Longhorn cattle

[Anonymous]

I have 22 acres with 12 miniature donkeys. I am very interested in adding a few Longhorns. I have never owned any cattle and dont know very much about them. My question is mostly around the temperment of Texas Longhorns. Can they be mixed with the donkeys? Are they very aggresive? Is there somewhere that I can go and read up on this breed. This would be mostly for personal enjoyment and maybe a 4H project for my kids in the future. Any information would be very much appreciated.

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[Anonymous]

I have been in the Longhorn business for the last 15 years(since i was 4). Longhorns are very well tempermented, and with some human contact can easily turn into pets. Currently on our ranch we have 4 miniature donkeys that get along great with our cows, although they do know their role within the herd. The only thing that might be considered 'aggressive' is when they are competing with each other for food, or when a predator is threatening a calf. The website <A HREF="http://www.tlbaa.org" TARGET="_blank">www.tlbaa.org</A> is for the national organized and it does have some good info on longhorns, and if you are interested in some quality longhorns you can visit the site of the ranch i work at <A HREF="http://www.sanddollarranch.com" TARGET="_blank">www.sanddollarranch.com</A> If you have any more questions you can email me at <A HREF="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</A>

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[Anonymous]

>Hey! Welcome to the Longhorn business! We have been raising Longhorns for couple of years now (years ago our family did Angus and Herefords). Have been GREATLY impressed with the temperament, confirmation, and genetic ability of the Texas Longhorns.

All of our Longhorns will take cubes out of your hand and come when we call their name. Two of our seedstock dams are so trusting and gentle that they will let you pick up their calf at one day old and weigh it! However, there is a caveat message here...is very important to visit your stock (on a daily basis if possible) and talk to them and let them be around you. We also put our calves in halter when they are about a month or two old and let them get used to it. Walk around them in the pasture and when they are eating. Our calves will follow you around. Our bull likes to have his head scratched and neck rubbed (he has 43" of horn T-T at 22 months old).

Longhorns have a 99.7% record of unassisted calving, are excellent milkers, excellent mothers (and will share with baby-sitting), very good predator control (we have couple of cats that follow us at feeding time--even calves under 1 month old will chase the cats away).

If you're interested, I have some printed literature I will send you on Longhorns--just e-mail me with your mailing address. Also, might want to visit another major Longhorn site: <A HREF="http://www.itla.com" TARGET="_blank">www.itla.com</A>

Finally, where are you located? We are in the Texas Panhandle region. Bill



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[Anonymous]

I posted this link above, but you can find info on Longhorns there, too. Be aware that many 4H projects involving cattle require them to be dehorned. And that's a messy, stressful business. Also, if you're planning to show a Longhorn in a local show, they will likely fall into the All Other Breeds (AOB) class because there are often not enough of them to make up a class. Good luck....

<A HREF="http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/" TARGET="_blank">http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/</A>

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[Anonymous]

There are numerous Longhorn shows around the country. Contact the <A HREF="http://www.itla.com" TARGET="_blank">www.itla.com</A> and tlbaa.com to see when shows are in your area. Are also special chapter affiliates of each association. Longhorns are EASILY shown be even small children ages 8-10 and so forth (I've seen them do it)! Please don't "defame" a Longhorn by cutting its horns just to be able to show it (I'm not being nasty...) ok? A longhorn halter trained and comfortable with people is a very docile animal in the show ring.

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[Anonymous]

And I'm not trying to be mean. There are probably numerous Longhorn shows around the country and if you show at a breed sponsored show, horns are acceptable. But this poster indicated he was interested in a 4H project for the kids, maybe. I'll bet his 4H show will require the animal be dehorned. Horns are dangerous, even on gentle animals. And with all those kids running around, safety is very important. It's funny, though, we are currently using our second Longhorn bull as a gomer bull. We got him as a 4-month old calf about three years ago. We had the first LH about six years. Neither one of them has been as gentle as our Angus bulls and we don't try to make pets of our cattle.

