I like having the breed on the farm, they’re easy fleshing, quiet and the end product is very good.
We have a mixed farm here in Wexford, just outside Enniscorthy. My wife Lola and I manage the farm and we do some arable farming and also have a herd of Hereford cows.
I breed Hereford bulls for local dairy farmers. There’s a fine balance to be struck when breeding for dairy farmers, they want a small handy calf, with easy calving and a short gestation, and then for the beef industry we need to have high growth rates and as good conformation as possible. The Hereford breed ticks all of these boxes.
The Hereford is also very suitable as a suckler dam, they’re docile, fertile, good milkers and are easy to manage.
I find that the Herefords do very well in Irish conditions, we are fortunate enough to be able to winter some of our cattle out on fodder crops, and I think it’s the healthiest way for them to live and thrive. Once the summer grass comes in you can really see them take off, they do well on good grass, and they are great converters of grass to beef.
I like having the breed on the farm, they’re easy fleshing, quiet and the end product is very good.
I am happy to say that my whole family have an interest in farming. My daughter has completed a degree in Agricultural science in UCD and is very interested in the Hereford breed. She, along with my son, are currently working abroad, gaining experience, one is in Australia and the other is in North Carolina, but they are keen to keep the tradition of farming on this land in the family.
As a Hereford breeder I feel that it is important to continuously work towards improving the quality and efficiency of our animals. Sustainability is part of every farm’s future, and it is vital that we ensure that this breed is as sustainable as possible heading into tomorrow.
