Oaks End Miniature Herefords NZ

08/10/2024

Raukawa Mister Midge and Raukawa Oaks Blossom enjoying a beautiful spring evening

20/09/2024

Great article about our wonderful Miniature Herefords

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS about
Miniature Cattle
1) Where Do Miniature Cattle Come From?
Miniature Herefords were bred by the Largent family of Texas (United States of America) and the breeding program commenced in 1970's.
2) Are They Dwarfs?
No. Miniature Hereford cattle have been deliberately bred smaller and originate from top quality bloodlines, all proven free of dwarfism.
They do not carry the Achondroplasia (dwarfism) gene and therefore there is no risk of a genetically generated deformity or abortion. Calf losses are extremely small and even heifers show ease of calving. Newborn calves are vigorous and healthy.
3) What Are They Good For?
Miniature Cattle are exceptional beef cattle that thrive on limited feed intake thus lowering production costs while producing half-size cuts of lean, flavourful, high quality beef.
Miniature Cattle will winter on roughly one-third the feed of many of the crossbred cows popular today. They are fast maturing and have excellent birth to weight gains. They reach market weights earlier and for roughly one-third the feed costs and have very lean carcasses.
4) Are they a novelty?
Miniature Cattle are naturally quiet in temperament, are easy to handle and raise. This makes them very popular for small acreage farmers, they are also fast being seen to have great advantages to the large beef farmers, who are looking ahead to smaller high quality cuts of meat, along with the advantages of less damage to pasture and facilities and more efficient feed conversion with higher carcass yields.
This makes Miniature Cattle a very dual purposed animal suited to all our different requirements.
5) Is there a market for the meat?
Miniature Cattle are still relatively new here in New Zealand so we still have a way to go before we have our own direct market for this high quality meat.
Australia already has an established demand for the well-marbled, yet lean carcasses of Lowline Cattle through beef companies that market direct to hotels and restaurants. I see that this will follow in New Zealand with Miniature Hereford Cattle
However, the biggest challenge facing the current breeder market is to build up enough numbers of stock. To do this we need to increase the numbers of breeders and NZMHBG Members and do more marketing to increase awareness of the breed
Due to their smaller more convenient size, Miniature Cattle will also become very popular for the home kill market, as these are not too much for the average home freezer.
Marketing of Miniature Cattle
There are four categories of opportunity for breeders.
1) Exotic market
Because there a so few Miniature cattle in the world they will have appeal to the collectors of exotic animals. This market is growing as more people purchase acreage to create their own little haven, and keep more unusual animals.
2) Stud Stock market
Over the next few years there will be demand for Miniature Cattle for breeding programs as people build up good quality bloodstock.
3) Commercial carcass meat market
• Niche market to restaurants and hotels who require high quality product
• Whole carcass to family freezer
• Up-market butcheries and delicatessens.
4) Commercial Dairy and beef farmers – Bull market
There is an increasing demand from dairy and beef famers for smaller bulls for use over their heifers.

17/09/2024

Spring has definately sprung at Oaks End 🌸 and we’ve had four new arrivals, two heifers and two bull calves. First to arrive was Oaks End Phemie, followed by Oaks End Scarlett, Oaks End Ernie B and finally Oaks End Leonard R ❤️ all four are for sale and will be available at weaning. Next task is tagging and DNA sampling

25/04/2024

We have 3 weaner heifers looking for new postcodes this year. All will be DNA typed, registered and tagged. DM for details

25/04/2024

Weaning done and dusted for the year. The yearlings are great baby sitters

19/11/2023

Feeling good

19/11/2023

Move time for the girls and Mister Midge

02/12/2022

Suzie and Elsa are growing into beautiful girls and enjoying the Waikato grass along with their Mums, Aunties and Uncle Midge

06/09/2022

One week on and Suzie and Elsa are blooming 😍 as are their mummas.

30/08/2022

So… Raukawa Eva decided she wanted to be in where the good grass is and delivered us another beautiful heifer all on her own this morning around 6am. Eva loves her baby but her baby is rather independent already 😆
Welcome to our world Oaks End Elsa

29/08/2022

Our first calf arrived this morning at 7am and as a breach birth. First time mum Raukawa Sally is besotted with her baby and both are doing well.

Welcome to the world Oaks End Suzie.

13/12/2021

13/12/2021

Nothing like a wet warm Waikato day to keep the grass growing. The girls are enjoying their clean up detail around the fire pile.

02/09/2021

Happy birthday Poppy, 1yo today 🥳

19/08/2021

Happy birthday Lucy 🥳. 1yo today

10/07/2021

Evening zoomies 😊 first time Blossom and Dottie have joined in 👌

02/07/2021

Welcome to our new page showing our young girls that will be our foundation breeding cows. We were lucky to be able to purchase Lucy and Poppy as weaners from Rocklyn Miniature Hereford Stud in Taranaki. They are now 11 months old and are starting to show their cheeky characters.
Last month we purchased Blossom and Dottie from Herefords at Raukawa in the Hawkes Bay. Due to the severe drought in the region John needed to sell some of his young stock and we were fortunate to obtain two of his wonderfully bred polled weaner heifers.

02/07/2021