Horned Hereford Bull

[Steer Boy 101]

cattle nut. i dissagree. and agree. horned cattle are so much more thicker. and yes takes feed to make a polled look like a horned. but! polled cattle are just as nice to work with and look at in the pasture. now i say that i come to say that now there are so much more horned going back into the polled to bring the thickness back. we're goin to a scurred breed. thats my opion.

 

[HCCHSS]

I wouldn't say horned are thicker but generally more rugged while the polled animals of the breed tend to be showier. personally i think the breed as a whole could use a bit more thickness, so lately i've been using bulls that we owned in the late 70's.I know up here in Canada we have a few animals that are Straight canadian and in general have not been subject to the show ring fads and are probably the thickest most easy doin, bulls and females that you will find, in any breed.

 

[CPL]

I think you guys are basing your statements off of semi-true generalizations. I've seen POS horned Herefords as well as POS polled Herefords.

The reason why most believe Horned Cattle are superior is because back when the polled recessive gene was discovered, Polled Hereford cattle were bred with one trait in mind - no horns. This was pretty much single-trait selection, which we all know leads to problems. But now that Polled Herefords have been bred selectively for many decades, many of the stereotypes that once existed are no longer true.

 

[HerefordGuy]

I think you guys are basing your statements off of semi-true generalizations. I've seen POS horned Herefords as well as POS polled Herefords.

The reason why most believe Horned Cattle are superior is because back when the polled recessive gene was discovered, Polled Hereford cattle were bred with one trait in mind - no horns. This was pretty much single-trait selection, which we all know leads to problems. But now that Polled Herefords have been bred selectively for many decades, many of the stereotypes that once existed are no longer true.

CPL
Very good post.  Just wanted to clear up one point.  Polled is a dominant, not recessive, mutation.

 

[CPL]

I think you guys are basing your statements off of semi-true generalizations. I've seen POS horned Herefords as well as POS polled Herefords.

The reason why most believe Horned Cattle are superior is because back when the polled mutation gene was discovered, Polled Hereford cattle were bred with one trait in mind - no horns. This was pretty much single-trait selection, which we all know leads to problems. But now that Polled Herefords have been bred selectively for many decades, many of the stereotypes that once existed are no longer true.

CPL
Very good post.  Just wanted to clear up one point.  Polled is a dominant, not recessive, mutation.

You're right it was a MUTATION gene. So much for me trying to think at 12:30 AM  ;D

 

[MYT Farms]

Good heavens, this is like reading an excerpt from that book about when horned and polled split up. You all ought to read that book on the history of herefords. Personally, good and bad of both, and you just roll on with what works for ya. Personally? Talk to Coleman Herefords. In my mind, one of the greatest producers of Hereford cattle that there is. JMO, though. Take a look at some pics he's posted.

http://cattletoday.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=58140&p=672380#p672380