How To Register Longhorn Cattle

Frequently Asked Questions about Texas Longhorn Cattle

© David Chiliad. Hillis, Double Helix Ranch
Professor of Integrative Biology
University of Texas at Austin

50 Bright Mary (a Texas Longhorn moo-cow) with a newborn calf

I have listed some of the questions that I'g often asked almost Texas Longhorn cattle here, along with my responses. If your question near Texas Longhorn cattle isn't answered here, please send me an e-mail, and I'll either answer you myself or find someone who tin can.

You also might want to look on my Links page for links to other spider web sites almost Texas Longhorns, too to web pages for other Texas Longhorn ranches and cattle sites.

What is the origin of Texas Longhorns?

Unlike most breeds of cattle, no one set out to develop Texas Longhorn cattle as a breed. Instead, they evolved in Northward America from descendants of cattle brought into the Americas by the Castilian in the late 1400s and early on 1500s (the first cattle were brought into Hispaniola in 1493). Notwithstanding, the cattle did not descend directly from Spanish stock. Rather, the first cattle to be imported by the early Spanish explorers were from the Canary Islands. These cattle, in plow, were imported from Portugal, and the closest relatives of Texas Longhorns amid existing European breeds are Portuguese cattle breeds (such as the Alentejana and Mertolenga). These early imports of Iberian cattle from the Canary Islands shortly became feral in northern Mexico (which included lands that became the Republic of Texas in 1836, and function of the United States in 1845). These wild herds underwent intense natural selection; the only cattle that could survive were highly disease resistant, could live on harsh range conditions (through droughts, floods, heat, and cold), and could defend themselves and their calves confronting predators.

In the early 1800s, wild longhorned cattle were found throughout much of Texas. During the California Gold Rush of the late 1840s and early 1850s, there was great demand for cattle in California, and cattle began to be driven from Texas past the tens of thousands to meet the demand. This do was interrupted past the U.S. Civil State of war, equally well every bit the end of the California golden rush. Texans who returned to Texas later the Civil War had few sources of income, but there were lots of wild cattle in Texas, and few cattle were left in the eastern United States. Texans began to round the cattle up and drive them up to the rail heads in Kansas, where they were shipped to the e coast cities to satisfy a growing need for beef. Many famous cattle trails were established, such as the Chisholm Trail and the Goodnight-Loving Trail, and many millions of cattle (and then called "Texas cattle") were driven upwardly these trails for shipment e.

During the belatedly 1800s, big ranches began to be established in Texas. Fences were built, cattle were captured and contained, and the days of free-ranging cattle came to an end. Although these ranches originally kept Texas Longhorns, most soon turned to importing "improved" European breeds of cattle. The European breeds produced much more than fat than did Texas Longhorns, and tallow was the primary driving force behind cattle prices at the fourth dimension. Nonetheless, several ranchers kept herds of the original Texas cattle, either for nostalgia or because they appreciated the abilities and qualities of these cattle. By the 1920s, the longhorned cattle were rare enough that the United States authorities paid to get together a herd of Texas cattle at the Wichita Wild fauna Refuge in southwestern Oklahoma, to preserve them from extinction. About a six private herds were also maintained through (or started in) the beginning half of the 1900s, and nigh modern Texas Longhorns can be traced back to these seven "families"of longhorns (the Wichita Refuge, Butler, Marks, Peeler, Phillips, Wright, and Yates lines).

In 1964, the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America (TLBAA) was founded, and a registration process was established. Thus, Texas Longhorns became a registered breed. Today, Texas Longhorns are bred and valued for many different reasons. Their naturally lean meat is now considered an advantage, and the ability of Texas Longhorns to thrive on natural range conditions (without the use of antibiotics, added hormones, or the use of feedlots) makes them a favorite for the lean beef, range-fed beef, and organic beef markets. They are also widely raised for their beautiful colors and horns, and by people who appreciate the history and qualities of the breed. Texas Longhorn bulls are often used as service sires on other breeds of cattle, because the crosses produce fewer birthing difficulties and calves that grow quickly and accept few health issues. At the Double Helix Ranch, we were attracted to Texas Longhorns because of their high genetic diversity and associated loftier fitness, in addition to their historical interest and their dazzler. Traits that stand up out in Texas Longhorns are their natural disease resistance, great longevity, high reproductive rate, ease in birthing, ability to thrive under harsh range conditions, and an ability to defend themselves against predators. We have never lost a single Texas Longhorn calf to disease or predation, and they thrive without extensive intendance or supplemental feeding.

