Longhorn Cattle Facts
Longhorn cattle have become the symbol of Texas. Few breeds of cattle are as recognizable as the Texas longhorn. Once brought to the edge of extinction, this hardy breed has been making a comeback. The longhorn is the only old breed of cattle that has its roots right here in the United States. This breed was forged by the survival of the fittest rule of Mother Nature. They are able to survive where few other breeds could.
History
Longhorns, also called Texas longhorns, are descended from Spanish criollo cattle. Christopher Columbus sailed into Santa Domingo Mexico with a load of these Spanish cattle in 1493. Over the next 200 years the descendents of these Spanish cattle were widespread over the ranges of Mexico. In 1690 the first herd of 200 Spanish cattle were driven north into what is now Texas. There the crillio stock mixed with the English breeds the early frontiersmen had brought and the Texas Longhorn was born
Near Extinction
Once established in Texas, Longhorns dominated the market and were driven northward into the open range of the plains. With a horn spread of over four, the Texas longhorns were easily recognizable. They were known as the ideal trail cattle because of their hard hooves and long legs. They stayed healthy even on the longest drives. By the 1850's longhorns had developed immunity to Texas fever, a deadly cattle disease. Unfortunately they carried this disease and spread it to other breeds along the trails. By the 1850s stockyards in Missouri and Kansas were banning all Texas stock. This, along with the addition of barbed wire fences, brought an end to the dominance of longhorns in the American market. By the 1920s only a few small herds remained. In 1927 Will C. Barns and men from the National Forrest Service gathered a small herd in Texas and placed them in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. Thus began their slow recovery.
Economic Traits
Because of its diverse genetic past the longhorn brings several positive economic traits to the table. This breed is known for its easy calving, disease resistance, longevity and high fertility. These are all traits ranchers seek out in a profitable cattle breed. Along with that longhorns not only survive but will thrive on marginal and poor grasslands other breeds starve on.
Physical Traits
The most recognizable trait of a longhorn is as the name suggests the unusually long horns. These horns can span four to six feet from tip to tip. Both cows and bulls carry these impressive horns. A longhorn can be any color or mix of colors but dark red and white color mixes are the most dominate. Longhorns have stocky bodies atop long legs and this makes them good driving cattle. They are in general smaller than most beef breeds.
Significance
Cattlemen recognize the qualities of longhorns and often crossbreed the longhorns with other beef breeds. This leads to easy calving, less disease, and larger bodied offspring. Longhorns are recognized for their lean meat and therefore longhorn beef commands a high price in the market. Most longhorns seen in pastures throughout the United States today are crossbreeds of the original longhorn. With exhibitional populations of pure breed longhorns in National Parks across the nation and private farmers taking interest, the future of the longhorn seems secure.
Tags: other breeds, Spanish cattle, beef breeds, Cattle Facts, cattle were, easy calving