collapse

Advertisement


Author Topic: Longhorn cows  (Read 9061 times)

Offline Special T

  • Truth the new Hate Speech.
  • Business Sponsor
  • Trade Count: (+13)
  • Legend
  • *****
  • Join Date: Aug 2009
  • Posts: 24823
  • Location: Skagit Valley
  • Make it Rain!
    • Silver Arrow Bowmen
    • Silver Arrow Bowmen
Re: Longhorn cows
« Reply #15 on: August 05, 2022, 04:06:16 PM »
I would do a few highlanders, cool looking and are not bad to eat, take a bit longer than some breeds to be ready to butcher.
Might also look at Dexters, not real fancy looking but good temperment from my experience with them and eat well.

Have a buddy that raises Dexters, mini Angus! They aren't intimidating, cool and different.
In archery we have something like the way of the superior man. When the archer misses the center of the target, he turns round and seeks for the cause of his failure in himself. 

Confucius

Offline furbearer365

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Longhunter
  • *****
  • Join Date: Feb 2009
  • Posts: 912
Re: Longhorn cows
« Reply #16 on: August 05, 2022, 05:18:32 PM »
Thanks for the replies.  There is a place up the road from me (about 10 miles) that has some Longhorns.   Someday I'll pull in a talk with the owners. There is a breeder down in Oregon called A and S Land and Cattle that breeds and sells all ages and types of Longhorns. I'm not a guy that jumps right in without all the info I'll need, so I'll definitely converse with people that have them to learn specifics on how they care for them.

Offline kselkhunter

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jun 2014
  • Posts: 1596
  • Location: United States
Re: Longhorn cows
« Reply #17 on: August 05, 2022, 06:02:02 PM »
KFHunter and PolarBear have good inputs, I would heed those well.   Also talk to your vet about their rules on working on longhorns and specifically squeeze chutes.   Longhorns have their logistical challenges due to those horn lengths.  And as has been mentioned are not as efficient for meat production.   Getting input from the breeders/ranchers that have them is good.  Ask them specifically what they do about veterinary care. 


Personally I wouldn't recommend the longhorn breed but if you're dead set on it, continue to educate yourself and at least know what you're getting into.   If you want the "cool" factor you can also consider scottish highlander, belted galloway, santa gertrudis, belgian blue, maine-anjou, etc. without getting the really long horns (and better meat production).   

Offline Boss .300 winmag

  • FLY NAVAL AVIATION
  • Washington For Wildlife
  • Trade Count: (+22)
  • Explorer
  • ******
  • Join Date: Oct 2010
  • Posts: 17764
  • Location: Skagit Valley
  • How do you measure trying, you do, or you don’t.
Re: Longhorn cows
« Reply #18 on: August 05, 2022, 06:54:28 PM »
Horned cattle are a pain in the you know what, everyone I ever had has an attitude.🤬

Always rubbing them on something tearing it up, and when you get in the pasture to work/be around them they always shake them horns at you.🤯

But hey they look cool.🤣
"Just because I like granola, and I have stretched my arms around a few trees, doesn't mean I'm a tree hugger!
Hi I'm 8156, our leader is Bearpaw.
YOU CANNOT REASON WITH A TIGER WHEN YOUR HEAD IS IN ITS MOUTH! Winston Churchill

Keep Calm And Duc/Ski Doo On!

Offline papaonthemountain

  • Non-Hunting Topics
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Tracker
  • **
  • Join Date: Mar 2011
  • Posts: 51
  • Location: Havillah
  • Sunny Okanogan Country
Re: Longhorn cows
« Reply #19 on: August 06, 2022, 07:40:49 AM »
As anyone who has raised cattle knows, when a bull wants to roam, it is dang near impossible to keep them home.  When your longhorn bull visits the neighbor's herd pleasantries might not be exchanged.  Any calf produced from a tryst will be cut out and docked by the feedlot buyers.  Spoken from experience as I raised cattle for 30 some years and worked at the auction yards in Tonasket and Okanogan.  However, that may never develop given where you live.

All that being said, they are a breed of cattle that draw a second look and have the added benefit of cool euros at the end of their life. 

Good luck in your endeavor.

Offline AL WORRELLS KID

  • WA State Trappers Association
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Nov 2017
  • Posts: 1605
  • Location: On The Sides Of The North
  • The Ancient of Days Lives
  • Groups: Washington State Trappers Association
Re: Longhorn cows
« Reply #20 on: August 06, 2022, 11:55:52 AM »

They're also fleet footed (fence jumpers)!
    I'd recommend you get *very* docile ones that are hand reared and imprinted on people  i.e.: bottle baby's if you can find them, especially if you don't have the infrastructure to handle them.