For more than detailed information on the history of Texas Longhorn cattle, I recommend T. J. Barragy'southward splendid book, Gathering Texas Gold, in addition to J. Frank Dobie'due south classic book, The Longhorns. Meet too Alan Hoyt's xi-part series on the History of the Texas Longhorns (originally published in the Texas Longhorn Periodical).

Are Texas Longhorns difficult to command, and tin can they exist unsafe?

Most modern Texas Longhorns are gentle cattle and are amid the easiest of breeds to handle and control. Their gentle disposition and striking looks brand them favorites as riding steers, and their general health and adjustability brand them ideal for weekend ranchers. Texas Longhorns that collaborate regularly with people are easy to handle; as with any brood, however, cattle that rarely see humans tin grow wild and wary.

Of course, circumspection is required among Texas Longhorns because of the long horns. Although our cattle have never attacked or harmed a homo on purpose, they can and exercise use their horns to dispense objects and to scratch their bodies, and so reasonable care should be exercised around the cattle to avoid accidental contact with the horns. Texas Longhorns volition also defend their calves against dogs, so we are careful to go on our dogs at a safe distance from the herd.

What kind of fences do I need to go on Texas Longhorns?

Any argue that will concord other breeds of cattle is sufficient for Texas Longhorns. Nosotros adopt to employ spinous wire fences, because they have proven to be the most dependable for us, and the maintenance costs are low. However, many breeders use unproblematic one or two-strand electric fences with keen success, and of class plank, pipe, and wire mesh fences are more than acceptable. Nosotros avoid electric fences because they tin can be hard to maintain over long distances and because they are bailiwick to grounding issues (normally created by deer crossing) and loss from lightning strikes in our role of the country. Yet, if they can be closely monitored and maintained, electric fences are constructive at controlling Texas Longhorns. If you accept fences that are keeping other cattle or stock in or out of your property, and then they should be adequate to contain most Texas Longhorns.

As with any breed of cattle, a few individual bulls will not respect fences, and will either jump over or go through them. We have had more trouble keeping our neighbors' bulls (of other breeds) out of our pastures, nevertheless, than we accept had keeping our Texas Longhorn bulls in. We once had a bull that was a fence jumper, and then we culled him. We at present select bulls in part for their disposition, and we rarely have any trouble with our bulls crossing our fences.

Practise Texas Longhorns crave much veterinary care?

No. Texas Longhorns take minimal health problems. You should follow the standard vaccination programme for cattle in your office of the country; provide reasonably good pasture or hay, adequate minerals as needed for your surface area, and a source of clean drinking h2o; and follow a regular plan of parasite command as recommended by your vet. If hay or pasture quality is poor, you may need to supplement their diet on a seasonal basis. If Longhorns are getting sufficient nutrition (including minerals), and accept been vaccinated as recommended past your vet, health issues are quite rare.

Do Texas Longhorns have many birthing problems?

No. Nosotros take never had birthing problems with whatever Texas Longhorn dogie, and birthing problems are virtually nonexistent in the brood. This is 1 reason why many commercial cattlemen use Texas Longhorn bulls as service sires with cows of many of the European breeds. The resultant calves are born without difficulty, and crossbred cattle typically gain weight very quickly.

What are the markets for Texas Longhorns?

1. Convenance stock (private treaty sales and dedicated auctions)
2. Bulls for service sires
3. Steers for riding and western nostalgia
4. Stock for rodeos (ropers)
5. Cattle for organic meat, lean beefiness, and range-fed beef sales (every bit advisable for the individual breeding plan)
half dozen. Cattle for the mainstream beef market place (piece of cake to sell at local sales barns, but typically the lowest price)

How rapidly do the horns of Texas Longhorns abound? How exercise they grow?

In an commodity published in Texas Longhorn Journal in Dec 1999, Malcolm Goodman suggested that Texas Longhorn bulls attain near 50% of their eventual tip-to-tip horn measurement at near i year of age (on average). By four years of age, they take reached approximately 95% of their maximum length. The horns of the boilerplate Texas Longhorn cow attain 50% of their eventual tip-to-tip measurement a piddling later, at about xv months of age, and they reach 95% between five and vi years of age. They continue to grow, but usually slow downward considerably with age. These are just averages, of class, and there is a corking bargain of variation depending on the shape of the horns. The horns of steers continue to grow at a reasonable charge per unit throughout life, considering the low levels of testosterone in steers allow the growth plate of the inner bony cadre to remain unossified.

