Tell Me about Longhorns

[TagandKiss]

I am looking into getting some cattle. I have been reading about Texas Longhorns and they sound like good cattle. But I was wondering if you could tell me what you think about raising longhorns. whats good about them and whats not. thanks for your time. :???:

 

[farmguy]

I live in Minnesota and Herefords take the cold better than Longhorns if thats important.

 

[TagandKiss]

hmm dont think its much of a problem we have mild winters here. except for like week in winter we dip in the teens. moslty high 20's low 30's here in winter time. got a barn that they can go into. might have to make the doors bigger for the horns lol. thanks for some info

 

[KANSAS]

I sent a post to your inbox in regards to my experience with Longhorns...

 

[TagandKiss]

I sent a post to your inbox in regards to my experience with Longhorns...

You have no messages in this folder. maybe it takes a bit to get. lol thanks through

 

[KANSAS]

I sent it to ya.... I promise.....

It should be in your inbox....

 

[TagandKiss]

still nothing. maybe it doesnt like me lol

 

[KANSAS]

Well PM me... and I will see if I can send it to ya that way.....

I think thats how I sent it to you...

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Texas Longhorns:

Low birthweight calves (45-65# usually), pulling a calf is almost unheard of!
Efficient browsers, cows excellent milkers and protective mamas.
They know exactly where the tips of their horns are--can gently scratch a small itch or thread their horns/head thru a fairly narrow space.

Intelligent, gentle, will train with voice commands and hand/body signals.

Every new calf is almost like Christmas--every calf is uniquely colored, marked, and/or patterned...no two exactly alike.

They can and will play in the pasture--run, jump, buck, play head (not horn) games. Calves are especially fun to watch. But, when around people, they are well-mannered, etc.

Breeders have been very attentive to breed out any nasty traits and personalities that were found in the original ones that roamed the West. Anymore, if one has a "maverick" personality they have their fate decided rather quickly. Only the best temperaments are allowed to breed now.

There is a lot more....

later...

 

[TagandKiss]

wow thanks for that info. do you think they would eat the pine trees we started growing pine tree around the fencing in the pasture instead of the populars we had. thats the main reason we havnt had any livestock for the last 7yrs. didn't want them to kill the trees.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Most any livestock will eat tree and shrub leaves they can reach. They will also use the trees to scratch an itch...small trees will get abused seriously, broken, and/or trashed out. About only way to keep off a tree is to put a sturdy fence around it.

Longhorns are found throughout the World in a variety of climates. As with any livestock, they need protection from cold, damp, wet windy conditions, especially at calving time. Some Longhorns that have lived in the Northern USA climates have thicker coats than the Southern ones...may be genetic or may be adaptation after several generations.

As a breed that has "evolved" in the USA over the past 400 to 500 years, genetic selection and short-term evolution has generally weeded out the weaker cattle & genetics creating very hardy Longhorns through survival of the fittest breeding in nature. They are also a predator's worst enemy (except perhaps humans and a bigger and meaner predator). They learn quickly who is their enemy or who is their friend.

 

[Bez]

Running Arrow Bill

Let me add to your story.

We lived in Fariview, Alberta for a few years. Weather often drops to minus 40 and stays - minus 50 for short periods.

We crossed them with Angus and Shorthorn.

I would never hesitate to recommend them. Tough, small calves, good mothers, don't eat much and almost never a health issue. Lots of folks used them just because of what I have written. Calving probs disappeared, calves brought good money and they weaned off at a good size.

Do not know much about the straight animal - we always saw them as crosses. The bulls were easy to manage and always seemed to hold up.

What else can a person ask for.

Oh, I do not raise them, I do not breed them for sale and therefore I have no personal interest or advantage in making this statement.

There you go.

Bez

 

[cowspider]

there will be one longhorn cow being sold tomorrow a twin citys sale
in chahailis washington. DO NOT BUY HER !!!!

