Barnes Herefords is nestled in the foothills of northwest Georgia just a few miles from the Alabama state line. It was started in the late 1990s when former Georgia Governor Roy Barnes retired from his political ventures and decided to return to the roots he had as a young boy–raising Hereford cattle. 

Roy grew up following his dad around to various stockyards and witnessed first hand how his daddy’s keen eye could pick out an underpriced cow or bull without the use of today’s modern technologies such as EPDs, scans, or even pedigrees. The late Mr. Barnes specialized in furnishing fresh milk cows to family dairies which then dotted the North Georgia landscapes. He made sure to keep the white-faced Hereford cattle for himself however, as those were his first love. 

Just as they were then, Hereford cattle are gentle, efficient, and pretty to look at. The advancements made by the breed have brought about a higher milking ability, increased calving ease, and many other breed characteristics that are a testament to the breeders critical selections over the years. We have prided ourselves on trying to stick true to what we believe benefits both the purebred Hereford producer as well as the commercial producer that sees the value in the Hereford breed. By doing this, we focus on birth weights that are close to breed average with a higher calving ease number, increased carcass merits, as well as increased maternal merits in the selection and maintenance of our herd. 

Beyond this, we have seen the downfall that can come from focusing on the numbers too hard and have spent the last several years culling heavily on feet and leg structure. As a result, at Barnes Herefords, you will find structurally sound cattle that can get out and perform in both purebred and commercial cattleman settings.