Archive for August, 2010
Posted on August 30, 2010 - by Russell
Why Own Texas Longhorns?
Thinking about getting involved in the cattle industry?
Needing to add to or restock your cattle operation?
You should consider Texas Longhorn cattle.
If you are a first time cattle owner or an absentee owner then the Texas Longhorn breed is the breed for you. Longhorn cattle are the no hassle breed which makes them ideal for the first time cattle owner or the owner who has little time to spend with his cattle. Longhorns, under most circumstances are more than capable of taking care of themselves. Longhorns are not only a breed that can be profitable to raise but enjoyable as well, they are each unique with no two alike. They are all different in their color patterns, size, horn length and personality making them a joy to be around. When you own Longhorns, you own a living breathing piece of history. The Texas Longhorn is the living symbol of the Old West.
Longhorn cow w/ 7mo old calf
Take advantage of these profit making genetics by adding Texas Longhorns to you cattle operation today.
v Fertility – Breed at a young age, breed back quickly after calving and calve into their teenage years.
v Longevity – Texas Longhorns breed and calve well into their teen years. More live calves over the years means more dollars in the rancher’s pocket.
v Browse Utilization – Less supplemental feed is needed because the cattle take advantage of the forage available. Most Longhorn cows weight 1000lbs or less which means less cost to maintain the cows. This allows the rancher to possibly increase his carrying capacity, which increases the number calves produced thus increasing the potential profits. A good Longhorn cow will generally wean a calf that weights at least 40-50% of cow’s weight at weaning.
v Disease/Parasite Resistance – A natural immunity developed over the centuries means fewer veterinarian bills and less maintenance for today’s cattlemen.
v Reproductive Efficiency – Larger pelvic openings and low birth weights results in lives calves. Busy cattlemen can say “goodbye” to sleepless nights.
v Adaptability – The breed thrives in climates from the hot, damp coastal regions to the harsh winters in Canada.
v Hybrid Vigor – Heritable qualities enhances your present breed and gives you a new genetic pool. Commercial cattle producers are utilizing these inherited genetics of the Texas Longhorn female with their breed of bull to produce live, vigorous, profitable calves for the market place.
Posted on August 29, 2010 - by Russell
Breed Guideline Chart-Updated
Updated with a few new expample photos on 1/4/11. Wondering what to look for when looking at a Texas Longhorn? The Texas Longhorn Breed Guidelines that were approved by the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of American in 1982 is a list of the traits and characteristics of Longhorn cattle, these should be considered the standards for the Texas Longhorn Breed. These characteristics and/or standards should always be keep in mind when selecting cattle. To aide new and established breeders in their ability to recognize these traits I have compiled a PDF file that contains photographic examples of these breed traits and characteristics. The photos are examples of desirable, objectionable and undesirable Longhorn characteristics. I will be adding more photos as they come available. I hope this material will be of assistants to all who have an interested in maintaining the traits and characteristics that have allowed this great breed to prosper for years. Click on the link below to open/download the PDF file. texas-longhorn-breed-guidelines-chart-1-3-11
Posted on August 28, 2010 - by Russell
Selecting Sires For Horn and More
By Russell Hooks
Measles Super Ranger
In an earlier article we discussed selecting for more than just horn in Longhorn females. Now let’s talk about Longhorn bulls. Some breeders think the tape measure is the answer to selecting the best bull. Once again that is not the case. There are numerous bulls in the industry that are in the 70” horn club; they are the “hot sires” of the day. These young bulls have tons of horn and you cannot open up a Longhorn magazine without seeing an ad about one of these “great sires”. But what actually makes a great sire? PRODUCTION! CONSISTENCY! PREDICTABLE GENETICS! Most of these hot ticket sires are so young that their only offspring are still babies. Before I load my program (and the programs I consult for) down with these “popular and highly promoted genetics” I want to see some mature offspring. Will some of these “hot sires” of today make a lasting positive mark on the industry? Yes they will, but history has shown us that the percentage is very small. I have seen too many “fad bulls” come and go in this industry during my thirty years in Longhorns. As breeders, we need to develop a breeding plan that utilizes proven genetics instead of chasing fads. If you chase the fads you will more than likely always find yourself one step behind. Think about it, bull X is the bull of the moment – the one everyone is talking about. You AI your cows to him, it takes about 1-2 months to AI the cows, then nine months for the calves to hit the ground and they turn out pretty nice. Now six to seven months later the calves are weaning age; you could sell some of them now but we all know that weanlings do not sell as well as two year olds. So you hold these calves until they are twenty four months old. The time frame is a total of approximately 35 months and the chances are good that by now there is another “hot ticket” bull. You have missed that small window of market opportunity. I have observed that most of the “fad” bulls are only able to ride that popularity trailer for about 3-4 years and then they start to lose traction. This is usually about the time their offspring are reaching maturity and they can now be fully evaluated on traits such as long term horn growth, fertility and milking ability. I have seen “super sires” that have put offspring on the ground that show rapid early horn growth, but when they reach three to four years of age it slows dramatically and other sires’ calves that where showing less horn growth at a young age have caught up with the “super” sires’ calves. In some cases the “super” sire is inconsistent in his offspring, some have great horn and some are average or even below average. Now the “super” sire’s offspring are no different than any other good sire. When you are searching for a sire always ask yourself “how will his genetics benefit my herd, is it just his popularity I am interested in or can he help improve the overall quality of my herd in the long term”.
