Ones With Horns...Not Helmets
Texas Longhorns are a breed of cattle known for their characteristic horns, which can extend to 7 feet tip to tip for steers and exceptional cows, and 36 to 80 inches tip to tip for bulls. Horns can have a slight upward turn at their tips or even triple twist.
The Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America and the International Texas Longhorn Association serve as the recognized registries for the breed. Early Texas settlers obtained feral Mexican cattle from the borderland and mixed them with their own eastern cattle.
The leaner longhorn beef was not as attractive in an era where tallow was highly prized, and the longhorn's ability to survive on often poor vegetation of the open range was no longer as much of an issue.
Other breeds demonstrated traits more highly valued by the modern rancher, such as the ability to put on weight quickly. The Texas longhorn stock slowly dwindled, until in 1927 the breed was saved from almost certain extinction by enthusiasts from the United States Forest Service.
A few years later, J. Frank Dobie and others gathered small herds to keep in Texas state parks. One such Park is the San Angelo State Park here in San Angelo, Texas.
In other parts of North America this breed is used for much more. Longhorn cattle have a strong survival instinct and can find food and shelter during times of rough weather.
Longhorn calves are very tough and can stand up sooner after birth than other breeds.
Longhorn cattle can breed for a long time, well into their teens. There have been cows that have bred for up to thirty years. Some ranchers keep Longhorns for their easy calving. A Longhorn cow will often go off on her own to a safe place to have the calf then bring it home. They are also known to hide their calves in safe places to avoid predators. M
any Texas ranchers keep herds purely because of their link to Texas history. History of the Longhorns - Wikipedia Website
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A few years later, J. Frank Dobie and others gathered small herds to keep in Texas state parks. One such Park is the San Angelo State Park here in San Angelo, Texas.
There are a few longhorn ranches in OR. I see them driving past going up the Interstate. Beautiful animals. I assume they are Texas longhorns, I don't know if there are other kinds. Those African ones with huge horns, but these aren't those.
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy seeing long horn cattle... those horns fascinate me. I'm also in the A to Z writing on the traits associated with your DNA.
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