Horns?

[Anonymous]

As an artist researching this breed, could you tell me if horns are desirable in the best examples of the breed or are you all trying to breed polls. To put it another way, if you were to create the perfect Brahman would he have horns or not?

 

[dun]

Not a Brahman breeder, but I can only see a couple of reasons for horns on any breed of cattle. Exhibition/bragging rights, wide or tall, or interesting shape. Excitement, it's more exciting to watch a rodeo bull with horns, rarely do they enter into anything, but it's still adds to the excitment. Competitive steer roping/steer tripping, etc.. And the most important reason, to function as brakes on oxen. Of course there are the misc. side uses. Powder horns, horn spoons, buttons, etc.

dun

As an artist researching this breed, could you tell me if horns are desirable in the best examples of the breed or are you all trying to breed polls. To put it another way, if you were to create the perfect Brahman would he have horns or not?

 

[lazyhill]

Polled cows sell for more dollars in the registered market because people who are buying them as seedstock really don't like the horns because they have no use. The only exception is the longhorn market where the more horn they have the more dollars you get for your product.

 

[Beefy]

horns are pretty useless except for decoration. i want a set for the front of my truck. or cadillac one day..

 

[cherokeeruby]

I have been raising Brahmans for 20 years and all I can tell you about polled Brhamans is they are yet to develop a line that is as good as the horned animals in general. The last registered sale I went to that had a polled brahman herd dispersal the polled did not sell as well as the horned.

Very few Brahmans do not dehorn heifers and some do most of the bulls.

 

[la4angus]

As an artist researching this breed, could you tell me if horns are desirable in the best examples of the breed or are you all trying to breed polls. To put it another way, if you were to create the perfect Brahman would he have horns or not?

In answer to to your question; I think that horns would be desirable in the best examples of the breed. I think that cherokeeruby gave the reasons why in her above post.

 

[cherokeeruby]

Here is a picture of a Brahman identified as a Gyr, but he is not, he is a Red Brahman. From the picture I would guess that that is a picture of HK Millionaire.

 

[dun]

The head shape does appear to be wrong for Gyr, hard to tell from the angle. But those lovely ears (we used to breed Basset Hounds) sure do lend to "the" look.

dun

Here is a picture of a Brahman identified as a Gyr, but he is not, he is a Red Brahman. From the picture I would guess that that is a picture of HK Millionaire.

 

[A. delaGarza]

Here is a picture of a Brahman identified as a Gyr, but he is not, he is a Red Brahman. From the picture I would guess that that is a picture of HK Millionaire.

from the angle it's positioned you can't really appreciate the dome-headed shape in it's forehead, the best way to identified Gyr. Brahmans are taller than Gyr, the ear shape of Gyrs are different and the horns grow in a different way. It could be a Brahman with a higher influence of Gyr, remember that Gyr was use to develope Brahmans, as far as I know Red Brahmans use to have larger ears than Greys. Theorically speaking the Red and the ear shape of Red Brahmans are Gyr genotype.

 

[cherokeeruby]

The bulls is 3X Sophisticated Millionaire 80/3 he does look a lot like HK Mr. America 61/9 (The Millionaire). The have pretty much the same breeding.

 

[cherokeeruby]

Gyr Cow, shows the rounded head and the swept back horns.

 

[A. delaGarza]

Gyr Cow, shows the rounded head and the swept back horns.

downwards-backwards, African type

 

[cherokeeruby]

You want horns???

How about these!!! Wa-Watusi

 

[Campground Cattle]

Yikes

 

[cherokeeruby]

A good-looking Indu-Brazil Cow

 

[Campground Cattle]

Haven't seen ears like that except on bluetick hound.

 

[la4angus]

Hey cherokee, you getting pretty good at posting them pictures. You gonna have to teach me again. I forgot to write down the directions.

 

[cherokeeruby]

Aren't they pretty in a way. Quite a bit of grace in their form.

Haven't seen ears like that except on bluetick hound.

 

[Campground Cattle]

Aren't they pretty in a way. Quite a bit of grace in their form.

Haven't seen ears like that except on bluetick hound.

I love brahmans used to run the F-1 tigers, salebarn didn't.

 

[cherokeeruby]

Take a look at this link:

http://www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publica ... A-3056.asp

Aren't they pretty in a way. Quite a bit of grace in their form.

Haven't seen ears like that except on bluetick hound.

I love brahmans used to run the F-1 tigers, salebarn didn't.