Measles the dam of Measles Super Ranger
When you are selecting a sire for AI or natural service there are several things to keep in mind. The first thing I look at is a sire’s overall conformation, frame size and breed characteristics. Then I want to see what his dam and maternal grand dam look like. Years ago legendary Longhorn breeder J.W. Isaacs told me that “you better like the dam and grand dam of your herd sire because more than likely that is what his heifers are going to look like”.I have found this to be the case more often than not. Not only are his daughters going to look similar to the females in his pedigree, but they will inherit a lot of their traits such as udder and teat size, fertility and femininity. While checking these female lines of a sire’s pedigree, I will study the pedigree several generations back looking for as many great females as possible in the sire’s pedigree. Next I look at what other good animals, both males and females have come from these genetics or similar genetics. After I have studied the prospective sire’s pedigree I will then compare it with the pedigrees of the females that he will be mated to in order to check to see if there will be too much line breeding or inbreeding in the resulting offspring. I also look to see if the genetics of the prospective sire have been used with the female genetics that I am planning to mate him with. In other words, have these genetics worked together successfully or unsuccessfully in past matings for other breeders. It is more productive and less costly to learn from what has or has not worked in the past. One last important step is to visually inspect the females and note their faults…poor frame score, poor conformation, poor horn growth, etc. This is done so that you can select a sire that will help improve these weaknesses in your cow herd.
The selection of a herd sire is a very important part of a seed stock breeding program. It is correctly said that the sire has a genetic impact on 50% of every calf he sires. So basically, he is 50% of your herd. However, if you think a little more about it, the impact of a sire is even greater than 50%. He only has a 50% effect on your herd through each calf crop. If you don’t retain any of his offspring then his effect ends there. If you retain his heifers he is 50% of them and 25% of their offspring; so if you retain these calves he is now 75% of your herd. The effect goes on and on if you are keeping heifers and bulls from your own herd as replacements. As you can see, the selection of a herd sire can have a major long term impact, good or bad, on your herd. Take the time and effort to study all prospective sires before adding their genetics to your herd. It will save you time and money in the long run.
I have often wondered why breeders in our industry will purchase a cow for a large sum of money, but when it comes to purchasing a bull the philosophy seems to be the cheaper the better. This is the opposite of what it should be and of what happens in other cattle breeds. As I stated earlier the females are important and especially the dams of your herd sires, but it is the sires that have a larger impact on your herd and at a faster rate. A breeder should consider spending the largest portion of his purchasing budget on his herd sire. It takes only a short time for that investment to payoff. The late Gene Day used this example when I was looking at purchasing a top notch two year old herd sire prospect from him that he had priced at $10,000. He said “you are going to take this young bull and breed him to 30-40 head this first year. If he produces only ropers and you sell 40 ropers for $250 to $300 each…that’s $10,000 to $12,000…the bull is paid for. Now let’s say he turns out to be as good of a herd sire as you thought so you only have 20 ropers to sell ($6,000) and you’re going to have 20 heifers that should be worth $800 to $1,200 at weaning. Some of these you’re not going to want to sell, but keep as replacements. Now he is not only paying for himself, he’s making you money.” I have never forgotten these words of wisdom and I think about them every time I look at purchasing a bull regardless of whether the price is $1,000 or $100,000. The money invested in a good herd sire is money well spent and will pay off in the long term.
Superior- the sire of Phenomenon
The point behind all this is, it is best to stick with proven genetics from bloodlines that have passed the test of time and invest wisely in your herd sires. If you are going to use an unproven bull make sure he comes from predictable and proven genetics. Do your homework and do not take sire selection lightly. Work towards producing offspring that are a total package of proven genetics: good horns (55-70”) with shape and style, correct and functional conformation, milking ability, adequate body size and eye appeal. It will make you more money in the long run.
