For BARNSCOOP

[Ryan]

I figured it'd be easier to just start a new thread...

Background: To show the differences in my animals that are on grass only, get supplemental grain feeding (replacement animals, not on show string), and those on the show string that get pushed with more grain.

*Here is the dam of the bull in the thread that got this one started.
1st - Pushed. 3yrs old. Finishing up her show career

2nd - 7 yrs old. Grass only. Been that way since she was done showing a few months after the above picture was taken (March to June)

*One of our top young cows here. She was pushed from weaning to breeding age. Breeding age to 2 weeks post-calving she was supplementally fed. 2 weeks post calving til the calf was 5 months old she was on grass only.
1st - This was taken with the calf at 2 months old. So she'd been on grass only for a month and a half

2nd - This was taken back in early March. Mostly grass and hay (coastal bermuda) over the winter with supplemental grain.

*Here is a young bull. Grass and milk only with mom. Pushed post weaning, then supplemental feeding when put with some ladies.
1st - pushed.

2nd - supplemental

*Here are two heifers. Born the same day.
1st - supplemental. could use some more "bloom"/finish for the show ring (over the ribs, and the tail head area)

2nd - pushed (has actually been backed off recently), i think she is just about right for the show ring, condition wise

I hope this is what you were looking for. I will post a reply to this strictly of animals that are just on grass. If you have any questions, or would like to see/know anything else just ask

 

[Ryan]

Here are some pictures of some that are on strictly grass. I must admit, they do get some cubes. Not enough that I think it helps them too much (dont think it can hurt), just to keep them coming up to and following us.

He's 5 now (4 1/2 in the picture) weighs exactly 2000 lbs.

1995 model cow. I bet she weighs ~1250 lbs

1996 model cow with bull calf. No creep for the calf.

Young Steer.

3 yr old bull. Shown his first two years, but only supplemental fed, he wasn't shown a whole lot really. weighed 1740 lbs 30 days before turning 2. Was put on grass, and only grass 1 month after turning 2 and thats what he looked like as a 3 year old

6 year old, old show cow. Weighs roughly 1300 - 1350 lbs. She randomly gets pulled up and taken to some shows still, she'll get supplemental feed then. Her dam is in the 3rd pic, with the spotted bull calf.

This cow was about 12 in the picture. Sold her to a friend of mine that is a breeder (actually his 7 year old daughter) probably 14 now an still producing great.

Like stated above, all these are on just grass, and have been that way for a good while when the pics were taken.

Ryan

1998 Model cow. Best cow in the breed. Bar none. Her production is flat-out-amazing. I could write a book on her production, not to mention her own show career. So what if she doesn't have a ton of horn, her calves are awesome.

 

[BARNSCOOP]

Thank you Ryan! Just what I wanted to see. This proves to me that you can have Longhorns that will geneticly look great just on grass. It is often said that they will get fat on poor quality forage but I have found that it is more difficult to find healthy looking Longhorns than some of the other breeds. So that reasoning is not always true. Maybe if they have PLENTY of poor quality forage they convert it well? I don't know. Maybe some breeders/ keepers don't allow enough acreage per animal because they think it's not nessessary with this breed?
However, you have made a strong impression with your cattle! They would make anyone want to see a few out in the front pasture!
I hope your association sees what quality your putting out for the breed.

 

[Ryan]

Thank you Ryan! Just what I wanted to see. This proves to me that you can have Longhorns that will geneticly look great just on grass. It is often said that they will get fat on poor quality forage but I have found that it is more difficult to find healthy looking Longhorns than some of the other breeds. So that reasoning is not always true. Maybe if they have PLENTY of poor quality forage they convert it well? I don't know. Maybe some breeders/ keepers don't allow enough acreage per animal because they think it's not nessessary with this breed?
However, you have made a strong impression with your cattle! They would make anyone want to see a few out in the front pasture!
I hope your association sees what quality your putting out for the breed.

I'm glad that is what you were looking for. And thank you very much for the kind words.