 

[Rustler9]

Running Arrow Bill and Bez both pretty much summed it up-yes they do have to be fed and maintained but they are a very hardy breed and are much more docile than most people give them credit for being. Thay are excellent foragers and will definitely eat alot more scrub plants and foliage than most other breeds. I really used to dread calving season especially with first calf heifers when I raised other breeds but have not had to assist any birthing since I began raising Longhorns seven years ago. Have been able to sell several young bulls to commercial cattle men for their first calf heifers-also you usually come out with polled offspring(about 80%) if bred to polled animals. This is a plus to all of those people who are against horns. The cross bred females sure do make some good mama cows.

I often have people want to come out and see them but are unsure about handling them-many are afraid of them and don't want to get in the field with them. So I'll go out and prop up on one of the cows and continue to talk about them and give my sales pitch. I've been able to change several people's minds about them this way. Not all of ours are pets but they are very easy to be around and most of ours can be handled and touched out in the field.

 

[Ryan]

Another thing about Longhorns is their versatility. There many, many different avenues and niche markets for longhorns, from lean beef, to ropers, to yard art, to riding steers, to show cattle, etc...

If you go to http://www.tlbaa.org and click on "Why Texas Longhorns" on the left side you can find a lot of good information on Longhorns

Many people claim themselves to be "addicted" to longhorns soon after they purchase their first ones.

I have been involved Longhorns for 16 or 17 years now and I really enjoy them.

Ryan

 

[TagandKiss]

there will be one longhorn cow being sold tomorrow a twin citys sale
in chahailis washington. DO NOT BUY HER !!!!

lol no worries. i am doing my reseach before buying anything.

but i have been searching the internet through google and there aint many northwest longhorn people on the internet with web sites. I did find two in idaho and two in utah. 90% are in texas. a little to far for me to go get cattle lol.

 

[TagandKiss]

Thank you everyone for all this info. i learned more about these wonderful cattle.

yea I have been to that http://www.tlbaa.org i printed out that section. Thanks.

most the pine tree are tall enough i dont think the cows could get to the branches. well i guess if they really wanted to they would find a way to get to them.


one more question. its about the meat. I read it very lean and better for you then chicken. so i was wondering from those that have ate it. Does it taste like other cow meat?

I guess i do have another queation. I was reading about when they die people sale their skulls with the horns cause they are a very wanted item. how much do they sale for. never did find a price. thanks again for all the infomation

 

[TXBobcat]

As far as raising Longhorn cattle, I agree with what was said earlier about their disposition, hardiness, etc. But just like all cattle, there can be some crazy, hard to handle ones - these should be culled, as with any breed. Probably my favorite things about them are their beauty, and the calving ease of the heifers/cows.

The main difference I see in raising Longhron cattle is marketablility. There is a market for Longhorn cattle, but it is a niche market. Finding steady buyers can sometimes be a problem. Longhorns will probably be discounted at your local sale barn; therefore the best market for them is private treaty (out of the pasture).

A lot of people have pre-conceived notions about them, which simply aren't true. Such as, "the meat is as tough as leather", or "they will tear up all you fences". I have found neither of these to be the case, and actually, the meat was quite tasty. We fed a longhorn steer out last year, and really enjoyed the meat - very little fat, but still tender.

Don't really know about the skulls, as we have never sold any.

 

[Ryan]

one more question. its about the meat. I read it very lean and better for you then chicken. so i was wondering from those that have ate it. Does it taste like other cow meat?

The meat tastes like other beef, however since it does not have as much fat in it as other breeds you do have to cook a little differently. Usually on a hotter flame and faster.

 

[TagandKiss]

one more question. its about the meat. I read it very lean and better for you then chicken. so i was wondering from those that have ate it. Does it taste like other cow meat?

The meat tastes like other beef, however since it does not have as much fat in it as other breeds you do have to cook a little differently. Usually on a hotter flame and faster.

lol my kind of cooking. I always have things on to high cause i want it to cook faster. XD lol