Most of the 65-80” horn cattle in our industry are sired by bulls with 50-60” horns and most of these bulls have done this more than once or twice. Phenomenon measured a little over 60” and is one of the leading sires and grandsires of 65-80” horn animals. His sire Superior measured 50” and shows up as sire or grandsire of numerous animals that are in that 70-80” Club. Proven genetics are one of the keys to long term success in this industry.
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Posted on August 28, 2010 - by Russell
Selecting Cows for Horns and More
In today’s Longhorn market it is not always easy to judge the true value or quality of the cattle. There are cattle selling for prices ranging from $400 dollars all the way up to $170,000. What is the difference between the bottom and top prices? The answer is HORNS… not necessarily overall quality. We have come a long way when it comes to horn growth in this industry. When I got involved with these cattle in the 1980’s we were celebrating 40” of tip-to-tip horn, which would be laughed at today. But back then it was not all about horn, it was about saving the breed, fertility, longevity, mothering ability…just to mention a few of the other traits that were valued by breeders those many years ago. Today some breeders seem to believe that there is only one sure fire way to determine the value of top Texas Longhorn cattle…the tape measure…the bigger the horn the higher the price. However, like in the 1980’s I believe this is only one of many things that must be considered when determining the value of our cattle. Breeders who use the tape measure as their only way of placing value on Longhorn cattle are overlooking many very important attributes of the Longhorn.
Judging the quality of a Texas Longhorn is simply not made by measuring the horns. There are numerous cattle in this industry that measure 75-80” tip-to-tip, but are these actually the best of the breed? Without a doubt some of these are good animals. However, many of them have sold for record prices, been flushed in ET (embryo transfer) and cloned only because of their record setting horn length. In some cases these cattle have poor conformation, genetic defects such as wry noses, jaw and mouth defects and bad udders with large teats and they can’t even raise a calf.
If you were to check the production records (which I have) of several of these cattle you would find that in some instances they have produced mostly roper calves. At prices of $50,000 to $100,000 it takes more ropers at $350 each than she can produce in a lifetime to pay for this “great” cow. That is without figuring in her annual upkeep and care. Several of the cows in the 75-80” club cannot even nurse their own calves; some are raised by a nurse cow or produced by ET because the cow cannot carry and raise her own calf. I always check the production records of any animal that I am considering purchasing unless it is a heifer - in that case I check her mother’s production history.
Many of the 75-80” horned animals in today’s industry are truly one of a kind; some have full siblings that do not come close to having the same horn measurements as they do. There is a cow in our industry that measures over 75 inches, yet her full sister only measures in the mid-50’s tip-to-tip. Their dam was an average cow with good horn and their sire never produced another animal that has reached 75-80” (most are in the 60’s). Therefore in my opinion these are not proven, predictable genetics. I was at a recent Longhorn sale where a four year old cow with almost 70 inches sold for $10,000. She was unexposed and by the looks of her udder, teats, shoulders and vulva she had never calved. She looked “steery”. In my opinion someone bought themselves a costly lesson. You can have the longest horned cow in the breed but if she is not producing then all you have is a “glorified steer”. Sometimes it is hard to look passed the horns but when selecting females for your program you also need to look at their udders, teats, feet, legs, general conformation and pedigree. You should also inquire about the animals production record. Production is one of the keys to selecting a top quality Longhorn female.
Here is a picture of a nice solid cow that had good horn (48-50”) for her day yet she produced many daughters that had 55-60” horns. One of them was one of the industry’s first 60” horned cows Delta Diamond, who did eventually reach 70”. Today some breeders would not even glance at this cow in a sale or in the pasture because she is not loaded with horn, yet she produced great horns. The term is ‘she out produced herself’. Most of the 65-80” horn cattle in our industry are sired by bulls with 50-60” horns and most of these bulls have done this more than once or twice. Phenomenon measured a little over 60” and is one of the leading sires and grandsires of 65-80” horn animals. His sire Superior measured a little over 50” and shows up as sire or grandsire of numerous animals that are in that 70-80” Club. Proven Genetics are one of the keys to long term success in this industry.
In summary if you are going to breed for horns remember to keep all the Longhorn traits in mind when making your cattle selections. Also, if you are just getting started in the Longhorn business or you do not have a budget that will allow you to purchase the longest horn animals, do not get discouraged. There are animals out there that may not have the longest horns, but they have the genetics for producing horn. If you study the pedigrees you can make a wise and affordable purchase that someday just might produce you a 70-80” horn animal that you can sell for a top price.
