Menoturals; Cattle Crew

Well, it's time to share for Nature Friday with the LLB gang, and I still have two breeds of cattle to show off.

Today's breed is the mighty fine Hereford. This is a breed that has been much developed and re-bred and has become favoured the world over. Most of the cattle with this name outside the UK are from modern (post-WW2) breeding programmes. Here in the British Isles, though, there is a move to retain and return to full use the Original Population (OP) standard of the breed.

It wasn't until the mid-eighteenth century, when many farmers were getting interested in the more scientific aspects of breeding, that a certain Benjamin Tompkins of Herefordshire introduced some of the white-faced Welsh Marches to his home herd of an undefined breed name. Those cattle were short in stature but very hardy. The work on the breed was taken up by the Hewers (father Wm and son John), and it was they who are credited with formalising the deep red colouring with the white markings.

The photo I have from the Westmoreland show is of a very fine bull from the OP family: note the shortish legs and compact body. I could look over the withers of this animal, so they are definitely not tall, but very, very solid.

Herefords are much-loved and are often to be found mingled with other breeds on many farms. I have previously told you of the terminology of the Highland Cattle, in that a collection of them is referred to as a Fold. Folds are not simply herds, but might also be considered as 'clans', so relationships can be traced via the breed books.

Well, Herefords are equally aristocratic: in their case, the terminology is 'Tribe'. In the OP family, there are some very clear tribes, traceable back to those early breeding regimes. First and foremost arises from John Hewer's prized cow, Old Rosabelle, and is called the Dainty Tribe. 

Then there is the Countess Tribe and the Belladonna Tribe. Some are grouped together, such as the Maria, Plum and Pretty Maid lines under the umbrella of the Wintercott Tribes. There are the Carwardine and Arkwright Tribes, again with sub-tribes... if anyone is really keen on reading about family trees for cattle, you can check out this page!

Herefords are primarily known as beef cattle, but are also good for boosting dairy herds when crossed in. They are considered among the more docile cattle for handling, just don't make any sudden movements!

Now to remind you all that next week is FFF time again - offer up something just a little bit different, informative, fun, awe-inspiring...