Using Longhorns for Cross-Breeding

[chippie]

I like Longhorn cattle. I would like to get another heifer in the future if I can find one that I like.

A problem that I have seen with Longhorn cattle is that some breeders are getting too hung up on what the horns look like and not looking at the whole package. Granted Longhorns are a leaner type cattle, but conformation should still play a part in what is kept as breeding stock. The producer needs to look beyond the horns and look at the animal's body and balance.

Unfortunately since there are breeders are worried about horns first, I see more Longhorns with short hips, weak backs and so narrow that they could stand behind a fence post and the only way you would know a cow was there is because of the hugemongous horns sticking out either side. It is hard to sell the breed when the good ones seem few and far between. And believe me, I have been looking.

Let me add, Longhorns are not the only breed to have junkers. All breeds do.

 

[Malter]

How did this thread sit idle for five years with only one comment and ten replies to the questionaire then I asked a simple question and within forty eight hours we have thirty two question replies and forty other contributions.

 

[magpie]

do you catch fish every time you go fishing? lol

longhorns are for people that like 'em...if you don't like something you have no business messing with it...

calving at 2 years of age... and 17 years of age and sometimes beyond..into their 20's

less likely to get sick... less vet calls... less monies spent on meds

and if you really look hard at the herds that do not do the annual herd shots and vaccinate their calves... don't feed minerals.. don't spend anything on their animals.. ask yourself.. do you want the offspring of those females in your herd? or a bull from there on your females?

a smaller weight live calf on the ground growing beats a dead pulled calf any day...and a smaller sized animal being sold still beats a dead pulled calf. let alone losing the mama along with the calf... or her being rendered infertile due to uterine scarring that does not allow her to catch again due to the traumatic birth in the first place.

less birth trama means faster breed back...less need for a high rate of female turn over in the herd... longer working life means more predictability in female half of the herd (less unknowns).. with great mama's much easier/cheaper to switch bulls to build a crossbreed that meets the changing times.

i know as well as you do... that you can look at a herd and visually tell what kind of management style is happening or not happening with that herd..

having said that....there is always room for improvement in any herd...grins


sorry for the soap box.. but i can guarantee you that if we were to have any other breed other than longhorns.. we would still have the management style with the other breed that we currently have/have had with our longhorns.

and true passion for your breed of choice is always a good thing...

 

[magpie]

please understand in my last post..... that when i use the word ""you"" this is only meant as a "general" you and not any one in particular...but me, i and we.. i am truely talking about RAB and myself...

i know i am a very opinionated female... and my guardian angels were looking out for me.. when i met and married RAB... nobody else could stand my hard headedness like he has...i can truely say that we make a great team.. grins

so forgive me if i have unintentionally stepped on anyones toes.... i truely did not mean to do it... we all have a love of critters and cows... that is why we get together on this board and share ideas, and opinions... we don't all agree but we all learn from each other... the good and the bad..

i will go back to my hidey hole... and my longhorn pedigree puzzles.... and reseaching colors on horses and cattle... and taking RAF pictures for our web site... and more research etc...

and get out of everybody's hair... for the time being that is... until next time... happy calving!

 

[talldog]

There 's a good demand in my area for lean grass-fed beef. Longhorns provide that need with the LEAST amount of care.If you want fat,grain fed beef, there's plenty out there!
To each there own, said the lady when she kissed the cow !! :tiphat:

 

[Rustler9]

Keren,
I don't know what else to tell you. It seems that you want me to say that we can raise these cattle on air. I believe that this post is about cross breeding with Longhorns. 1) Take Longhorn cows and put your other beef breed bull of choice on them. Give them adequate grass as you would any other breed of cow along with basic minerals (I think this is where you're having a problem-as with any breed they still have to eat). These cows will raise as big a calf and give you as much or more return with basically no other input to them as any other breed of cow. Longhorn cows will forage and eat alot of things other cows won't, will stay fat and produce big, leaner than most other breeds calves. 2) Take a Longhorn bull and put on your other beef breed cows and heifers. No calving issues, calves will grow as well as any other breed and will bring as much at the sale barn as any other calf ifthey aren't loud colored. If they are the buyers see an opportunity to get them cheaper which they do with any breed of calves. What about off colored, rat tails etc? We all know how these type of calves are discounted just because they can be. When the hide is off and they're on the rail who knows what kind of calf they started out as?

