Menu
Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
New media
New media comments
New profile posts
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Members
Current visitors
New profile posts
Search profile posts
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles and first posts only
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Forums
Cattle Boards
Breeds Board
Longhorn Colors
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Help Support CattleToday:
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Rustler9" data-source="post: 197883" data-attributes="member: 440"><p>I can't tell you where having a variety of colors and color patterns can benefit a beef breeding program but I don't see where that has been argued either. As Longhorn breeders, I can say for myself and probably other breeders as well that we enjoy the variety and just plain like to see the variations in our pastures. I have never said that my cattle are cute and that's certainly not how I describe them when I market them to someone. Oh well, somewhere, sometimes, I have been known to say "That's a cute calf." but I have said and/or thought the same thing about Hereford or Angus or Brahman or a number of other breeds. Correct, cuteness doesn't sell them-no matter what breed they are. </p><p></p><p>You folks who don't like Longhorns are always going to find some reason to discount them and you know to me that's just fine. I know that this breed is never going to take over the commercial beef market nor do I expect it to even though 100 years ago Longhorns were the top contenders in the beef market. In my opinon, if someone wants to consider getting into this breed they need to think about what they want to achieve from breeding these animals. If they want a quick turnover at the salebarn they need to raise something black and polled. That's the trend right now as it has been for quite a while and will probably be for a quite a while longer. </p><p></p><p>Longhorn breeders raise these animals for a variety of reasons. Purebred seed stock breeders can sell these animals either at registered sales or by private treaty. Animals that don't fit the bill can be marketed as beef-there is a niche market for lean healthy beef out there but you have to work to get into that market. Of course there's always demand for recreational stock as ropers but in my experience roper buyers are as unpredictable as the weather and I don't lean on them as an outlet for my stock. Most of the time they want the calves but only if they can get them for nothing. </p><p></p><p>I see so much on here about all of these folks worrying about pulling their calves, heifer is down, calf is injured, what do I do? I've yet to understand how a person who cares so much about his or her stock can knowingly bred these young heifers to bulls that jeopardize the heifer as well as the calf's life. A Longhorn bull will give you a live, thrifty calf that will grow well and give you a paycheck at the end. When bred to solid, polled cows the Longhorn will usually give you an offspring much like the solid, polled mother. But what if you do get a colored, scurred or horned calf? I could never understand how it's better to take a chance and maybe drag the heifer off to the ditch as wll as the calf. Some commercial cattlemen have come to realize that it is profitable to breed those first calf heifers to a low birth weight bull, raise a calf and then breed the heifer back to the bull of their choice for the second go around. If properly managed, the cow will breed back quicker whereas some if they survive don't breed back at all because of stress and injuries sustained in trying to get a monster first calf out of them. </p><p></p><p>Longhorns are like alot of other things, folks either love them or hate them. I've not seen any inbetweens-anyone who likes them ok and it really doesn't matter. Longhorns do have a place in the cattle industry-but really only as an effective means in crossbreeding to other breeds for leaner, hardier, efficient beef animals. The straight Longhorn will never stand up to the beefier breeds in the commercial aspect. But their functionality in the crossbreeding program is something that many people should consider although most do not because of their prejudice against them even though in most cases they have no concrete evidence to stand on. If you have not had any experience in dealing with something, how can you claim to know anything about it? I'll get off my soap box now because I have chores that need to be done.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Rustler9, post: 197883, member: 440"] I can't tell you where having a variety of colors and color patterns can benefit a beef breeding program but I don't see where that has been argued either. As Longhorn breeders, I can say for myself and probably other breeders as well that we enjoy the variety and just plain like to see the variations in our pastures. I have never said that my cattle are cute and that's certainly not how I describe them when I market them to someone. Oh well, somewhere, sometimes, I have been known to say "That's a cute calf." but I have said and/or thought the same thing about Hereford or Angus or Brahman or a number of other breeds. Correct, cuteness doesn't sell them-no matter what breed they are. You folks who don't like Longhorns are always going to find some reason to discount them and you know to me that's just fine. I know that this breed is never going to take over the commercial beef market nor do I expect it to even though 100 years ago Longhorns were the top contenders in the beef market. In my opinon, if someone wants to consider getting into this breed they need to think about what they want to achieve from breeding these animals. If they want a quick turnover at the salebarn they need to raise something black and polled. That's the trend right now as it has been for quite a while and will probably be for a quite a while longer. Longhorn breeders raise these animals for a variety of reasons. Purebred seed stock breeders can sell these animals either at registered sales or by private treaty. Animals that don't fit the bill can be marketed as beef-there is a niche market for lean healthy beef out there but you have to work to get into that market. Of course there's always demand for recreational stock as ropers but in my experience roper buyers are as unpredictable as the weather and I don't lean on them as an outlet for my stock. Most of the time they want the calves but only if they can get them for nothing. I see so much on here about all of these folks worrying about pulling their calves, heifer is down, calf is injured, what do I do? I've yet to understand how a person who cares so much about his or her stock can knowingly bred these young heifers to bulls that jeopardize the heifer as well as the calf's life. A Longhorn bull will give you a live, thrifty calf that will grow well and give you a paycheck at the end. When bred to solid, polled cows the Longhorn will usually give you an offspring much like the solid, polled mother. But what if you do get a colored, scurred or horned calf? I could never understand how it's better to take a chance and maybe drag the heifer off to the ditch as wll as the calf. Some commercial cattlemen have come to realize that it is profitable to breed those first calf heifers to a low birth weight bull, raise a calf and then breed the heifer back to the bull of their choice for the second go around. If properly managed, the cow will breed back quicker whereas some if they survive don't breed back at all because of stress and injuries sustained in trying to get a monster first calf out of them. Longhorns are like alot of other things, folks either love them or hate them. I've not seen any inbetweens-anyone who likes them ok and it really doesn't matter. Longhorns do have a place in the cattle industry-but really only as an effective means in crossbreeding to other breeds for leaner, hardier, efficient beef animals. The straight Longhorn will never stand up to the beefier breeds in the commercial aspect. But their functionality in the crossbreeding program is something that many people should consider although most do not because of their prejudice against them even though in most cases they have no concrete evidence to stand on. If you have not had any experience in dealing with something, how can you claim to know anything about it? I'll get off my soap box now because I have chores that need to be done. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Forums
Cattle Boards
Breeds Board
Longhorn Colors
Top