longhorn cows

[DD RANCH]

Well I guess I stepped on some toes here.You could bring the best Longhorn to a sale here and you would go home dissappointed.

In this economy you need to raise cattle that are easily marketed at a fair price.Sometimes bills need to be paid long before you will find someone to pay top dollar for a longhorn.Around here it would take a long time to get a so so price out of a Longhorn.Cattle are walking cash just some are worth more on a daily average and Longhorn's are'nt one of them.I can't see the attraction to longhorn's never did see where Horn Soup was real filling.Longhorn's are worth less per pound than Dairy cattle what's that tell you.It does'nt cost anymore to feed good saleable cattle than good nonsaleable Longhorn's.Call them what they are Hobby Cattle real ranchers don't raise them....

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Well I guess I stepped on some toes here.You could bring the best Longhorn to a sale here and you would go home dissappointed.

In this economy you need to raise cattle that are easily marketed at a fair price.Sometimes bills need to be paid long before you will find someone to pay top dollar for a longhorn.Around here it would take a long time to get a so so price out of a Longhorn.Cattle are walking cash just some are worth more on a daily average and Longhorn's are'nt one of them.I can't see the attraction to longhorn's never did see where Horn Soup was real filling.Longhorn's are worth less per pound than Dairy cattle what's that tell you.It does'nt cost anymore to feed good saleable cattle than good nonsaleable Longhorn's.Call them what they are Hobby Cattle real ranchers don't raise them....

Agree that Longhorns bring less at "common commercial" sales events than the "cookie cutter commercial cattle." However, there are numerous Longhorn producers that are in the 6 & 7 figure income bracket! It doesn't elevate your position at all to slam what other people are doing... Just because you don't like a given breed doesn't make it less worthwhile. ;-)

 

[Ryan]

Well I guess I stepped on some toes here.You could bring the best Longhorn to a sale here and you would go home dissappointed.

In this economy you need to raise cattle that are easily marketed at a fair price.Sometimes bills need to be paid long before you will find someone to pay top dollar for a longhorn.Around here it would take a long time to get a so so price out of a Longhorn.Cattle are walking cash just some are worth more on a daily average and Longhorn's are'nt one of them.I can't see the attraction to longhorn's never did see where Horn Soup was real filling.Longhorn's are worth less per pound than Dairy cattle what's that tell you.It does'nt cost anymore to feed good saleable cattle than good nonsaleable Longhorn's.Call them what they are Hobby Cattle real ranchers don't raise them....

Agree that Longhorns bring less at "common commercial" sales events than the "cookie cutter commercial cattle." However, there are numerous Longhorn producers that are in the 6 & 7 figure income bracket! It doesn't elevate your position at all to slam what other people are doing... Just because you don't like a given breed doesn't make it less worthwhile. ;-)

Both make good points. Longhorns do not do well at sale barns. This is why the vast majority of longhorns are registered and are sold private treaty, at longhorn sales, or in a specific niche market (riding, roping, lean beef, etc...). I know that straight longhorns will get docked at a sale barn everytime, however I think you can do very well using a cross that is influenced by longhorns. I know people that use Char, Maine, Simm, Angus, etc... bulls and their solid colored calves grow great and they get good prices at the sale barn. Their spotted calves get docked some for the spotting, but since they are heavier than pure longhorns and have no horns they still bring good money.

 

[DD RANCH]

Well I guess I stepped on some toes here.You could bring the best Longhorn to a sale here and you would go home dissappointed.

In this economy you need to raise cattle that are easily marketed at a fair price.Sometimes bills need to be paid long before you will find someone to pay top dollar for a longhorn.Around here it would take a long time to get a so so price out of a Longhorn.Cattle are walking cash just some are worth more on a daily average and Longhorn's are'nt one of them.I can't see the attraction to longhorn's never did see where Horn Soup was real filling.Longhorn's are worth less per pound than Dairy cattle what's that tell you.It does'nt cost anymore to feed good saleable cattle than good nonsaleable Longhorn's.Call them what they are Hobby Cattle real ranchers don't raise them....

Agree that Longhorns bring less at "common commercial" sales events than the "cookie cutter commercial cattle." However, there are numerous Longhorn producers that are in the 6 & 7 figure income bracket! It doesn't elevate your position at all to slam what other people are doing... Just because you don't like a given breed doesn't make it less worthwhile. ;-)

Well they are not making it in the commercial market.As far as my position if you don't like the truth don't read cause in the real RANCHING WORLD Longhorn's are extinct sorry to burst yer Bubble.

 

[Ryan]

Well they are not making it in the commercial market.As far as my position if you don't like the truth don't read cause in the real RANCHING WORLD Longhorn's are extinct sorry to burst yer Bubble.

