HERITAGE CATTLE

Heritage Cattle
“The breeds of our forefathers – for better temperament and superior meat”

The original breeds of cattle grown for human consumption – going back as far as 1200AD – were contained at a ‘manageable’ size, as farms were typically small and stock handling methods were very basic.

However, for the past 50 or so years these traditional breeds have been selectively bred up for size – particularly in the then emerging new markets, like America and Australia.

This has resulted in cattle that are up to 40% larger than traditional breeds – but in the process introducing some negative outcomes:

•  They require different handling techniques due to their size and bulk.
• In many cases they have a higher ratio of skeletal frame weight to total weight. (i.e. lower ratio of useable meat to total weight.)

This has led to many breeders returning to the traditional breeds – by importing cattle or embryos – and paying a substantial premium to do so. The new derivatives of traditional breeds include – Lowlines, Squaremeaters, Miniature Herefords / Galloways, Dexters. Heritage Cattle introduces the best blends of the traits of traditional breeds, including:

• Manageable size * Good temperament
• High yield (ratio of sale-able cuts to total body weight)
• High marbling and tenderness
• High conversion of feed in to product out. (They are typically ‘good doers’, even in dry conditions).

The heritage cattle we have at the moment are: