As a breeder of registered Longhorns I'll put my 2 cents worth in here...lol.
I'll agree with the "Angus" and other commercial people that Longhorns are not a mainstream market for people wanting to breed, raise, fatten, sell their animals to the usual commercial type markets. Even though the Longhorn breed has been in the USA for some 500 years, it is still considered a nitch market. We do not breed, raise, and sell Longhorns for the PRIMARY purpose of raising beef for slaughter.
The longhorn market is a multi-state one whereby breeders probably sell as many Longhorns out of state as they do instate (if not more). Bloodlines, pedigrees, colors are chased across state lines to complement one's herd program.
Longhorns are almost always sold via Private Treaty to individuals and ranches, at specialty Longhorn auctions, and other selected sales events. Only on a very rare occasion is one or more sold at a local market.
The market for Longhorns include raising foundation sires and dams, pedigree specialization for breeding stock, breeding for increased horn length, breeding for body conformation, providing cross-breeding animals for first calf heifers, occasionally raising roping stock, and raising low cholesterol & low fat beef. Longhorn steers are also used for show, riding, and parade events since they are easily trained.
Other Longhorn "after market" products include skulls and horns mounts, colorful hides, hoof/scrotum/tail mounted ornaments.
Finally, since Longhorns are sole "each" rather than "by the pound," they command high prices (often in the thousands of $$). Top end sires and dams are often sold at specialty auctions for tens of thousands of dollars. Longhorn semen often sells between $10 and $300 per straw, depending on scarcity, pedigree, and other factors.
Some individuals purchase Longhorns for personal pasture attractions; some businesses purchase them for front pasture ornaments to call attention to their corporate or industrial operation. A colorful and very long horned animal is "worth its weight in gold" so to speak for those "ornamental" purposes. Incidentally, the longest horned steer still alive is around 110" spread, tip to tip.
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