horned cattle vs unhorned

[phumps]

hello to all members,
i would like to know that which one is more preferable for artificial selection..... horned cattle or unhorned cattle? n y is that so?

[Frankie]

hello to all members,
i would like to know that which one is more preferable for artificial selection..... horned cattle or unhorned cattle? n y is that so?

There are markets that will buy every animal available, horns or not.

But the commercial marketplace prefers polled (unhorned) cattle over horned for several reasons. Getting a horned cow through a chute can be a challenge, depending on the chute and the cow. Dehorning a calf is an added chore for the producer, plus it can set the calf back on his growth. Horns will damage/bruise the meat as it goes to slaughter. If you have mostly polled (unhorned) cows, a horned cow will usually dominate them, crowding them from the feedbunk or hay bale. That can be a problem for a young or shy cow. Except for the breed shows of horned animals, most show cattle are polled.

[phumps]

thanx a lot, but how is horned cattle useful?

[Frankie]

thanx a lot, but how is horned cattle useful?

The Longhorn breed is prized for their horns. They are sometimes sold as pasture ornaments, just a pretty animal to graze in the pasture to remind people of the old West. There are a lot of people who rope as a hobby. They keep some horses, load them up on the weekend and go to a roping competition. Horned calves are usually preferred there.

As a practical, beef producing animal, I don't see horns having any value. 'Course I raise Angus, a naturally polled breed, so take my opinion for what it's worth. There used to be a respected, well known, horned Hereford breeder not far from here. He dehorned the females born on his ranch, but left the horns on the bulls. Why? Because he believed Hereford bulls should have horns. It was traditional.

Some people say horns are necessary for cows to protect their calves from predators. I don't believe that. A polled cow can throw a dog quite a distance; she should be able to do the same with a coyote and she can stomp and kick. The worst cow wreck we've ever had here was when someone got stomped. He was pretty badly beat up, but if she'd had horns, he'd probably be dead.

BTW, if you post this question on the "Beginners Board", you'll probably get responses from more people. Not everyone comes to the "Sales Board" on a regular basis.