Welcome and thank you for visiting the Willow Ridge Miniature Herefords web site.
We hope that the information that we provide will help increase your interest in these wonderful little bovines.

Our Farm

Our first interest in the Miniature Herefords began when we saw them on display at the Edmonton Northlands Farm Fair in November 1998. We saw a bull and a cow and instantly fell in love. We researched all we could find on them and finally took the plunge in January 1999. We thought of purchasing one bred cow, which quickly led to one bred cow, one bred heifer and a weanling bull calf. Since that time our herd has quickly grown through offspring, and further purchases of different lines of stock.

• Good investment potential - because of the small numbers of Miniature Herefords available, the long-term breeders market looks good.
  
  
• Consumer marketability - smaller more leaner and tender cuts of beef that have not been chemically or hormonally enhanced with hormones or steroids therefore healthier for the consumer.
  
  
• Beef qualities - early maturity and smaller muscle size means a more leaner, tender cut of beef, with a whole beef fitting into an average size freezer with a higher dressing percentage with less waste.
  
  
• Feed efficient - they eat approximately 1/2 to 1/3 the amount of a standard size bovine therefore you can have more for the same amount of feed with better feed conversion.
  
  
• Smaller size and docile temperament - Herefords are known as one of the most docile breeds and along with their size, it makes the Miniature Hereford even easier to work with.
  
  
• Cost efficient - you don't need expensive fencing, equipment, and facilities for handling due to their smaller size and docile nature.
  
  
• Early maturing and high fertility - means maturity is reached earlier in heifers so you can have them breed to calve between 2 to 3 years of age and the bulls can start breeding at 1 1/2 years of age.
  
  
• Smaller birth weights - average birth weight between 40 to 65 lbs makes for a large reduction in birthing complications.
  
  
• Environmentally friendly - due to their smaller size and weight there is less erosion and damage to pasture.
  
  

The Miniature Hereford was, in our eyes, perfect for a small landowner such as our selves. We wanted to have the excitement and enjoyment of raising our own "back yard beef" without the hassle of the larger cattle, which we have tried. We found the larger cattle too dangerous and harder to handle and the bulls sometimes unpredictable. When I can call cows to come by their name and stand next to my bull "Carl' and brush him, I know we have made the right decision.

We are also producing a product - Beef - that will always be in demand with the right size cuts of consistent beef with less cost to us. Due to the reduced overhead in feed costs, equipment and a better dressing percentage, we feel that the Miniature Hereford cattle are the future in beef.

Here at Willow Ridge Miniature Herefords, we are striving to produce high quality Miniature Herefords. Our focus is on feed efficient, beef producing animals with high fertility while still concentrating on the basics of the Hereford breed: muscle thickness, milk, correct conformation with sound feet and legs. Our cows must have excellent temperament and maternal instinct, high reproductive ability, good udders with an abundance of milk. Our bulls must have an excellent temperament, high fertility and excellent beef producing qualities.

Please feel free to contact us for further information or come on by to see the real thing. We would love to show them off to you. We are located just SW of Stony Plain which is about 30 minutes west of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Our snail-mail address is:

      Willow Ridge Miniature Herefords
      Street Box 10, Site 102, RR1
      Stony Plain, AB
      T7Z 1X1
      Canada