Our Black Senior Herd Sire

[Rustler9]

One of the main advantages of crossing Longhorns on other breeds is calving ease. Especially on first time heifers. The calves are born small but they really grow fast. Breed them to polled cows and usually there's no horns. Polled is dominant. I just had a guy call me yesterday wanting a young bull to put on his black baldy heifers-says he's tired of pulling dead calves. Is currently using an Angus or it's supposed to be one. Please don't take offense-I'm not knocking Angus or any other breed. l have sold several of these bulls for breeding first calvers. I told the fellow to come look at a solid black Longhorn bull that I have.

Our cattle are easy to work because we are around them alot and they are gentle. I haven't bought a Longhorn chute yet but plan to get one. Right now I corner the grown ones one at a time in the corral and use a corral panel to squeeze them up and do what ever I need to do.

We sure don't cut the horns off-horns bring money to Longhorn breeders. But I will tell a story that I was told when I was in Ft Worth last month about a guy (I believe he was supposedly in Missouri) who bought up every solid black Longhorn he could find and bred them and sold the bulls as easy calving composite black bulls. I was told that this fellow would have the horns surgically removed while the calves were young and had a big market for these bulls to commercial cattlemen. He didn't tell these folks that they were buying Longhorns. I guess he was eventually found out and that was the end of that. I don't know if this is true or not but this is what I was told and I'm not saying that I would do anything like this. I was told the fellow's name but I don't remember it.

 

[Rustler9]

Sorry about the duplicate post-I'm not sure how I did that [/img]

• 

 

[bubchub]

I have one question-How do you catch a Longhorn in a headgate or otherwise? I'm talking about one with a 55" spread. Actually, I have a lot of questions about Longhorns. My handling facilities couldn't accomodate 55'' (or even close to that) horns and I don't think the stockyard where I sell animals could handle him either. Do you cut his horns off before you sell him? If you do, how do you hold him while you're cutting them off? I'm just curious and am looking for some straight answers here. :roll: And one more thing: Do you get a lot of injuries in your herd from all those horns?

When my dad had Longhorns, he would just use anormal chute and head gate to work them (even full grown ones). A couple of times if he just had to doctor a single animal he would rope them, put a rope around their waist and pull it tight. Eventually they'd fall down and he'd stick their horns in the ground. It worked pretty good,just a little dangerous with them horns.

 

[Rustler9]

Here's a picture of a Round Up grand son that's three years old. He is a Levi 6 son. He looks white in the picture but is actually a roan. He is dun (tan) speckled allover and passes the roaning gene on to his offspring. He is a compact bull, pretty beefy. Round Up usually passes horns on to his offspring and I'm Hoping this will be this Levi's case.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

We just measured our blue roan junior herd sire, "Roundups Blue Spock" (Roundups Purple Sage X Ozarks Mist) on December 3 at 365 days: he weighed an impressive 892# with 39" of total horn (34.75" TTT) and 11.5" dia. base, and 50" Hip . Spock is a grandson of "Roundup" and Spock is projected to have 78" horn at maturity.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

I have one question-How do you catch a Longhorn in a headgate or otherwise? I'm talking about one with a 55" spread. Actually, I have a lot of questions about Longhorns. My handling facilities couldn't accomodate 55'' (or even close to that) horns and I don't think the stockyard where I sell animals could handle him either. Do you cut his horns off before you sell him? If you do, how do you hold him while you're cutting them off? I'm just curious and am looking for some straight answers here. :roll: And one more thing: Do you get a lot of injuries in your herd from all those horns?

You can use a standard headgate with a Longhorn as long as their TTT horn measurement is not more than about 24-30". After that we use a "Medina Hinge" set up for working our Longhorns.

DO NOT CUT OFF HORNS OF LH! You can't fool a buyer. Second, you'll get more $$ for the LH at a LH Sale.

If you want the Longhorn genetics but less horn, there are any number of Longhorn cattle out there that have minimal horns (or genetics to produce good horn). Some of the TLBAA member breeders shoot for body with average to below average horn growth. There are definitely mature LH out there with less than 40" of horn.

No...the LH do not injure their pasture-mates. They are quite adept at playing, determining pecking order, etc., with gestures, head pushing, etc. Their horns are not used as weapons...against the other cattle...only against predators. However, I would NOT mix Longhorns with Horses (especially Stallions) in same pasture (there are exceptions).

 

[MR3]

I have a gommer steer I think will have a good set of horns some day. I'm interested in what formula you guys use to get your predicted horn lengths. I take it there is a different formula for Steers. >Thanks.

Rod

 

[Ryan]

http://dalgoodlonghorns.com/hornpredict.asp

You can use this link to get a prediction. However, i do not know how accurate using a formula is. Different environments, genetics, and management can cause the speed of the horn growth to vary. I know there are some lines that grow slowly at young ages then grow rapidly once they hit 2 or 3, and vise versa.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

http://dalgoodlonghorns.com/hornpredict.asp

You can use this link to get a prediction. However, i do not know how accurate using a formula is. Different environments, genetics, and management can cause the speed of the horn growth to vary. I know there are some lines that grow slowly at young ages then grow rapidly once they hit 2 or 3, and vise versa.

Dalgood is a good benchmark for horn prediction; however, I'm sure there is a margin of error. Like Ryan said, genetics, environment, nutrition management, etc., are all variables. Some LH are "late bloomers" and horns don't take off at first.

We also use a rough guide of "2X horn length at 12 months of age = possible horn length at maturity." We also track monthly average horn and weight info using our "LonghornMax2" software (CattleSoft product).

We also have mineral tubs out 24/7/365. Use the molasses lick type manufactured by "BioRemedies" in Garden City, KS. When grass is bad we use a 30% protein tub. (We found those "generic" 200# mineral tubs next to worthless--too much waste, cattle didn't like them). We also supplement with 20% cubes as needed. We're not trying to "create more horn", just to facilitate what their genetics should do with proper nutrition.

 

[MR3]

I checked out the sight and did the calculation. I measured from the tip of one horn to the center of his head and doubled it. if he goes the predicted length I'm going to have an impressive hood ornament. Actually I have a place on the wall were he would look good. Thanks for the info guys.

Rod