One thing that gets me is that there are owners of LH's that hear the phrases "they take care of themselves" or "they'll live on nothing or poor forage or thistles or whatever" and they think they dont have to do anything. Just stick them out there, wean off a calf (maybe) and thats it for the year to year management. Do they "take care of themselves? Yes, but only to a point. General common sense and management can help them greatly. Can they live on poor forage? Absolutely. You hit it directly on the head, though, they need PLENTY of that poor forage. Its considered poor for a reason, usually less nutrition per pound and poor palatibility. Again you are right in saying that some keepers (don't like to call them breeders) keep too many on too little acreage... goes back to the thinking that they don't need anything to live off except dirt, rocks and nails.

Example. My dad sold 4 or 5 heifers to a gentleman just getting started. Man these were some fantastic heifers. Killed me that we didnt have the time or space to keep em. The guy had 20 or so acres ( i believe), and it had good grass when he got the heifers. Well, since there was no rotational grazing or hay ever provided to these young heifers (7 or 8 months old when he got em) they ate down the whole place to nothing thru the fall and winter. He contacted us when they were about 3 years old. Pitiful. Scrawny, boney, and only one had ever seen a bull. No minerals, no vaccinations, no deworming, nothing. No management. Made me sick when we saw the pictures of them.

Now that was a worst-case scenario, but there are owners who believe that the idea of low-input cattle means they just don't have to do anything. Some take the ideas of "they take care of themselves" and "don't need much feed" to the extreme, without using common sense.

I will give a big kudos to all the LH breeders on here for having excellent management practices (from what I can tell). No matter the goals of their specific herds you can tell they all have very healthy looking animals and have been watched over.

Ryan

 

[Anonymous]

The third cow down in your second post sure can breed 'em

 

[Ryan]

The third cow down in your second post sure can breed 'em

Yes ma'am. Good eye. She's our #2 cow, behind the bottom one. The solid white bull is also a son of hers. The young tan one in the first post is a granddaughter of hers, and a daughter of the third from the bottom in the second post. We have quite a bit of influence from that cow.

Ryan

 

[Anonymous]

Gosh I'm getting all clucky! Someone needs to give me a slap and bring me back to reality and tell me NO, I can not have them! lol 8)

 

[BARNSCOOP]

Killala,

I am with you! I feel like I've commited adultry against Shorthorns. I keep saying to myself ...."Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors Longhorns"!

 

[talldog]

I like the 3year old Bull !!! :tiphat:

 

[Ryan]

I like the 3year old Bull !!! :tiphat:

Thanks. I really liked him, too. Too bad we've got too many bulls, and he was a touch too framey for what we need at the time. If he would've been born a couple years back it would've been great. He's living on the other side of the county now, being well taken car of.

Here's a couple of his calves. They are sure enough stylish, and have some growth...

Heifer at 8 months old or so (BIG)

Here's a bull calf, here at week or two old

Here again at a month old

Ryan

 

[bigbull338]

you have some well bred longhorns there.an you can see you put alot of effort into breeding an raising them.an they are doing their job.see you have some well bred cattle to produce calves like that.

 

[farmwriter]

Ryan-
You absolutely have some of the best looking LH cattle I've ever seen. Period.
While your genetics obviously have a lot to do with that, there's no denying the role of good management.
I've been noticing lately how many pastures I drive by where I can see every hoof in the pasture and most of the ribs. When our grass was first putting out in the spring we were getting lots of rain and everything was as lush as I've seen it in years.
Still people had fields that were clipped shorter than my lawn. Too many cows and little to no rotation. As you said, people seem to think they live on rocks and dirt, but I'm seeing it's not just LH folks. Since I obviously can't see everybody else's cows all the time, maybe they are getting lots of feed and hay, but why then would they look so poor and how could they be profitable?
It hurts me to see calves trying to nurse a cow that barely has any meat on her. I can't imagine how those girls cycled to begin with.
Sorry for the rant. Just hate to see animals in bad shape.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I have said it before & I'll say it again - Ryan, you absolutely have the best LH cattle I've ever seen.
But, as you said, you can take the absolute BEST genetics and turn them into a pile of pathetic bones with NO MANAGEMENT.
There is a farm just around the bend from us. I cringe every time I see their cattle. The ground is "skinned" all year long. You'll see a thistle now & then - but it also disappears. Always think I should turn them in to SPCA.