KFhunter, We learned this lesson the hard way. The 4 Wild Range (Whiteface Calves) we bid on at the Auction were real docile until their Drugs wore off in the morning.  :yike:
As soon as they saw us walk into the barn they all went crazy, jumping/climbing over the tall stall they were in and shooting out the barn door. The four strand barbed wire fence didn't slow them down and they were soon out of sight somewhere down in the neighbors 200 acres of woods.  :dunno: (Them Cowboys may not use Drugs, but they sure know how to use them.) :o
Moral of the story...at the "Cattle Auction", you really do get what you pay for! ;)
"The farther one gets into the wilderness, the greater is the attraction of its lonely freedom." Theodore Roosevelt

Offline LDennis24

  • Bear poker
  • Washington For Wildlife
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Frontiersman
  • *****
  • Join Date: Nov 2010
  • Posts: 3943
Re: Longhorn cows
« Reply #21 on: August 06, 2022, 02:48:07 PM »
Lots of good advice from folks on here who obviously have cattle. Also alot of opinions on here about raising them for meat but if your interested in longhorns I would say your into them because of the unique features of the breed. Cool hide patterns and of course, long horns. Nobody picks longhorns cuz they produce well on a butcher block. Then again, some folks think you can taste the difference in meat from certain breeds. It's a marketing ploy. It's all about what your feeding them. And of course some breeds have different muscle patterning than others. Like Wagyu or Belgian Blues. If your wanting to produce beef for your own freezer and you have acres to throw them on they are almost self sufficient but if your feeding them all year you will never profit from cattle if that's your intention. Especially not with current hay prices.

Offline Alchase

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Explorer
  • ******
  • Join Date: Apr 2007
  • Posts: 19873
  • Location: Tinker AFB, OK
Re: Longhorn cows
« Reply #22 on: August 06, 2022, 06:53:59 PM »
A couple months ago there was a thread about he price of hay skyrocketing. At that time the large rounds were going for $75 a round here. I just heard now the price is $275-$350 a round  :yike:
Only 2 defining forces sacrificed themselves for you:
The American Soldier and Jesus Christ. One died for your freedom, the other for your soul.

My rock,
He trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle.
Psalm 144.1

Offline HUNTIN4SIX

  • Non-Hunting Topics
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Oct 2012
  • Posts: 2336
  • Location: NE Washington
  • My wife loves me.
Re: Longhorn cows
« Reply #23 on: August 06, 2022, 07:09:30 PM »
A couple months ago there was a thread about he price of hay skyrocketing. At that time the large rounds were going for $75 a round here. I just heard now the price is $275-$350 a round  :yike:

Holy cow seriously!!!  Drought?  I have about 600 big bales in stack of good hay I would love to get 75 a piece.  Maybe hay haulers can start hauling in from other states?  Even with high diesel prices one could make folks a good deal.

Offline Southpole

  • Political & Covid-19 Topics
  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Frontiersman
  • *****
  • Join Date: Sep 2012
  • Posts: 4090
  • Location: Northport/Curlew
  • Groups: NRA
Re: Longhorn cows
« Reply #24 on: August 06, 2022, 07:11:11 PM »
I think the original point of this thread is he wanted grass eaters and something cool to look at in his pasture and wasn’t looking at raising cattle for meat at all. With that said, it’s definitely a novelty item that would be tough to get rid of if it didn’t work out. I second the highlanders for cool factor and fairly okay resale value.
$5 is a lot of money if you ain't got it

Offline furbearer365

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Longhunter
  • *****
  • Join Date: Feb 2009
  • Posts: 912
Re: Longhorn cows
« Reply #25 on: August 06, 2022, 07:47:40 PM »
I think the original point of this thread is he wanted grass eaters and something cool to look at in his pasture and wasn’t looking at raising cattle for meat at all. With that said, it’s definitely a novelty item that would be tough to get rid of if it didn’t work out. I second the highlanders for cool factor and fairly okay resale value.



 :yeah:  I own 11 acres on the Cowlitz River, most of which is pasture/hay.  I have no use for the hay so I let a buddy and his family hay it and keep it.  But when I bought the property, getting a couple cows was part of the plan. I'd like to put in a small barn and fence off 4-5 acres around my house. I'm not really thinking about raising for meat right now, just wanting a good breed that pastures well, low maintenance, and since they will be close to the house, yes I do like the "look" of Longhorns. From what I've read and guys that know the breed, they like the way they graze.  Seem to feed more like a goat, and less picky than other breeds.