Horns grow from the base of operations, not the tips, and "growth rings" can exist seen near the base of the horns of older cows. Cows produce a new ring in association with each calf they produce, although these growth rings can become quite close together on older animals. Horns consist of a bony cadre, surrounded by flesh and blood, and then an outer layer of keratin. On many animals (especially animals with light-colored, quickly growing horns) ane can see the cherry color from the claret supply beneath the keratin layer, especially near the growing base.

What are the widest horns of Texas Longhorn cows, bulls, and steers on record?

This is a hard question to reply, because many claims take been made over the years that are hard to verify. In addition, there are at to the lowest degree two common ways to measure horns. The tip-to-tip measurement is the easiest to reproduce: information technology is just the straight-line measure from one horn tip to the other. The "full horn" or poll measurement attempts to measure out the horns along their curve, to get a measure of the total length of the horns. This measurement is much harder to replicate accurately, merely it is a amend reflection of the full horn length. The tip-to-tip measurement assigns longer values to straight, lateral horns than to up curving horns of the same total length.

Given the difficulties of comparison measurements made by dissimilar people, the best respond I tin can give to this question is to point to the annual Horn Showcase competition conducted by the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America. This contest obviously does non include all the living Texas Longhorns, only owners of the longest-horned animals tend to exist very proud of their cattle, and and so the winners are at to the lowest degree among the longest-horned Texas Longhorns. Although there are some anecdotes of even longer-horned steers in the distant past, recent pick for very long horns means that the Texas Longhorns that are alive today are probably amid the longest-horned animals that have always been a part of the breed.

At the 2006 Horn Showcase:
1. The Texas Longhorn cow with the widest horns (tip-to-tip measurement) was Day's Feisty Fannie, at 82"
two. The Texas Longhorn cow with the widest horns (total horn measurement) was Sunrise Hope, at 97 three/8"
iii. The Texas Longhorn balderdash with the widest horns (tip-to-tip measurement) was Superbowl, at 76"
4. The Texas Longhorn balderdash with the widest horns (total horn measurement) was Wyoming Warpaint, at 96 ane/iv"
5. The Texas Longhorn steer with the widest horns (tip-to-tip measurement) was Watson 101, at 101"
6. The Texas Longhorn steer with the widest horns (total horn measurement) was Gilbralter at 126 1/2"

Click here to download the complete 2006 Horn Showcase results.

What are the branding requirements for registered Texas Longhorns?

Registered Texas Longhorns must be branded with a belongings brand (the make of the individual ranch or owner) likewise as by a unique private herd number. Branding can be done with either fire brands or freeze brands. Make designs should exist registered with both the brood association and your state, county, or province of residence (according to local brand registration regulations). In Texas, cattle brands must exist registered in each canton where a ranch has operations. Registration is made at the County Courthouse (and renewed once a decade).

Where tin can Texas Longhorns be raised? Do they require a hot, dry climate?

Texas Longhorns are raised throughout Northward America, equally well equally in a few European countries and in Australia. They thrive in both hot and cold climates, and everything in betwixt. There are highly successful Texas Longhorn breeders all over North America, in every place where cattle are raised. They thrive where other breeds have difficulty living, but they don't require a hot, dry climate. They also thrive in Canada, in the Pacific northwest, on the northern Plains, in the northeast, and in the southeastern states.

What do Texas Longhorns eat?

Like all cattle, Texas Longhorns swallow mostly grass and forbes. However, Texas Longhorns graze (and scan) on a wider diverseness of plants than practise most cattle. By utilizing a wider multifariousness of plants, they do less damage to rangeland (since they don't just target a few favorite species), and they can thrive under a wider diverseness of conditions.

Can Texas Longhorns be kept safely with horses?

We keep our horses in a pasture with Texas Longhorns, as practice many other breeders, and take non experienced whatsoever issues. Pasturing cattle and horses together is often recommended to maintain pasture quality and reduce parasite loads of both cattle and horses (since the internal parasites of cattle cannot survive in horses, and vice versa).