Early maturing traits are a superpower

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Alan and Derek McCrea from Bready in Co Tyrone milk 170 cows and finish cross bred Herefords on an annual basis.

Home farm

The brothers have clearly been strong advocates for the Hereford breed, recognizing early on the numerous benefits of producing high-quality beef.

This stems from their father as he has been using Hereford genetics since the 1930s.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad
McCrea’s Hereford Crossbred herd on Banks of the Foyle. (Pic: Alfie Shaw)McCrea’s Hereford Crossbred herd on Banks of the Foyle. (Pic: Alfie Shaw)
McCrea’s Hereford Crossbred herd on Banks of the Foyle. (Pic: Alfie Shaw)

Their commitment to these genetics has been instrumental in shaping their beef farming operations and achieving success in the industry.

Hereford bloodlines have played a central and enduring role in the family’s beef farming enterprises, shaping their success across various aspects of the industry. From finishing crossbred cattle to exhibiting top-tier elite fatstock and expanding into pedigree breeding, the breed has been the constant foundation driving the family’s operations.

The Hereford breed indeed stands out for several key traits that make it an ideal choice for premium beef production, and these qualities have likely played a significant role in the McCrea brothers’ success in the industry.

One of the standout characteristics of the Hereford breed is its ease of calving, which is a crucial factor for farmers.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad
2025 Hereford Champion at Beef and lamb champions from the McCreas. (Pic: Alfie Shaw)2025 Hereford Champion at Beef and lamb champions from the McCreas. (Pic: Alfie Shaw)
2025 Hereford Champion at Beef and lamb champions from the McCreas. (Pic: Alfie Shaw)

Hereford cows are known to be efficient and capable of calving with minimal assistance, reducing the risk of complications and the labour required during calving. Hereford calves are known for their strong vigour, they’re quick to stand up, get moving, and begin sucking from the cow.

As the McCrea brothers have found, Hereford cattle are consistently reliable in terms of calving ease, temperament, and overall productivity. This consistency is a major advantage compared to other breeds, and in contrast when working with other breeds, they’ve encountered issues that Herefords have consistently overcome.

Separate production lines

Striking a balanced approach, with a focus on both dairy and beef production, ensures efficiency and consistency throughout the business. Friesian cows are the breed of choice for the dairy side of the business and currently 170 are in production. Known for their high milk production and efficiency.

Alan, Derek and Christopher MCrea. (Pic: Alfie Shaw)Alan, Derek and Christopher MCrea. (Pic: Alfie Shaw)
Alan, Derek and Christopher MCrea. (Pic: Alfie Shaw)

Heifers from this herd are kept as replacements to ensure a steady supply of milkers maintaining a fresh generation of cows in the milking herd.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

On the beef side of the operation, the McCreas purchase Hereford store cattle weighing around 400kg. These are then kept and pushed on, finishing on the farm reaching their optimum slaughter weight.

Heifers reach this at around 20 months of age with the males taking four to six months longer, but still reaching early maturing weights compared to that of other breeds. All the beef bred calves born on the farm are sired by Hereford bulls, with these being purchased from the society bull sales in Dungannon.

The family’s approach to finishing Hereford cross cattle has several environmentally beneficial aspects, particularly in terms of reducing the carbon footprint associated with beef production.

Some of the herd. (Pic: Alfie Shaw)Some of the herd. (Pic: Alfie Shaw)
Some of the herd. (Pic: Alfie Shaw)

The target deadweight of between 320-350 kg is within an optimal range for producing high-quality beef while avoiding the overextension of feeding and management resources. By achieving market weights earlier, these cattle are consuming food for a shorter period, which directly impacts their feed conversion efficiency.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

This does not affect the quality as they grade at mostly Rs with a small number O+ on the EUROP scale.

A significant advantage of early maturing Hereford cross cattle is their ability to achieve target weights more quickly while still producing high-quality beef. This shorter production cycle helps to reduce the carbon footprint of the farm’s beef operation by reducing feed consumption over the cattle’s lifespan and cutting down on methane emissions, as methane is primarily produced during digestion and is emitted more in older cattle with longer finishing times.

The McCrea family’s ability to consistently finish and sell between 150-180 Hereford cross cattle annually, averaging just over 20 a month, provides a stable foundation for the farm’s profitability.

Their operational model allows them to efficiently manage their cattle, maintain regular market presence, and align with sustainability goals, ultimately making their beef farming enterprise both economically successful and environmentally conscious.

Pedigrees make an appearance

Hide Ad
Hide Ad
2025 Hereford Champion at Beef and lamb champions from the McCreas. (Pic: Alfie Shaw)2025 Hereford Champion at Beef and lamb champions from the McCreas. (Pic: Alfie Shaw)
2025 Hereford Champion at Beef and lamb champions from the McCreas. (Pic: Alfie Shaw)

Another family member showing curiosity in the beef enterprise is Emma, Derek’s daughter. The passion and enthusiasm which has been passed on with equal fervour from her father and uncle.

She has worked with both on the family farm from a very early age, getting her own sense of the benefits that Hereford cattle bring to a beef production enterprise.

This led on to her halter training and then exhibiting top quality Hereford beef animals at a selection of Northern Ireland’s elite fatstock shows and sales, including the Royal Ulster Beef and Lamb Event which is a Christmas fatstock show and sale.

Excitingly the McCrea family won the Hereford Champion in 2024 with their home bred heifer out of a Belgian Blue cow and sired by their own Hereford stock bull.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Emma said: “Working on the home farm has given me the opportunity to show commercial cattle.

“However, I always wanted to exhibit pedigree Herefords and the opportunity arose earlier this year at Limavady Show.

“I came third in the cow and calf class.”

Breeding pedigree Hereford cattle remains at the very top of Emma’s wish list.

She got her first experience of what’s involved back in 2018 when purchasing a Ruby daughter from the Ardstewart herd, from N McCrabbe in Donegal Southern Ireland. She intends to expand the herd, learning more about the breed and will continue to assist on the farm when needed.

Introduction of new schemes

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Hereford incentive scheme makes a real difference when it comes to delivering that extra margin back to the farmer with both Dawn Meats and W D Meats paying a premium for Hereford beef.

They also sponsor the Northen Irish Hereford Breeders Association and play an active role in encouraging members and the wider commercial industry to consider using Hereford bulls in the dairy and suckler industries.

A new initiative from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs – the Beef Carbon Reduction Scheme – aims to encourage farmers to reduce the maximum age at which they slaughter their cattle, therefore hoping to reduce the carbon footprint of the beef industry.

Farmers will receive a payment based on the age of the animal slaughtered. In 2024 animals slaughtered under the age of 30 months earned the farmer an extra £75 per animal.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In 2025 the payment remains the same but the age to slaughter reduces to 28 months, and in 2027 will reduce down to 26 months.

By implementing this scheme, the government hopes to achieve a tighter and more efficient beef production system, helping to reduce gas emissions in the livestock industry, therefore contributing to the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 targets.

The Hereford breed offers several advantages that make it an attractive choice for beef producers.

With their early finishing traits, feed conversion efficiency, ease of management, and quality carcass, Herefords can provide sustainable, high-quality beef while also helping farmers improve profitability and farm efficiency.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

As demand for high-quality beef continues to rise, encouraging more producers to adopt Hereford genetics can help drive the success of the beef industry, benefiting both producers and consumers alike.

Next sale of Pedigree Hereford bulls will be held in Dungannon Farmers Mart on 11 February 2025.

News you can trust since 1963
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice