Cows
HEREFORD COWS
For four generations, the Doerksen family has been raising commercial and registered Hereford cattle pastured on dry and irrigated pasture in southern Alberta. All of our Hereford cows were born here and are the mothers of our herd bulls with outside genetics being brought in only occasionally.
Through selective breeding we have developed a moderate framed cow herd. They are suited to their environment and efficient at converting grass into beef. Our optimal cows weigh between 1,150 to 1,300 lbs.
Fertility, longevity and low maintenance requirements are the most significant factors in keeping our cow herd profitable. Those are the priorities in our breeding program.
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FERTILE EASY KEEPING
FEED EFFICIENCY
A profitable herd really starts with cows that are efficient in converting roughage to beef. Our goal is an eleven fifty to thirteen hundred pound cow. Compared to a fifteen hundred pound cow, that translates into some very real efficiencies in terms of feed consumption. More than a tonne of feed can be saved over the course of the year. For an entire herd those efficiencies add up
ONGOING TESTING
We’ve been involved in a range of testing over the years to ensure that our cattle are meeting industry standards for economically important traits. Our recent participation in the Canadian Hereford Association Residual Feed Intake research indicates that our breeding program is on the right track. While test results are interesting and can be informative the priority for our cow herd is fertility, longevity and functional traits like good feet and udders.