The Studdards found what they wanted in Black Herefords
NEWBURG, MO. – What is the best breed of cattle? Ask any farmer, and they will tell you their favorite. For John Studdard, it is the Black Hereford. A mix of black Angus and Hereford makes this the winning breed for him.
John and his family have been raising registered Black Herefords for more than 10 years. John is not new to registered cattle. He is originally from Belle, Mo., where he grew registered Limousin bulls. Now John and his family live in the Newburg, Mo., area on a 115-acre farm, where they are focusing on getting the best results from their cattle.
Black Hereford cattle are classified as 62 percent or greater Hereford, and must be sired by a bull registered in the American Black Hereford Association. The breed has only been around for the last 25 years but has grown in popularity in areas of Missouri.
“I like the Black Hereford because they are docile, look good and are easy to handle,” John said. “They have become one of the top growing breeds.”
John and his family run 20 head of Black Herefords on their farm. The cattle are grass-fed and moved to different fields in the winter.
Calves are given grain until they can be moved to pasture.
Their breeding program consists of the use of AI to cover cows, with semen from registered bulls that are selected to achieve high-quality Black Herefords. “I am going to be busy the next few weeks culling my herd.” John commented.
A smaller herd allows him to focus more on the kind of cows he is breeding. While other farmers have larger herds, or more quantity, they might not have the quality they want as someone with a smaller herd. Raising high-quality registered Black Herefords is a passion for the Studdard family. John is the president of the Missouri Black Hereford Association.
“I have been the president the last few years,” he said. “We started out as a smaller group but have grown a lot. The association is growing every year with more new members.”
“IT TAKES A VILLAGE (OR FAMILY) TO RUN A FARM.”
— BARB STUDDARD
The Circle S farm sells bulls, heifers and bred females.
“I have bulls sold all over Missouri,” John said.
They also sell beef halves on the market.
Everyone in the family helps the day-to-day operation of the farm.
“It takes a village (or family) to run a farm,” John’s wife Barb commented.
Not only does his daughter, Maria, and wife help with the cows, their grandchildren, 7-year-old Shandon and 2-year-old Michael help with bottle-fed calves.
“I hope that my grandkids will take over the farm one day,” John said with a smile.
Even though he is busy with his cows, John operates his business, Central MO Bobcat Service and Custom Brush Hogging.
For the last two years, John and Barb have attended the Ozark Fall Farmfest in Springfield, Mo., and plan to have another booth in October of this year.
In addition to breeding Black Herefords, the family also enjoy raising Black Copper Hens. They sell the eggs locally.
This family enjoys the farm life and all the hard work it takes to keep it going.