> There are numerous Longhorn shows
> around the country. Contact the
> <A HREF="http://www.itla.com" TARGET="_blank">www.itla.com</A> and tlbaa.com to see
> when shows are in your area. Are
> also special chapter affiliates of
> each association. Longhorns are
> EASILY shown be even small
> children ages 8-10 and so forth
> (I've seen them do it)! Please
> don't "defame" a
> Longhorn by cutting its horns just
> to be able to show it (I'm not
> being nasty...) ok? A longhorn
> halter trained and comfortable
> with people is a very docile
> animal in the show ring.

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[Anonymous]

Yes, at a 4H sanctioned show a steer would most likely have to be polled or dehorned. At least, in our state he would have to be.

A comment on horns. Horns are a danger. Period. No one can dispute that.

We raise polled Murray Grey cattle. Many years ago, my husband was leading our most gentle, halter broke cow from the stock trailer to the back corral after a long ride home from Idaho. As he was leading the cow, one of our horses walked up and gently nipped the cow on the rump. That cow suddenly swung her head around with such force that my husband's abdomen was black and blue for weeks. She was merely startled and was trying to see what was nipping her butt. Had she been a horned animal, we would have been making an emergency trip to the ER. I'm a nurse, and had a horn hit where the worst of the bruising showed up, my husband would have had a punctured liver, which would very likely have been a lethal wound.

Horned animals are fine for those adults who are used to handling cattle and who understand the risk. They should not be around children, no matter how gentle the animal. There are enough dangers with livestock and children, without compounding the risk.

> And I'm not trying to be mean.
> There are probably numerous
> Longhorn shows around the country
> and if you show at a breed
> sponsored show, horns are
> acceptable. But this poster
> indicated he was interested in a
> 4H project for the kids, maybe.
> I'll bet his 4H show will require
> the animal be dehorned. Horns are
> dangerous, even on gentle animals.
> And with all those kids running
> around, safety is very important.
> It's funny, though, we are
> currently using our second
> Longhorn bull as a gomer bull. We
> got him as a 4-month old calf
> about three years ago. We had the
> first LH about six years. Neither
> one of them has been as gentle as
> our Angus bulls and we don't try
> to make pets of our cattle.

 

[Anonymous]

> I have 22 acres with 12 miniature
> donkeys. I am very interested in
> adding a few Longhorns. I have
> never owned any cattle and dont
> know very much about them. My
> question is mostly around the
> temperment of Texas Longhorns. Can
> they be mixed with the donkeys?
> Are they very aggresive? Is there
> somewhere that I can go and read
> up on this breed. This would be
> mostly for personal enjoyment and
> maybe a 4H project for my kids in
> the future. Any information would
> be very much appreciated. If you wish to own longhorns.You need need good tall fences.They jump like deer and can get mean fast.How ever your donkeys are safe .There not built right.Your best bet would be Angus or herfords.They both are bettered tempered.

 

[Anonymous]

To Robert: at our ranch we run about 60 or 70 longhorns, and there is hunters all around our area. we use standard six strand barbwire fences all around and dont have any trouble at with them getting out. Also, i have yet to encounter a, as you call it, 'mean' longhorn. Just thought i would tell you what i know from my 15+ years of experience.

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[Anonymous]

Me thinks Robert needs to do little more research on behavior, etc., of Longhorns...no offense intended, ok? Yes, longhorns can run, romp, spin around, and jump. But, they ain't mean, wild, and can't wait to jump or tear down a fence (are some exceptions, of course, other breeds as well). To generalize behavior to a species based on one or more observations of one or more animals or a small sample is like the human equivalent of : [1] blonds have more fun; [2] "ethnics" are out to get you; [3] redheads are more feisty; [4] and so on. Check with these organizations: <A HREF="http://www.itla.com" TARGET="_blank">www.itla.com</A> and <A HREF="http://www.tlbaa.com" TARGET="_blank">www.tlbaa.com</A> Or, just go to your browser and search for "Texas Longhorns." Lot of interesting information out there! Peace and good luck with ya' cattle!

