• The origin of Miniature Hereford cattle has its roots in Herefordshire, England.
• The Miniature Hereford we know today are descendants of pure Hereford stock selectively bred since the 1970’s.
• With the trend at that time being “bigger is better” one particular breeder went against the trend and selectively bred for temperament, hardiness, meat quality and feed conversion.
• Miniature Herefords are full blooded Herefords and are registered through Herefords Australia (they are just a line of Herefords).
• Like other Herefords, they are primarily used as a beef animal.
• Miniature Herefords are about 30-50% the size of traditional Herefords. Click here to see photos.
• The ideal conformation and breeding characteristics of a miniature Hereford are the same as traditional Herefords.
• One judges the quality of these cattle in a similar manner – good bone structure, depth, functionality, soundness and indication of high carcass quality.
• The primary difference being height – an adult Miniature Hereford Cow can not be taller than 114 cm (45”) at the hip, while a Bull can not be taller than 119 cm (47”) at the hip.
• In Australia, Herefords are classed as miniature Herefords if the animal is registered with Herefords Australia (HAL) and has the MH or MP indicator on their registration certificate (meaning that they have miniature Hereford bloodlines) AND their frame score is ONE or less at age 2 years.
• Buyers should ensure any cattle they purchase are registered with Herefords Australia.
• You can check to see if the animal is registered by going to Herefords Australia animal enquiry page and typing in the animals full name.

How big are miniature Herefords really?

Most breeders will list either a mature frame score or current height along with an animal’s sale statistics. 114cm (45 inches) tall may not sound like much, but when you add 61 cm (two feet) of width, almost 450 kg (1000 pounds) of beef all wrapped in a hairy hide, they can be larger than you thought.

• Miniature Herefords are roughly half the size of their Modern counterparts, but they are still cattle.
• Miniature Herefords, which are a smaller chunkier version of the larger Hereford, like their larger cousins, have a good temperament, essential for a small block.
• Miniature Herefords forage well and don’t seem to be affected too adversely by hills and the poorer feed that grows on them.