New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Reference Terms
from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hereford (cattle)

Hereford cattle are a widely-used breed in temperate areas, mainly for beef production.

Originally from Herefordshire, England, they are found in the temperate parts of Australia while the breed also enjoys great popularity among ranchers in the desert American Southwest of the United States and also in the centre and east of Argentina and in Uruguay. There are more Hereford Breeders in New Zealand than any other beef cattle breeder. It is a testament to the hardiness of the breed that, while originating in cool, moist Britain, they have found great success, and indeed have thrived, in much harsher climates. The breed has adapted to a wide range of climates on nearly every continent.

Hornless variants with the polled gene are known as the Polled Herefords. Breeding horned and hornless together functions as a genetic dehorner. This is often used as an alternative to a dehorning process, which causes stress and often weight loss.

Closely related to the Miniature Hereford, the breed is known for its high-quality meat and its excellent maternal qualities. The Hereford's temperament is more docile thus allowing easier handling than other cattle breeds. Its meat quality is very good, rivaling that of Angus, another "British Breed", known for 'marbling' (intramuscular fat).

Related Stories
 


Plants & Animals News

December 12, 2025

New research shows that crops are far more vulnerable when too much rainfall originates from land rather than the ocean. Land-sourced moisture leads to weaker, less reliable rainfall, heightening drought risk. The U.S. Midwest and East Africa are ...
A sudden, unexplained mass die-off is decimating sea urchins around the world, including catastrophic losses in the Canary Islands. Key reef-grazing species are reaching historic lows, and their ability to reproduce has nearly halted in some ...
Fossils from Qatar have revealed a small, newly identified sea cow species that lived in the Arabian Gulf more than 20 million years ago. The site contains the densest known collection of fossil sea cow bones, showing that these animals once thrived ...
Scientists tracking young Arizona Bald Eagles found that many migrate north during summer and fall, bucking the traditional southbound pattern of most birds. Their routes rely heavily on historic stopover lakes and rivers, and often extend deep into ...
Researchers have uncovered surprising evidence that the deep ocean’s carbon-fixing engine works very differently than long assumed. While ammonia-oxidizing archaea were thought to dominate carbon fixation in the sunless depths, experiments show ...
Researchers discovered that a long-misunderstood protein plays a key role in helping chromosomes latch onto the right “tracks” during cell division. Instead of acting like a motor, it works more like a stabilizer that sets everything up ...
Microscopic fibers secretly shape how every organ in the body works, yet they’ve been notoriously hard to study—until now. A new imaging technique called ComSLI reveals hidden fiber orientations in stunning detail using only a rotating LED light ...
Scientists discovered a small protein region that determines whether plants reject or welcome nitrogen-fixing bacteria. By tweaking only two amino acids, they converted a defensive receptor into one that supports symbiosis. Early success in barley ...
Researchers revealed that the microbial metabolite TMA can directly block the immune protein IRAK4, reducing inflammation and improving insulin sensitivity. The molecule counteracts damage caused by high-fat diets and even protects mice from sepsis. ...
Scientists found that kale’s prized nutrients are hard for the body to absorb unless they’re eaten with oil. Cooking doesn’t improve absorption, but adding oil-based dressings—or even more advanced nanoemulsion sauces—does. These ...
Researchers successfully implanted a genetically modified pig liver into a human, proving that such an organ can function for an extended period. The graft supported essential liver processes before complications required its removal. Although the ...
Scientists have captured a never-before-seen, high-resolution look at influenza’s stealthy invasion of human cells, revealing that the cells aren’t just helpless victims. Using a groundbreaking imaging technique, researchers discovered that our ...

Latest Headlines

updated 12:56 pm ET