Longhorn question

[63DH8]

If you had to transport a longhorn any distance, how would you do this without stressing the animal. Is there enough room in a stock trailer to transport them? How small of a trailer can you go? If you have to drive two or three days, is there anything special you have to do for the animal? What do you have to look out for while transporting the animal?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Rustler9]

Basically, Longhorns are no different than any other type of cattle when transporting as long as you have enough room in the trailer for the animal to ride as comfortably as possible. A two or three day trip would be hard on any kind of cow. Of course, you'll need to have feed and water for the animal if they are going to be on a trailer for that amount of time. Assuming you're traveling for a long distance or amount of time, when you stop at night the animal needs to have enough room to lay down and rest. Most of those that I've hauled seem to stand up while traveling and they don't lay down until the trailer stops moving but I have seen a few who would lay down.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

We've hauled Longhorns from Texas Panhandle to Tennessee. Hauled over 2 days. Several years ago we received a load from Ohio which had been on road at least 2 days. We sold some to California which were hauled by a professional "Longhorn Hauler".

When traveling the cattle will lose weight, up to 10%. They may or may not eat or drink much. Rest stops every 2-3 hours (for you and cattle) will allow them to "relax" and not have to brace against trailer movement. If you must travel over 1 day, it would be great if they could be off-loaded into a pen for overnight (such as at a Vet's facility, other breeder's, sale barn, small town Fairgrounds facility, etc.). However, with any off-load, there might be "bugs" the cattle might catch...be sure yours are current on all vaccinations.

Closed top trailers are a must. Preferably with plenty of head room for horn movement. You can "pack in" calves and coming yearlings in fairly tight; however, with the "Long Horn" cattle, more room is obviously needed for them to lay down and rest.

I'd also spray all of cattle for flies prior to loading. Very difficult for them to "swat flies" with their horns in a cramped trailer.

After a long haul, they should be put in a pen (not a larger pasture) for few days to observe them for any signs of illness; and, to reduce their tendency to do a lot of roaming which will cause more weight loss. Feed them free choice while being quarantined in pen...pen needs to be large enough (probably up to 1/2 acre or so) for free movement and to get away from any dominant penmates. If just one or two LH, a small corral would be fine.

 

[63DH8]

Thank you folks for the replies. I don't like to see any animal suffer. On the other hand, critters have to move from point "A" to point "B".

When I'm ready, I want to get some diverse bloodlines, so I don't want much in the way of local Longhorns.

Again, thank you for your replies.

 

[DrumRunner728]

We recently bought Longhorn cows. The breeder delivered them to us on a Tuesday afternoon. We knew that one of the cows was springing hard - she had been really close when we selected her the week before. The day after they were delivered we went to check on them and found a new heifer, obviously only a few hours old. Mom and calf are both doing fine!

 

[63DH8]

We recently bought Longhorn cows. The breeder delivered them to us on a Tuesday afternoon. We knew that one of the cows was springing hard - she had been really close when we selected her the week before. The day after they were delivered we went to check on them and found a new heifer, obviously only a few hours old. Mom and calf are both doing fine!

How far away were they transported? States away/Days travel?

 

[DrumRunner728]

Not terribly far by most standards - probably about 2 to 2-1/2 hours - from south Alabama to north Florida. There were 6 cows and 4 calves on the trailer.

 

[Rustler9]

We've taken cattle on 12 to 15 hours trips and they did ok. They just get tired but they do ok. We take cattle from Tennessee to Texas and also up to North Carolina and to Virginia which 12 to 13 hours away from us.

 

[63DH8]

I'm in Washington State. I'd like to get a well diverse gene pool from as far away as Texas, OK, Kansas, Montana, et al. Unfortunately, with the exception of Montana, they are all several days away. Do the breeders have a list of Longhorn shippers? I know Longhorns are supposed to be tough animals, but I don't want to stress them unnecessarly.

Maybe getting a bull and cow from nearby states and calves from further away states would make more sense?

 

[DrumRunner728]

63, Rustler can answer this WAY better than I can but a lot of Longhorn breeders will either ship cattle to you or make arrangements for them to be shipped. Prior to buying our cattle from the breeder in Alabama, we were looking at cattle from a breeder in Ohio. He told us he ships 2 to 3 truckloads of cows to Florida each year.

 

[Rustler9]

Hey, come on down to Tennessee and look at our herds. You pick em out and we can get them to you. Seriously, we don't specialize in hauling but we could arrange to get them there.

Here's a couple of numbers for folks who haul Longhorn cattle professionally:

Ted Rousch-281-507-7005
Zane Burkham-214-676-3598
Dan Tisdale-940-841-2619

Ted and Dan are in Texas and I believe that Zane is in Oklahoma but they haul anywhere.

 

[63DH8]

You guys are the greatest!

It's very rare that a bunch of people from varied background who live in different parts of the Country work this well together to help others who are interested in the same field!

Thank you very much!

btw... I may even try to get a LH from Florida. My older brother lives there. What better excuse to pick one up while visiting?

 

[DrumRunner728]

You guys are the greatest!

It's very rare that a bunch of people from varied background who live in different parts of the Country work this well together to help others who are interested in the same field!

Thank you very much!

btw... I may even try to get a LH from Florida. My older brother lives there. What better excuse to pick one up while visiting?

It's one of the things that I like the most about the Longhorn people I've met. And if you're ever down this way (Florida), be sure and let us know you're coming!

 

[Ryan]

You mentioned Texas. We're pretty far up north, it wouldn't be too far off your path that way to swing through and give us a visit.

Like everyone else has said... the people can't be beat. This past weekend at the TLBAA World Expo a buddy and I were talking about just that. And how many truely great people there are in this breed.

 

[63DH8]

I used to live just west of Ft. Hood and would like to take my daughters through the area to show them where my oldest daughter was almost born. Texas isn't off the list to drive through and purchase Longhorns from. After all, what's the first name of Longhorns? TEXAS of course!

 

[MR3]

You can find all the diversity you like right here in the Northwest and save yourself a lot of money on transpiration. If your looking for registered stock they all have pedigrees to compare bloodlines with. Your bull will have the most impact on your herd and it is less expansive to ship a bull to your cows than cows to your bull. With semen being shipped all over the country, distance makes no difference on diversity. Knot trying to discourage you from taking a road trip, just that some of the best Texas Longhorns are right here under your nose. Good luck!

Rod

 

[63DH8]

I know I shouldn't discount AI, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I mean, isn't that how domesticated horses ended up needing man's help for just about every level of breeding to birthing?

 

[MR3]

All I know about horses, is that they turn good hay into horse sh!tt ;-)

Rod

 

[63DH8]

About all I know about horses is
1. Horses can bite you while you're sitting on their back. Longhorns won't.

2. Horse require more attention than what I want to give them.

3. They turn good hay into horsesh*t.

4. People tend to frown on you if you eat horses.

5. If you use horse manure as fertilizer, brusselsprouts end up tasting like the manure.

6. Brusselsprouts are roughly the size of the individual horse dropping in the clump.

7. In most cases, you get very little back for your investment in regards to horses.

8. You have to be careful when you feed horses because they may bite. Not so Longhorns.

Anyone else think of anything else?

 

[DrumRunner728]

Horses are wonderful. There's plenty of room in my world for horses AND Longhorns.