Offline deereman

  • Non-Hunting Topics
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Hunter
  • ***
  • Join Date: Jan 2010
  • Posts: 107
  • Location: Basin
Re: Longhorn cows
« Reply #26 on: August 06, 2022, 08:15:42 PM »
Nobody who owns a Ferrari will tell you it is garbage just like every beef breeder will tell you his “breed” is best. With that I will add my opinion to the pile! My neighbor bought 3 longhorn cows and a bull. He couldn’t keep them in his fence. Great irrigated pasture with plenty of green grass. They had no respect for a hot wire or a split rail cedar fence. They would flip up the wires and rails with their horns and roam around the property. I usually got a call in the middle of the night to help him. Not fun herding a long horn at night in the dark. He finally got so frustrated he gave them away to the neighbors where they were turned into tacos I’m sure!
 My brother has a few highlanders as yard art around his place. They will eat anything, just like a goat. Low maintenance and easy calvers. He has never got a decent price on the yearlings he has sold at the auction yard.
 I raise black angus. Look great in a pasture and taste great on my plate. You will always get a fair price for an angus at auction if you decide cattle are not your thing and decide to go another route. Just my opinion and good luck in whatever exciting venture you lean towards.

Offline Southpole

  • Political & Covid-19 Topics
  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Frontiersman
  • *****
  • Join Date: Sep 2012
  • Posts: 4090
  • Location: Northport/Curlew
  • Groups: NRA
Re: Longhorn cows
« Reply #27 on: August 06, 2022, 08:28:29 PM »
Nobody who owns a Ferrari will tell you it is garbage just like every beef breeder will tell you his “breed” is best. With that I will add my opinion to the pile! My neighbor bought 3 longhorn cows and a bull. He couldn’t keep them in his fence. Great irrigated pasture with plenty of green grass. They had no respect for a hot wire or a split rail cedar fence. They would flip up the wires and rails with their horns and roam around the property. I usually got a call in the middle of the night to help him. Not fun herding a long horn at night in the dark. He finally got so frustrated he gave them away to the neighbors where they were turned into tacos I’m sure!
 My brother has a few highlanders as yard art around his place. They will eat anything, just like a goat. Low maintenance and easy calvers. He has never got a decent price on the yearlings he has sold at the auction yard.
 I raise black angus. Look great in a pasture and taste great on my plate. You will always get a fair price for an angus at auction if you decide cattle are not your thing and decide to go another route. Just my opinion and good luck in whatever exciting venture you lean towards.
Also good advice.
$5 is a lot of money if you ain't got it

Offline KFhunter

  • Non-Hunting Topics
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Legend
  • ******
  • Join Date: Jan 2011
  • Posts: 34514
  • Location: NE Corner
Re: Longhorn cows
« Reply #28 on: August 06, 2022, 08:47:34 PM »
If I were to get beef again...

I want easy on fences, single strand of electric hold em fine
I want easy handling, follow you to the corral, or new pasture
I want very docile, walk up and halter, doctor them right in the pasture

I want smaller carcasses that I can pull a side off a meat hook by myself.  Last steer I done was 1350, the sides were heavy, the splitting sucked and its a lot of work.   I like doing hogs compared to beef, so why not a hog sized beef? Lol!

And above all I want a top notch flavor profile, so I would plant certian grasses and crops just for that perfect flavor profile.  I don't care if my steaks are half size, I'll just eat 2!

I'd be a small beef snob producer  :chuckle:


Offline LDennis24

  • Bear poker
  • Washington For Wildlife
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Frontiersman
  • *****
  • Join Date: Nov 2010
  • Posts: 3943
Re: Longhorn cows
« Reply #29 on: August 06, 2022, 09:02:28 PM »
I have Lowline Galloway crosses. They are cool to look at, my bull is hand tame and so are my cows. I only run six mature animals at a time on about ten acres of sub irrigated grass ground. They are self sufficient throughout the summer. Easy on fences, and they finish well on just grass but you can grain finish them as well. Galloway's and Highland's are both old world breeds that are low maintenance. Purebred Galloway's will get as woolly as a highland in the winter also so they are cold hardy. I have the crosses cuz they are easier to handle. Smaller frame.

 


* Advertisement

* Recent Topics

Springer Fishing Opportunity 3/29 & 3/30 by Blacklab
[Today at 12:48:56 PM]


Long Beach Clamming Tides by dilleytech
[Today at 12:39:19 PM]


Let’s see your best Washington buck by abhold87
[Today at 12:03:27 PM]


Bearpaw Season - Spring 2024 by bearpaw
[Today at 11:45:41 AM]


Walked a cougar down by Rainier10
[Today at 11:17:49 AM]


SB 5444 signed by Inslee on 03/26 Takes Effect on 06/06/24 by hughjorgan
[Today at 09:03:26 AM]


Springer 2024 Columbia River by WSU
[Today at 08:31:10 AM]


Average by lhrbull
[Today at 07:31:56 AM]


CVA optima V2 LR tapped hole for front sight by Remdawg
[Today at 07:09:22 AM]


Which 12” boat trailer tires? by timberhunter
[Yesterday at 08:22:18 PM]

SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2024, SimplePortal