Black Hereford Breed

Black Herefords are a hybrid breed developed by crossing Hereford and Angus cattle and having at least 62.5% registered Hereford blood, black in color and sired by a bull registered by the American Black Hereford Association. Most have traditional white markings of a Hereford but black hided instead of red.

The American Black Hereford Association was established in 1994. The first cattle to qualify were registered in 1997.

In 2002, Black Hereford became a registered trademark with the US Patent and Trademark Office.

In 2003, Black Herefords received international breed designation from the National Association of Animal breeders.

EPD's were established for Black Herefords as a separate beef breed in 2005.

The Black Hereford name originated in the British Isles where a Black Hereford is an offspring resulting from the pairing of a Holstein-Friesian cow and a Hereford bull. In Europe, the term, Black Hereford describes a hybrid animal, not a breed.

In America, breeders have taken the offspring of Angus and Hereford cattle and created a registered breed that are called Black Herefords.

The US Patent and Trademark Office made the term “Black Hereford” a registered trademark in 2002. In 2003, the National Association of Animal Breeders granted an international breed designation to the Black Hereford cattle line. During 2005, the Black Hereford Beef product line was created. The meat is of superior quality and has an extremely low concentration of fat.

The Beginning of the US Black Hereford Line:

The American Black Hereford Association (ABHA) was founded in 1994. The American Black Hereford Association was officially founded and organized in Lawrence, Kansas by the late John Gage. Three years later the first Black Hereford cattle qualified for registration and listing in ABHA herdbooks.

In 2000, the association installed a customized breed software that tracks herd and breed wide performance data as well as carcass information. It can generate purebred and composite pedigrees and can project EPDs and record EPD values.

In 2002, Black Hereford became a registered trademark with the US Patent and Trademark Office.

In 2003, Black Herefords received international breed designation by the National Association of Animal breeders.

In 2005, the breed developed its own EPD’s as a separate beef brand.

The ABHA registers Black Herefords and maintains records of pedigrees in the Black Hereford herdbook.

The meat quality of Black Hereford beef cattle is superb. Many cattle ranchers choose this breed specifically for this factor alone. But, display a number of exceptional qualities.

Black Herefords can withstand extremes in weather with seeming ease and are very efficient at using their food for weight gain, making them well suited for grazing and grass fed diets.