rate where the straight Hereford group had had a 97% pregnancy compared to only an 82% rate for the cows bred to Simmental bulls. In addition less calving problems associated with straight Hereford allowed for a much higher weaning rate. The end result showed straight Herefords to wean 13.8% more total kilos than the Simmental group and slightly more equal to the Angus-Hereford and 3/4 Hereford - 1/4 Simmental group.

Straight Hereford cows were compared to Simmental cross cows for feed requirements in a related project. The results of this study showed that straight Hereford cows required 38% less forage for maintance than did the Simmental cross cows.

This Montana research project closely parallels the results obtained in an earlier experiment at Meat Animal Research Centre in Clay, Nabraska. This Nebraska study showed Hereford cross cows to be 30% more efficient than Simmental cross and 11% more efficient than Simmental Charolais cross in the area of feed utilisation. The Nabraska station also found that cows bred to Hereford bulls had up to 11% more calves, up to 15% less calving problems and weaned 5% more total kilos than cows bred to Simmental, Charolais and Limousin bulls. Thus in two research projects, the influence of Hereford blood resulted in significant economic gains, more total kilos of calf weaned on nearly 38% less feed.

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