Posted on August 10, 2010 - by Russell
Butler Breeders Annual Sale “How It Got Started”
by Marlene Hooks
Can you imagine a day too cold to deer hunt? That’s what Kaso Kety tells me, “It was too cold to get out of the truck so Michael McLeod and I sat and talked”. They talked at length about the recent Blackie Graves dispersal sale. Mr. Blackie was famous for his Butler cattle even though his herd had become more blended over the years. When it came time to offer his herd to the public, it was the straight Butler animals that caught the interest of the crowd and brought the highest prices. Kaso realized that the scarcity of pure Butler bloodlines was a matter of concern for those who love the Milby Butler family of longhorns. So many of the other families had all but disappeared. The reason was apparent, people had learned the value of combining the best of each family. Butler and WR seemed to produce the perfect animal but it did nothing to maintain the original families. Kaso felt that, in the near future, it would be hard, if not impossible, to find pure Butler cattle and the bloodline would be lost forever.
An idea had been forming in Kaso’s mind and now was the opportunity to voice it to someone with an equal love for the Butler family. The idea to have a sale, offering nothing by verifiable straight Butler animals, was laid out for inspection. They poked holes in it and then patched them as the idea became a plan. Next on the agenda was getting other Butler enthusiasts on board. Letters were sent out to everyone who had supported Butlers in the past. The first meeting was held at Dr. Frank Anderson’s place with nine ranches represented. Everyone was ready and willing to get on board. Mr. Blackie’s sale had shown them that Butler was a hot ticket and the time was right to band together to save and promote this beautiful family of longhorns.
Lockhart, Texas, with its central location, was chosen as sale site. It worked out so well that the sale has never moved. It was decided to go with an offering of eighty head, something else that has not changed. Kaso understands that “only a certain amount of money is coming to a sale. Keeping the numbers lower keeps the prices higher.” Those first sales were made up of mostly the larger established Butler breeders but as time passed the buyers came back as consignors. The original sale consisted of older animals but now the offspring of those first consignments are coming through the sale ring representing the new crop of Butler breeders. The Butler Breeders group keeps growing as these new folks step up to help with the sale and promote the Butler family.
“That first sale was a little scary. How many head could we get? Were there enough good animals that people would be willing to sell? The first year I let Delta Rockette go.” Each year since, Kaso has consigned five head, 2 really nice and three exceptional. That’s over thirty outstanding animals in the past ten years. Some of the top named animals of the longhorn breed today came through the Butler Sale. Kaso’s philosophy is, “Nothing worthwhile is without sacrifice.”
Everyone involved with the sale will tell you that it’s the people who make it all work. It’s the group effort that makes the sale doable. It’s a ’break-even’ sale. “We’re not trying to make any money off anyone. After all, it’s your program and you stand behind it so we don’t charge a commission on top of consignment fees. Those who put in the most effort reap the greatest reward.” Thanks to volunteers and donated lots we’re able to keep costs down. . These folks really like each other. They get together outside of the sale stuff. They help each other by hauling cattle, boarding cattle, relaying cattle along the road to the sale or in getting purchases home. The spirit of cooperation has forged true friendships albeit long distance in some cases. Butler breeders come from great distances to be a part of this group. Yes, the people are a reason for the continued success of the Butler Breeders Sale but Kaso is quick to say, “The cattle have been getting the job done all these years and that is the real reason the sale is successful.” The 2010 sale has a tremendous offering. The heifer sale began as a way to allow more animals into the sale while keeping the original eighty head limit. These young animals have been a huge success and the heifer sale idea has been copied by many other sales.
The goals envisioned at the very first meeting have been fulfilled beyond anyone‘s wildest dreams. The Butler family has been saved from assimilation and is very alive and well. The sale continues to grow while maintaining healthy sale averages. The Butler sale seems to be insulated from the ups and downs of the cattle industry. New members are the lifeblood of any organization and the Butler group is going strong in that department. It all comes back around to the cattle. Looking back, the quality has always been a constant which is only enhanced by improved herd management and the availability of these outstanding animals from an ever widening range of breeders. It’s good to start a program with outstanding cattle instead of spending several generations building it up. Boy, folks have got it good today thanks to the Butler group.
From an idea to a plan to reality, Kaso readily admits, “The Lord has blessed me!”
Butler Breeders Invitational Sale
Aug 31 - Sept. 1
Lockhart, TX
Contact:
Kaso Kety
(985) 796-3918
Check out Butler bloodlines and pedigrees on the Butler website: butlertexaslonghorns.com
