At Performance Polled Herefords, I pursue balanced performance. I strive to improve growth and carcass traits while maintaining the maternal traits, docility, and ruggedness that Herefords are so well known for. I participate in the THE All Star Program at 7 stars, meaning I record at least seven traits. I track Birth Weight, Weaning Weight, Yearling Weight, Yearling Scrotal Measures on the bulls, Udder Suspension and Teat Length on the cows, Cow Weight, and Body Condition Scores. Doing all these records helps with making management decisions. Eye appeal and style are nice; however, I do not follow the fads, but rather focus on functionality. Also, I do not show any cattle and if an A.I. bull is a show winner in Denver, CO it does not fizz me. I sell females of various ages and two-year-old bulls. These bulls are developed gently, with their longevity in mind. This way you can see the actual animal, and not just hair and blubber covering all the structural mistakes. Because we all know there is no perfect animal; we have to weigh strengths and weaknesses and make our mating decisions accordingly.

 

               Being conscious of the tendency for Hereford calves to not be the fastest growing on the market, I at Performance Polled Herefords pursue genetics that are at the top end for weaning weight and yearling weight. Ideally, I want sires that are below average for birth weight and well above average for weaning weight and yearling weight; these animals are rare. (Check out the EPD’s on the Herd sires.) I try to avoid the extremes on the mature cow weight; I am finding that the big framey cows aren't tough enough to perform in the harsh environment of SE Manitoba. On the other extreme, the small, pudgy blubber box cows just don't have enough growth. To try to get more yield out of the hanging carcass, I strive to use bulls that have a Carcass Weight EPD close to or even higher than the mature cow weight, another rare combination. Improving rib eye area and marbling is also something that I keep in focus when choosing new genetics.

 

               And then there are the maternal traits yet too! Hereford breeders have in general tightened udders and shortened teats, but there is still opportunity for more improvement. Scrotal circumference is also very high on my list as scrotal size is a direct indication of fertility in the bull himself and his daughters. You will notice on the pictures that colour and pigment are not at the top of my list; beauty is only skin deep. With all these different traits to keep in mind, I spend many hours poring over new potential herd sires; most fall by the way side.

 

               Based on my experience in the dairy industry, using A.I. sires brings quicker improvement as a whole. Using a number of different A.I. bulls helps ensure that, should there be a hidden problem, only a small percent of the herd is affected. At Performance Polled Herefords, I assess each cow’s strengths and weaknesses and mate her to a sire that is compatible.  Now, I realize that EPD’s aren’t everything; but numbers are a good indicator, especially with high accuracies.

 

               The cattle don’t know that they are registered purebreds, and so we manage them very similar to the commercial herd. As a matter of fact, some of them run together. Weather permitting, the cows calve on pasture on residual grass, starting around April 10th. Night checks are extremely rare, even in the heifer pen.

 

Calving is something the cows do, not the people.

 

              

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cows are culled based on milking ability and especially fertility. During breeding, the females get 1 chance at A.I. and then they go to the walking bulls for another 2 cycles. In July 2024, I started using a complete needle program to bring all the females into heat at the same time. I was initially concered about what the conception rate would be; but with my major herd reduction, only the most fertile cows families are still here! Even with using mostly sexed semen, the conception rate is still very acceptable. The cattle are preg-checked via ultrasound; most of the females pregnant to the clean up bull find new pastures to graze elsewhere. This harsh policy has drastically improved overall herd fertility!

 

               The calves do not see hot feed. They do get creep fed for a few weeks before weaning. It greatly reduces weaning stress and helps with the transition from milk and grass to dry feed. In order to be kept as breeding stock, male and female, the calves have to successfully pass 4 phenotype and performance examinations: at birth, at weaning, at yearling and at 18 months. Only the top half of the male calves have a chance of staying intact. Since I started using mostly sexed female semen in Summer 2023 and since I sold a large amount of my cows, most of the female calves now pass the performance test. The bottom end calves get sold in Spring into the grass market.

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               Because I don’t own even 1 square foot of property on this planet, my cattle are near Vita, MB, at a relative’s place.  They are also Hereford breeders, and together with his dad and brother, also run a large commercial herd, mostly blacks. They got into the Hereford business because they wanted cattle that were more family oriented for temperament, especially at calving. Because of the harsh climate and poor grass in that part of the province, the cows wear work clothes; no sitting around in lace and ribbons. In winter, the cows are fed a total mixed ration on pasture. This way they spread their own manure, which helps to regenerate the pastures. We can always tell where the cows were fed in winter, the grass is greener and birdsfoot trefoil and some clovers are starting to grow. The pastures are cross-fenced to utilize the grass more evenly. With the drought that we had in the Fall of 2020 and all of 2021, we could definitely tell that the grass stand was more resilient.

 

               Thank-you for visiting this website. I hope you found it informative. If you are interested in purchasing some cattle or even just have a question, do contact me!

God Bless!