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R A Bradstock
Free Town
Tarrington
Hereford
HR1 4JB
UNITED KINGDOM
Tel 01432 890 238
Fax 01432 890 338
farm@free-town.co.uk
The
Free Town Herd of Herefords was founded in 1906
with cows from the Showle Herd, one of the foremost herds of that
era. The farm is located in an
area of Herefordshire
with a very fertile moisture-retentive, loamy soil, known for mixed
farming,
including cattle, sheep, hops, cider fruit and potatoes (we are about
75 metres
above sea level and rainfall averages 700 mm per annum). Hops are no
longer grown on this
farm of 500 acres, although they were once a major enterprise for some
70 years,
and cider fruit (60 acres) is now the major cash crop. A third of the
farm is
down to grass, and a small flock of commercial ewes is kept for
complementary
grazing.
Cattle from the herd have been exhibited regularly at agricultural shows, winning countless awards, prompting an export trade to more than 20 countries over the last century: Following a long ban due to BSE, exports were recently resumed with four in calf females travelling to the Irish Republic.
The success of the herd of 75 cows is founded on strong female families; very few females have been purchased. Milk is of paramount importance and it is an essential selection criterion, assessed through calf performance and milk EBVs (Estimated Breeding Values): calves are usually suckled until nine or ten months of age. The female replacement rate is around 15%, with heifers first calving by 2½ years of age, allowing full physical development without overfeeding. The breed has a good fertility record, many cows breeding regularly until 13-15 years of age. Two calving periods, September to November and February to April are used; calves are de-budded by electric iron around 12 weeks of age.
Although a hardy breed, most cattle are housed for the wetter winter months, usually December to March, to prevent spoiling of pastures that are predominantly long-term ryegrass, timothy and white clover mixes. Winter rations are based on grass( or whole crop cereal) silage and, in addition, young cattle are fed a totally home-grown ration of oats,barley, beans and lupins.
The herd contained only pure English bloodlines until 1984 when Canadian sires Standard Lad 93J and SNS Generator 28X were introduced to increase scale and produce leaner carcasses at the weights required by the market. Nevertheless it has been our aim to retain the inherent ability of the breed to finish readily, especially off poor quality forage, and to calve easily without assistance. Recently, Australian bloodlines (for example, Centennial Tribute by Kaludah Miracle, and Yarram Pompeii by Courallie Pompeii) have been used by artificial insemination, improving vigour but retaining the dark soft coat for which the Hereford is traditionally known.
The Herd is recorded using the Breedplan ‘Best Linear Unbiased Prediction’ analysis developed in Australia and used by over 100 breed Societies worldwide. Numerous traits are assessed from maternal e.g. calving ease, birth weight and gestation length through growth characteristics to carcass values of fat levels (including intramuscular ,i.e. marbling), retail beef yield and eye muscle area; the latter being of increasing importance in sire selection.
A rigorous selection process is practiced, male calves considered below a breeding standard progress to produce premium steer beef which is sold locally from the farm gate, as well as through local butchers. Carcass weights range from 300 to 350kg. Breeding stock are usually sold privately, heifers are preferred in calf; some bulls are offered at the official Society Sales held twice yearly in Hereford market.
The Breed has earned a reputation for hardiness, thriftiness and versatility, becoming one of the most numerous breeds in the world -popular and profitable from the tropics to temperate climates. Herefords are eminently suitable for incorporating into crossbred suckler cows, introducing carcass quality as well as reliable maternal traits. There is considerable scope for promoting the maternal qualities of our breed in commercial beef enterprises: It is integral in our breeding policy to retain these attributes.
Cattle from the herd have been exhibited regularly at agricultural shows, winning countless awards, prompting an export trade to more than 20 countries over the last century: Following a long ban due to BSE, exports were recently resumed with four in calf females travelling to the Irish Republic.
The success of the herd of 75 cows is founded on strong female families; very few females have been purchased. Milk is of paramount importance and it is an essential selection criterion, assessed through calf performance and milk EBVs (Estimated Breeding Values): calves are usually suckled until nine or ten months of age. The female replacement rate is around 15%, with heifers first calving by 2½ years of age, allowing full physical development without overfeeding. The breed has a good fertility record, many cows breeding regularly until 13-15 years of age. Two calving periods, September to November and February to April are used; calves are de-budded by electric iron around 12 weeks of age.
Although a hardy breed, most cattle are housed for the wetter winter months, usually December to March, to prevent spoiling of pastures that are predominantly long-term ryegrass, timothy and white clover mixes. Winter rations are based on grass( or whole crop cereal) silage and, in addition, young cattle are fed a totally home-grown ration of oats,barley, beans and lupins.
The herd contained only pure English bloodlines until 1984 when Canadian sires Standard Lad 93J and SNS Generator 28X were introduced to increase scale and produce leaner carcasses at the weights required by the market. Nevertheless it has been our aim to retain the inherent ability of the breed to finish readily, especially off poor quality forage, and to calve easily without assistance. Recently, Australian bloodlines (for example, Centennial Tribute by Kaludah Miracle, and Yarram Pompeii by Courallie Pompeii) have been used by artificial insemination, improving vigour but retaining the dark soft coat for which the Hereford is traditionally known.
The Herd is recorded using the Breedplan ‘Best Linear Unbiased Prediction’ analysis developed in Australia and used by over 100 breed Societies worldwide. Numerous traits are assessed from maternal e.g. calving ease, birth weight and gestation length through growth characteristics to carcass values of fat levels (including intramuscular ,i.e. marbling), retail beef yield and eye muscle area; the latter being of increasing importance in sire selection.
A rigorous selection process is practiced, male calves considered below a breeding standard progress to produce premium steer beef which is sold locally from the farm gate, as well as through local butchers. Carcass weights range from 300 to 350kg. Breeding stock are usually sold privately, heifers are preferred in calf; some bulls are offered at the official Society Sales held twice yearly in Hereford market.
The Breed has earned a reputation for hardiness, thriftiness and versatility, becoming one of the most numerous breeds in the world -popular and profitable from the tropics to temperate climates. Herefords are eminently suitable for incorporating into crossbred suckler cows, introducing carcass quality as well as reliable maternal traits. There is considerable scope for promoting the maternal qualities of our breed in commercial beef enterprises: It is integral in our breeding policy to retain these attributes.