The Tomkins family of Herefordshire is generally given credit for having started the Hereford breed 250 years ago, and the first Herefords were exported to the States in the early 1800s. Since that time, as the whole world has obsessed with breeding ever and ever bigger cattle – in the UK this meant importing the larger continental breeds from Europe – one stubborn farming family in America bucked the trend. 

The West Texas Largents at Point of Rocks ranch in Fort Davis, USA, developed the miniature Hereford with a very selective breeding programme starting in the early 1970s. Through careful breeding, the first Miniature Hereford bull was born in 1981. Their reasoning for developing a miniature was that the typical Hereford was getting too big, developing too much bone, and becoming harder on pasture and facilities. People were coming to the farm and often asking to buy the smallest calves, which would fit into their freezer!

To “downsize”, Roy and Rust Largent used the smallest Herefords they could find, and continued to breed smaller over the decades, until they reached the size now called “miniature”. For this they are measured across the spine at the hipbones, as the height there is less likely to change than at the wither. In general, bulls should be less than 48 inches and cows less than 46 inches at three years of age to be considered miniature. The miniature Hereford of today is really more like the Herefords of the early- to mid-1900's. These Herefords were of a compact type of conformation (short, low set, wide and deep-bodied) and ideal to be accommodated on the old Atlantic-crossing, sailing ships with their shallow deck heights.

The modern, even smaller, miniature Herefords are not a separate breed. They are descendants of the original Herefords exported to America in the early 19^th Century, and their pedigrees can be traced back to the UK where the breed originated. In conformation, miniature Herefords should look exactly like the bigger cattle but proportionately smaller. The ideal conformation and breeding characteristics are the same as traditional standard Herefords.  One judges the quality of these cattle in a similar manner – good bone structure, depth, functionality, soundness and indication of high carcass quality.   

By 1989 miniature Hereford breeding stock was available for sale and they are now available in many states of the US, Canada, Australia and, now, for the first time here in the UK too. The Chater Valley herd of miniature Herefords (shown in the photographs here with some of our standard Herefords), came from stock bred in Canada, which we imported to the UK. This herd actually originates from the original miniature Hereford stock at the Point of Rocks ranch in Texas. 

Herefords can now be said to have come full circle, back to the UK. Miniature Herefords are very rare in the UK, with only three breeders that we are aware of, including us. We are planning to build our herd over the next 2-3 years but it's a slow process. Our miniature Herefords are full, pedigree Herefords, registered in the official herd book of the UK’s Hereford Cattle Society. We have also entered the SAC’s Premium Cattle Health Scheme to ensure our stock are reassuringly healthy.

The characteristics of Herefords (the Royal breed) are that they are efficient foragers (turning grass into beef), mature early, calve easily, milk well for their calves and are excellent mothers. They are extremely hardy and adapt well to almost any environment from extreme cold, to high humidity areas, to dry deserts. Herefords have always been known for their docile nature. In addition, because of a strong genetic base that has been firmly established over the past several decades, the offspring are very predictable as to type and conformation.

Their docile temperament and ease of handling makes them even more popular as a breed. Miniature Herefords have all the Hereford’s excellent traits but they have some added advantages. They eat approximately 40% less food than their bigger cousins but produce around 60% by weight of the prime cuts with less bone. Compared with the popular crossbred cows of today, miniature Herefords will winter on about a third of their intake, thus lowering production costs while producing smaller sized cuts of lean, flavourful, high quality beef. It is possible to graze two miniature Herefords of say 700 lb in the place of one larger 1,400 lb animal, yet get up to 25% more beef and at the same time have less damage to pasture and facilities. In fact, in good winters on good pasture, it is possible to leave the miniature Herefords outside all year round. Herefords and their miniature cousins require no special feed. Good pasture or quality grass hay, a salt/trace mineral supplement, and clean water will meet their nutritional needs

So miniatures Herefords are the ideal animals for smallholdings of a few acres upwards; young children or people that love cattle for one reason or another yet do not have the time, space or patience for the requirements of running large cattle. Miniature Herefords do not require vast fences, pens or chutes, and are easily kept within most types of fencing. They may be considered pets, enjoyed as a hobby, treated as a secondary source of income or a full time business.

Miniature Herefords can give high cow/calf weaning ratios (calf weight percentage to cow weight at weaning). Typically, if the average cow/calf-weaning ratio is 35-40%, the miniature Hereford can maintain a 65 percent (or better) ratio. Miniature Herefords produce 60% by weight of the prime cuts. The Mini-Hereford breed is known to be very fertile and breed back in a timely manner. Heifers can be bred at two to three years, while bulls can start earlier, around 1½ years of age. Once a calf is born the mother is very nurturing and also provides plenty of milk for its calf. The average weight of a newborn miniature calf is 35-60 lb.

We chose to breed Hereford cattle because of their special characteristics. Throughout their history the Hereford has maintained its distinctive white face and reddish-brown coat. Even when they are cross-bred - something we don't do - they retain the Hereford white face characteristics. 

They are well suited to forage-based diets, which fits in well with our pasture grazing system. Beef produced off grass is claimed to have a longer shelf life & better colour, is high in the essential fatty acid omega-3, and has a distinctive taste. Herefords are also famous for their good temperament and docility, a trait which eases management and makes them a pleasure to work with. They are renowned for easy calving, which keeps the vet bills down, and allows more natural behaviours. Our farm is mainly pasture and woodland - the Herefords graze as long as the weather permits and are then brought into the barn and fed mainly hay, topped up with home-grown maize to give them all the nutrients they need to see them through the Winter months. Herefords kept mostly on grassland produce an excellent 'marbled' beef that has a distinctive flavour and renowned eating quality.