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[Anonymous]

Frankie, You mentioned using a Longhorn Gomer bull. I was curious about how you have altered him, or the best way to alter one. Thanks > Rod

> And I'm not trying to be mean.
> There are probably numerous
> Longhorn shows around the country
> and if you show at a breed
> sponsored show, horns are
> acceptable. But this poster
> indicated he was interested in a
> 4H project for the kids, maybe.
> I'll bet his 4H show will require
> the animal be dehorned. Horns are
> dangerous, even on gentle animals.
> And with all those kids running
> around, safety is very important.
> It's funny, though, we are
> currently using our second
> Longhorn bull as a gomer bull. We
> got him as a 4-month old calf
> about three years ago. We had the
> first LH about six years. Neither
> one of them has been as gentle as
> our Angus bulls and we don't try
> to make pets of our cattle.

 

[Anonymous]

The vet performed a vasectomy on him. We have him fertility checked every once in a while, even though the vet assures us there's no way he can become fertile. We got him young enough to be sure he had not bred any cows and picked up diseases. Neither of our Longhorn gomers have worked very well in cold weather, otherwise we've been quite pleased with them.

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[Anonymous]

We used to use gomer bulls but do to thheir bull temperament have since switched to just horny steers,for that matter we've found heifers are as effective as the gomers used to be. You can't use a chin-ball marker on them, but that's the only down side we've seen. Plus it's one less mouth to feed that really has a limited timeframe when they are paying their way.

dun

> The vet performed a vasectomy on
> him. We have him fertility checked
> every once in a while, even though
> the vet assures us there's no way
> he can become fertile. We got him
> young enough to be sure he had not
> bred any cows and picked up
> diseases. Neither of our Longhorn
> gomers have worked very well in
> cold weather, otherwise we've been
> quite pleased with them.

 

[Anonymous]

I feel a little dumb, but I never thought about a vasectomy. Thanks for the info.
>Rod

> The vet performed a vasectomy on
> him. We have him fertility checked
> every once in a while, even though
> the vet assures us there's no way
> he can become fertile. We got him
> young enough to be sure he had not
> bred any cows and picked up
> diseases. Neither of our Longhorn
> gomers have worked very well in
> cold weather, otherwise we've been
> quite pleased with them.

 

[Anonymous]

Dun, I am impressed wih your A.I. success. My fall calves were my first A.I. calves. I had the usual problems and know I could improve my success with better heat detection. I had a cow last year that worked real good as a gomer. Maybe when I take the bull out she will shine again. I put a steer out but no interest with the bull around, even with cows coming in heat. I just took the bull out so I will see what happens.

> We used to use gomer bulls but do
> to thheir bull temperament have
> since switched to just horny
> steers,for that matter we've found
> heifers are as effective as the
> gomers used to be. You can't use a
> chin-ball marker on them, but
> that's the only down side we've
> seen. Plus it's one less mouth to
> feed that really has a limited
> timeframe when they are paying
> their way.

> dun

 

[Anonymous]

Not all steers are created equal but come weaning time we ussually have a steer or two that is acting horny and checking out the heifers born the same time he/it is. That's what we keep for use as a gomer. A neighbor raises Holstein steers from bottles and turns them out with with his beef cows after weaning. He has about 25 head of Holstein steers and one of them is a super horny guy, the others could care less. It's a lot lot people, some guys hare real horndogs, others are more reserved. The steer we kept for this year we always joked must have had sore front feet cause he was always trying to ride somebody, even the older cows. BTW the steers aren't implanted or anything, it's got to be in their nature.

dun

> Dun, I am impressed wih your A.I.
> success. My fall calves were my
> first A.I. calves. I had the usual
> problems and know I could improve
> my success with better heat
> detection. I had a cow last year
> that worked real good as a gomer.
> Maybe when I take the bull out she
> will shine again. I put a steer
> out but no interest with the bull
> around, even with cows coming in
> heat. I just took the bull out so
> I will see what happens.