Running Brahman and Longhorns together?

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Bedlingtond

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East Texas
Anyone have any trouble running Texas Longhorn and Brahman heifers together in the same field? My husband worked on a Texas longhorn ranch for years. We're looking to start breeding registered longhorn on 100 acres out in East Texas, but I also like the idea of trying to bread some F1 Braford's. I want to know if I can run my longhorn and brahman heifers together.
 
Can you, yes.

Will it be a pia, probably. They will likely dominate what ever feed you put out and could even cause problems working them if every thing is not over done to accommodate mixing them.

Horses can be the same way if you mix them.

The bigger question may be can the property support both? Hopefully some people will chime in on stocking rates in that area. You may also talk to some neighbors or the extension agent near by.
 
Anyone have any trouble running Texas Longhorn and Brahman heifers together in the same field? My husband worked on a Texas longhorn ranch for years. We're looking to start breeding registered longhorn on 100 acres out in East Texas, but I also like the idea of trying to bread some F1 Braford's. I want to know if I can run my longhorn and brahman heifers together.
Go to your profile and click on it, top right, and add a location so we don't have to continually ask you. Good advice is often location specific.

As said, the most pertinent question is going to be what your stocking rate is and if your forage can support your numbers. (Location specific) I'm sure the animals will work out their pecking order. I've had some Brahman cows that were very dominant. Never had any Longhorns...
 
You can run LHs and Brahmas together as easily as you can two other breed together. Or another breed and LHs. Or another breed and Brahmas. You may find 2 LHs that don't get along with each other. Or 2 Brahmas that don't. Breed has nothing to do with it. Cattle don't recognize "breed". Hardly a year goes by that I don't have a period with both in the same pasture.
 
I agree it's horn vs non horn I. Would tip the horn back. About a third NM
 
I run a longhorn cow with my first calf heifers... angus and crosses.. all polled except the longhorn. She neither uses her horns on them nor chases them out of the feed bunk. If they get in her space she will shake her head at them... and probably has chased one on occasion... yet they are not so wary of her that they won't come right up and get in the feed bunk with her. I will often feed her a little grain in a pile on the ground and she will stay there and eat every grain of it, while the others are in the feed bunk.... just to prevent anyone from getting hurt...
She is the best at keeping uninvited dogs and coyotes out of the field. We breed her to the angus bull every year when we put him in for breeding the heifers. And her calves are all polled except for one that had some small scurs...

I don't know how it would be if there were only a few polled cattle and most were longhorns...
 
Bred to a proper horned Hereford bull, half or quarter blood longhorn calves would still fit in as longhorns. When we little my siblings and I were each gifted longhorn heifers, we didn't start getting solid marked calves until they were 1/8 bloods. Good calves but discounted.
 
Bred to a proper horned Hereford bull, half or quarter blood longhorn calves would still fit in as longhorns. When we little my siblings and I were each gifted longhorn heifers, we didn't start getting solid marked calves until they were 1/8 bloods. Good calves but discounted.
Got to breed them to Char. Or Angus
 
It's the short sharp Dexter type horns that can do the damage and the do know how to use them.
Not a Longhorn I know, but my Highland cow was never a problem. One person told me they didn't think
they had much leverage at the tips of their horns once they have much length to them. Only saw my Highland
cow have a difference with one of our angus cows once, and it was a pushing battle, angus out weighed the
Highland, they walked away from each other.
 
Anyone have any trouble running Texas Longhorn and Brahman heifers together in the same field? My husband worked on a Texas longhorn ranch for years. We're looking to start breeding registered longhorn on 100 acres out in East Texas, but I also like the idea of trying to bread some F1 Braford's. I want to know if I can run my longhorn and brahman heifers together.
LH heifers, for the most part, won't have that massive spread like the one in Brute's video, until they get some age on them. All LHs don't have those 8 and 10 foot spreads like that, either, even when they are older. Most you see like that were selectively bred for horn size and width. For show cattle...for expensive pasture ornaments.. You mentioned you wanted to raise registered LHs, so is that the market you are going after? How many LH heifers and how many Brahma heifers are you talking about putting in that 100 acre pasture?
 
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Not sure why stocking rates would matter since she hasn't mentioned numbers. I think she just wants to know if they can coexist.
Because we have been on this board a long time and some one who doesn't know if they can run certain breeds together (which is ok) likely does not know stocking rates in their area. We have seen the heartbreak 1,000 times when people find out their 100ac property is in a 20ac/head area. Especially when all those LH and Braford heifers turn in to BIG cows with calves on their side and you are wanting to hold and develope animals for a breeding program. It gets tight.. quick.

We are just trying to help people with things we learned the hard way.

Plus, not telling people things for the perception of being "nice" is actually a sign you don't care... not the opposite.
 
Because we have been on this board a long time and some one who doesn't know if they can run certain breeds together (which is ok) likely does not know stocking rates in their area. We have seen the heartbreak 1,000 times when people find out their 100ac property is in a 20ac/head area. Especially when all those LH and Braford heifers turn in to BIG cows with calves on their side and you are wanting to hold and develope animals for a breeding program. It gets tight.. quick.

We are just trying to help people with things we learned the hard way.

Plus, not telling people things for the perception of being "nice" is actually a sign you don't care... not the opposite.
We will raise LH for breeding because we quite love them and both have had experience with them. Considering breeding F1 Braford also, which has interested me recently. Which is why I'm asking since I know Brahman can be particular. We are in East Texas, in great conditions, and already working on improving field conditions more. This will be a well-maintained pasture(s), including legumes and grains that we are setting up for year-round rotational grazing. Should be easily able to do 3acre/head. But will likely never have more than 20, and starting with a very small herd of about 5-6 for year 1 this Spring, which will be all Longhorn.
 
Not sure why stocking rates would matter since she hasn't mentioned numbers. I think she just wants to know if they can coexist.
Right, I wasn't trying to get into stocking rates or numbers, because then we get into location, field conditions, and maintenance levels. But I did include more info below. We are not going in blind by any means. We are working with our local NCRS/USDA office, and several ranchers in our area. We've worked on their ranches with them, had people out to our land to help make recommendations, etc. But no one I know or we have worked with has run those 2 breeds together. In fact, the LH people we know seem to have very negative thoughts on Brahmans and Vice Versa. Which is funny, and why I posted the question here.
 
LH heifers, for the most part, won't have that massive spread like the one in Brute's video, until they get some age on them. All LHs don't have those 8 and 10 foot spreads like that, either, even when they are older. Most you see like that were selectively bred for horn size and width. For show cattle...for expensive pasture ornaments.. You mentioned you wanted to raise registered LHs, so is that the market you are going after? How many LH heifers and how many Brahma heifers are you talking about putting in that 100 acre pasture?
But such beautiful lawn ornaments they are! Yes, to some degree, the breeding market, but I do think there is a rise in LH beef too because of it's lean nature for those that don't "make the cut". We will be a very small operation.
 
It's not breed, it's horned cattle vs non-horned cattle. 🙄 It can be a bloodbath.

... and Brahman cattle are notorious for segregating themselves from other breeds. Not always... but they definitely do it.

LH, in their own pasture where they belong. 😄


I have heard this about Brahman, definitely why I'm asking. Interesting to hear horned vs non-horned. Gonna keep investigating this for sure.
 
You can run LHs and Brahmas together as easily as you can two other breed together. Or another breed and LHs. Or another breed and Brahmas. You may find 2 LHs that don't get along with each other. Or 2 Brahmas that don't. Breed has nothing to do with it. Cattle don't recognize "breed". Hardly a year goes by that I don't have a period with both in the same pasture.
I appreciate this.
 
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