My intensions are not to improve the Beefmaster breed. I recently started raising Registered Beefmasters and I believe there is plenty of genetics out there to find what anyone would want in the breed. My dad and me have always mainly had your typical AngusxHereford cows then around 15yrs ago we switched our Hereford bulls to Limousine bulls. And for my personal herd the last 8 years I have had a Beefmaster bull around which I have been very pleased with. As far as my longhorns go I am just basically experimenting with the cross to see what kind of commercial mamma cows they can produce with a Beefmaster bull, and to improve there calves worth at the sale barn. I understand the Limousine or Charolaise cross would be the best cross to use to strictly sell at the sale barn. But I question what the quality of the heifers would be VS the Beefmaster cross. And my plans to make the cross the 3rd time would be strictly to help remove more color and if their is any ear which I would use a Limousine or Angus bull for that. I wouldn't plan on holding any of them calves back as replacements. My personal opinion, I believe most of the common British or Beef breeds like Hereford, Angus, Simmental, Charolaise, etc. have been crossed and diluted so much to improve the breed/color that their ability to create the Hybrid vigor cross wouldn't be much difference as using a Beefmaster bull just my 2 cents.
As far as the ones that believe there is no ability or worth in a full blood Longhorn cow in the beef world. I strongly disagree I don't think there is a breed out there with the ability to make you more money on a budget or on rough ground. The non registered full blood longhorns are still very cheap and there is guys I know that use Charolaise and Limousine bulls on them and the calves do good at the sale barn, they grow just as good as a lot of peoples commercial beef calves. Of course yes you will have a few that will have color and horn that will be docked at the sale but as a whole they do good. My longhorns I feed half as much Hay to as my Beef cattle and at $25-$60 a bale that adds up, and I am yet to pull a calf. I also have several cows that are 16yrs old that still raise a nice calf. Yes it is more of a hassle to work longhorns with the big horns but in my experience I rarely have to get them up for anything like pink eye, foot rot or to pull a calf. As far as going to buy cows to pay for themselves I believe longhorns have a lot potential and would pay for them selves faster than the Beef breeds starting out at least. Again that's just my experience and 2 cents again.
As far as my full blood and registered Longhorns. I am striving to raise a different style Longhorn than your typical Longhorn breeder. I choose Maternal traits, Growth, Larger Body size/structure and solid color over Horn Growth. Horn size is currently the bottom of my list. I want my longhorns to be able to raise the biggest calf possible on rough brushy rocky land that the typical Beef breeds couldn't survive on. I have only had them sense 2013 so I have a lot of improving to do but I will eventually get them were I want them to be.