I think extinct might be taking it a little too far. However I do agree that the 6 and 7 figure income people are not making in the commercial market. Like I said before the vast majority of longhorns are not commercial, they are registered. Plus, these people with the big incomes made this money outside of longhorns and then began raising longhorns. This furthers the stereotype that longhorns are only for hobbies, but that is not always the truth.

Ryan

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Well they are not making it in the commercial market.As far as my position if you don't like the truth don't read cause in the real RANCHING WORLD Longhorn's are extinct sorry to burst yer Bubble.

I think extinct might be taking it a little too far. However I do agree that the 6 and 7 figure income people are not making in the commercial market. Like I said before the vast majority of longhorns are not commercial, they are registered. Plus, these people with the big incomes made this money outside of longhorns and then began raising longhorns. This furthers the stereotype that longhorns are only for hobbies, but that is not always the truth.

Ryan

I will have to agree here too. A lot of the specialty cattle breed people are in the registered climate, whatever the breed. As I've said before, registered cattle are sold "per each," not "per pound". Unless a rancher is a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th generation enterprise, in all probability their set-up and operation was in fact funded by "other" money and/or may be maintained by "other" money. This, however, does not in any way classify them as "hobby" cattle breeders.

True, some ranchers (whatever the cattle breed) may have a ranch as a tax write-off (e.g., some sports celebrities, oil barrons, attorneys, physicians, etc.). However, these exceptions are not the grass roots people doing ranching.

Probably only the IRS and one's CPA or Bank knows for sure from where and how much one's money for their livestock operation comes from. Others can only speculate and all...

I'd venture to say that most ALL Farmers & Ranchers who are still in operation today have SOME OTHER source of funding to supplement their operation (outside income, government subsidies, inherited money, etc.).

My guess is that whenever "push comes to shove" that "on the books" very few farmers and ranchers in any given year are actually making any money...they're just moving money around to farm & ranch day by day, month by month. It's a lifestyle, and a heck of a lot better than being on the Goverment Tit as some of the Liberals probably are.

:cboy:

 

[MoGal]

I have to agree with hillbilly that here in MO, they are worthless. Perhaps in Texas, Al, or Florida they are valued.

Nevertheless, you might be able to locate someone that has team roping, etc...

In this area, Flickerwood Arena has team roping at least 3 nights a week and weekend competitions as well as MO state high school rodeo events. You might have him call them to see if he's interested.

Best of luck to the fella and maybe he'll realize how important it is to market what sells the best in his environment.

 

[Arnold Ziffle]

I've got a feeling there's another fella here that likes to hear about those "worthless longhorns" in Missouri; sure makes it easier for him to pick them up at cheap prices and put a good terminal bull with them so as to make some pretty good cash --- right, Stocky?

 

[ohiocattle]

I'd have to agree with Running Bill. Unless you are born into the business, you most likely have some sort of other income that is funding your cattle operation. If that makes you a hobby rancher then most cattlemen would be considered so. We didn't get to the point we are at without hobby ranchers or those cattleman who subsidize their income in other ways. So let's try to take it easy on those who weren't fortunate enough to inherit a cattle operation because they help support those who were born into it. Some have to work dang hard everyday just to live this life whether it be on the farm or in the factory.

 

[Bez!]

I know that I am not much of an expert on cattle, and I know that I am somewhat of a newbie - after all my name shows I only joined up a short time ago - but ....

Back in another life - under a very slightly different name I made this post - might be time to drag it out for a bit. Most of it applies.

Less input often more than makes up the difference for less money received - if I buy a couple dozen head of commercial LH - breed them right and spend danged near nothing on upkeep - I suspect my lower dollar received will keep me pretty close - if I am lucky - maybe even over - the true "real dollar" profit that the big boys with their registration certificates and and their "it's just a Longhorn why spend the money" attitude.
Read on if you like.

And yes - we were paying that much for feed at the time.

Bez!
-----------------------------------------------------------

Dirty ole Longhorns?

Don't think so.

I have seen them used on heifers and cows. I watched a neighbour use them in Alberta and we used them in Saskatchewan.

Usually they were crossed to angus (red and black), herefords or shorthorn.

End up with all colours from black to red to red/blue roans. Red tipped ears and red legs with white socks and boots on some. I still have fond memories of some of those tiny red eared calves.

NorthWest Alberta champion 4H steer in 99 came from this cross - simm/angus and shorthorn/longhorn. I know - it was a nice calf and belonged to my daughter. Completely finished and weighed in at 1300 pounds - give or take a bit. Won 7 classes under 7 different judges in one day. She competed against registered and commercial animals of all breeds that day.