There are some breeds that will still throw spots, line backs, etc when crossed with a Longhorn cow. Angus is one. You may get solid colors or you may get loud colors. Charolais is the best to cross with as this cross washes the color out, if the bull is polled you get polled calves. This cross grows in leaps and bounds and makes money. I am not saying that the Longhorn is the only or the best breed to use. I am simply stating that they are efficient, low maintenance cattle that work well in a commercial operation if folks can get over the fact that they aren't like other breeds. Yes, they have horns; yes, they can have other colors etc. yes, they are low maintenance cattle. There are differnt blood lines in this breed. Some have been bred for horns, some for beef, some for both. All can work cheaply for you if given a try. They do not have to be fed any special feed. They excel on grass, they do need some type of minerals as any other cattle do. That's it and that's all.

 

[Malter]

I was sold two heifer calves which I was told by an agent were Texas Longhorn Friesian cross. they were black with lots of white.They were disbudded at a few weeks. I bred them to Red Poll and the Beefiness improved with each cross.
An expert (Self Appointed) said they weren't Texas Longhorns but Pinzgauer cross. Now I have red animals except for the white stripe which is mostly confined to the back which suggests Pinzgauer.
I recently met up with the breeder and he assured me he used Texas Longhorn semen and has never used Pinzgauer.
Cross breeding can be an interesting business.

 

[dun]

I was sold two heifer calves which I was told by an agent were Texas Longhorn Friesian cross. they were black with lots of white.They were disbudded at a few weeks. I bred them to Red Poll and the Beefiness improved with each cross.
An expert (Self Appointed) said they weren't Texas Longhorns but Pinzgauer cross. Now I have red animals except for the white stripe which is mostly confined to the back which suggests Pinzgauer.
I recently met up with the breeder and he assured me he used Texas Longhorn semen and has never used Pinzgauer.
Cross breeding can be an interesting business.

Why not start out with something that takes fewer generations to create a beef animal

 

[Malter]

They were just two of a group of twenty, mostly Hereford Friesians and i just kept them for the novelty of it. i certainly wouldn't reccomend that process to anyone else.
The neighbours kids used to call them the "Pyjamas Gang" and always rang me to inform of the newest calf that "Pyjamas" had.

 

[alacattleman]

I was sold two heifer calves which I was told by an agent were Texas Longhorn Friesian cross. they were black with lots of white.They were disbudded at a few weeks. I bred them to Red Poll and the Beefiness improved with each cross.
An expert (Self Appointed) said they weren't Texas Longhorns but Pinzgauer cross. Now I have red animals except for the white stripe which is mostly confined to the back which suggests Pinzgauer.
I recently met up with the breeder and he assured me he used Texas Longhorn semen and has never used Pinzgauer.
Cross breeding can be an interesting business.

Why not start out with something that takes fewer generations to create a beef animal

aint that what they done hundred years ago when they brought herefords over

 

[BeefmasterB]

I was sold two heifer calves which I was told by an agent were Texas Longhorn Friesian cross. they were black with lots of white.They were disbudded at a few weeks. I bred them to Red Poll and the Beefiness improved with each cross.
An expert (Self Appointed) said they weren't Texas Longhorns but Pinzgauer cross. Now I have red animals except for the white stripe which is mostly confined to the back which suggests Pinzgauer.
I recently met up with the breeder and he assured me he used Texas Longhorn semen and has never used Pinzgauer.
Cross breeding can be an interesting business.

Why not start out with something that takes fewer generations to create a beef animal

Why not just buy/breed a beef animal from the get go?

 

[Malter]

It was only two animals out of 180 and it turned out to be an interesting exercise and at the end of the day (two crosses) the calves were pretty good.
It was fun watching visitors speculating what they were.