Calves are small so easy on the heifers. Grassers did not eat much - and did well on real poor graze - the stuff you have nightmares over and you would not wish on your worst enemy. In the yard during winter - it helps when feed is scarce. Try feeding a herd when you are buying round bales of oat straw for 107 bucks Canadian a bale because that is well and truly ALL that is available - you appreciate things like smaller appetites and hardy bellies.

Calves always grew well and sold well - I do not ever remember one that once it was started ever getting sick and dying on us - hardy constitutions.

I might add they tasted pretty good.

I am with Running Arrow Bill - when times are hard and feed is truly something you wish for, or you are calving out a couple hundred heifers, or you are looking for a little outcross to put some hardiness into your herd - lots of commercial folks out there know how nice it is to have a bit of Longhorn in your blood line.

Not a breed I want to raise as pure - that's a different strokes for different folks thing. But for crossing under the conditions I just mentioned - well, in my opinion they are one of the better options.

Bez

 

[Rustler9]

Bez,
I appreciate your post about the Longhorns. I am a registered breeder and I also have a few crosses. There are those on this board that only want to run them down and really don't know a damn thing about them. I know that there's money to be made on a Longhorn cross calf-I continue to preach that if you take a Charolais bull and put on the Longhorn cow that you get a hefty cream colored beef calf that was raised on less that than many of the straight British or Continental breeds or crosses and puts some money in your pocket. They do cross well with any breed and grow off well. The color outcome depends on what breed they were crossed with. Bez, do you have a picture of that steer that your daughter showed? I would like to see one if you do.

I don't particularly like several of the breeds that folks raise on this board but I'm not going to give someone hell over it because I don't like that breed. Whatever works for each individual is what that person should raise. There's still no reason to breed bash or to bash that person as an individual just because he or she does not conform to "black" America. Notice that I did not mention a particular breed. I have several black Longhorns and I like them. I like the color black in cattle-I don't want all of my cattle to be black.

Often times I wonder just how much some of these "it's my way or no way" people really know about cattle anyway. I still know that this isn't going to change anyone over to Longhorns and that's fine but people on this board need to be a little more tolerant of others and their breed of choice. I've basically tried to stay out of alot of this but now here I go. I guess if someone reads a post about someone's catlle and they don't have anything good or informative to say they should just pass that post by.

 

[Bez!]

The color outcome depends on what breed they were crossed with. Bez, do you have a picture of that steer that your daughter showed? I would like to see one if you do.

Would love to accommodate - fire got them all - managed to save her trophies though.

As for breed bashing - well, we all know that those BA cattle are only a marketing ploy - hardly any quality there - right?

And most of the breeders know nothing about quality - only colour matters.

8) :lol:

The calf ended up being black - white blaze and white belly - tail was black with white switch - stocky - square and certainly raised a few eyebrows when it won.

The fact that so many judges placed her first took the wind out of all but the loudest. In the end, it was a calf of a life time and I figure if she sees another like it she will be very lucky.

Regards,

Bez!

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

From what I've read, the Longhorns only need about 80% of the forage other breeds do to maintain good health and body condition. Add to that, sickness is almost non-existant. Having to "pull a Longhorn calf"---I don't think so!!! They are found in all climates and survive well. Our pastures when we got the place were seriously overrun with weeds and our native bermuda was competing for moisture. After 3 years at our new place, weeds are almost non-existant since the Longhorns will eat just about anything. Yes, we feed good quality hay year-around and very good minerals year-around. This has worked for us!

We have just about every color and spotted colors at our place. The bulls we have sold to commercial cattle people have produced some very good calves (according to these ranchers) from Angus, Black Baldie, Hereford, Charlolais, and some "mixed" breed cattle.

 

[Bobg]

Running Arrow Bill & Bez,

I agree whole heartily about people wanting to run down longhorns. I have just a few and people gave me a bad time about getting them. They cleaned up all the small willow trees and weeds around my place. My stepfather thought it was ridiculous when I bought them until I bbq'd him a T-bone and he found out that they can eat almost anything. When we had the last steer butchered the guy that does it said it didn't look like it was going to grade very well when he skinned it. I told him to wait and see after he was done. He stopped me on the street on day after he had cut and wrapped it and told me it graded high "Choice" said he would never have guessed it.

Getting high prices for an animal doesn't always mean you're making more money on them.

Bobg

 

[hillbilly]

They cleaned up all the small willow trees and weeds around my place.

A goat can do that,

Getting high prices for an animal doesn't always mean you're making more money on them.

Bobg[/quote]

That sounds like my kinda logic!!

hillbilly