Archive for the ‘Breed Guidelines’ Category
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 June 19, 2010 - by Russell
Anatomy Of A Texas Longhorn And Breed Guidelines
I have attached two PDF files. They contain a photo of a Longhorn cow and bull with their basic body parts identified. anatomy-of-a-texas-longhorn-bull, anatomy-of-a-texas-longhorn-cow . Below is a list of the Breed Guidelines with brief description of each trait.
1) General Type: Good length with moderate depth and thickness. Top of hips slightly higher than top of shoulders. Angular shaped body. Strong legs with free movement. Bulls thicker and more muscled than cows, exhibiting masculine crest development on neck at maturity.
2) Ears: Small to medium, short round ears, fitted horizontally under horns, or sloping slightly upward.
3) Head: Showing masculinity or femininity according to sex; moderate width with pronounced length. Straight profile from poll to muzzle. Pigmented around eyes. Symmetrical eyes and nose alignment.
4) Muzzle: Mealy-mouthed, wide and symmetrical. Pigmented to prevent sunburn.
5) Neck: Trim on cows, muscular on bulls. Long with minimal dewlap skin.
6) Shoulders: Free moving, smooth. Well muscled on bulls. Should blend smoothly into neck and ribs.
7) Brisket: Trim and free from excessive fleshiness or fat.
8 ) Tail: Long with full switch.
9) Back: Strong topline but with a slight dip in it when the animal is on the move. Maximum length between the shoulders and hooks. The animal’s topline should not hump up when the animal is walking.
10) Loin: Broad with full rib eye area.
11) Ribs: Well sprung, elliptical.
12) Hooks & Pins: Reasonably prominent with good length between. The distance between them should not be level but with a slight slop from hooks to pins. This helps with calving ease.
13) Hindquarters: Long, moderately sloping from hooks to pins. Full and well-developed.
14) Heart Girth: Full on bulls, angular on cows.
15) Legs and Feet: Squarely set, sound feet, legs, hocks and joints with adequate bone. Hard hooves.
16) Size & Flesh: Easy fleshing. Adequate size for age and environment to show good gain and health.
17) Hide: Pliable and healthy.
18) Hair (will vary depending on environment): Cows short, straight, slick coat. Bulls coarse wire-type hair on head and neck.
19) Sheath: Retractable prepuce, small orifice, flat small-sized navel flap.
20) Udder & Teats: Well attached udder, equally balanced quarters, pigmented, small teats, abundant milk production.
21) Disposition: Mild, tractable.
22) Reproduction: Early maturity, longevity. Cows regular calving, breeding back at about 3 months after calving and early puberty. Bulls masculine, virile, high libido, high quality semen in volume.
23) Color: Colors and mixes are so various that no two appear exactly alike. Wild, flamboyant, loud colors, paints, spotted, solids and many variations.
24) Horn Growth: Smooth, waxy appearance. Cows — wide, twisted outward, measuring 40 inches or more, tip-to-tip at maturity. Bulls — horns with lateral length and a slight forward upward sweep of 46 inches or more, tip-to-tip on mature bulls and a base circumference of 12 inches or more.
These are the basic Breed Guidelines established back in the late 1970’s to early ‘80’s.
Today I would say a good, acceptable horn measurement on a mature cow or bull would be in the 50 inch range tip-to-tip.
Some believe that a weanling calf should have straight out horn that has grown to the end of its ears by 6 months of age. Because of this belief a lot of calves are being culled that probably would have matured into a nice twisty horned animal any breeder would have been proud to own. Because of a misconception and a lack of patience on the breeder’s part these “twist horn” genetics are being lost.
I believe this is one of the main reasons we are losing the breed’s twisty horn genetics. Twisty horns do not seem to grow fast and they generally do not come straight out of the animal’s head. If you are only looking for tip-to-tip horn genetics this theory is still flawed.
In my thirty plus years in this business I have found that certain bloodlines will produce early and quick horn growth and the growth tends to slow dramatically as they mature. Other bloodlines tend to start out slow and have growth spurts at a later age, but continue to grow steadily throughout their lives with some of these animals eventually reaching tip-to-tip measurements of over 70 inches.
This is just something to think about as you review the Breed Guidelines and evaluate your Longhorn herd.
Posted on April 13, 2009 - by Russell
Breed Guidelines - Necks and Shoulders
In this issue of Breed Guidelines we will be taking a look at the necks and shoulders of Longhorn cattle. The neck should be trim in cows and masculine in bulls. Very short or very long necks along with ewe neck is consider objectionable. The shoulders of a Longhorn should be free moving, smooth and well muscled. They should not have “open shoulders” which is where the shoulder blades stick up higher on each side of the backbone creating a sunk in area between the shoulder blades over the backbone. Shoulders and legs should form a V shape, this helps with calving ease. Square or blocky fronts should be avoided because of a possible negetive effect on calving ease of the resulting offspring.
Example of rough and high shoulders
Example of smooth shoulders with the shoulders and legs forming a V shape
Example of a slight ewe neck
Posted on March 30, 2009 - by Russell
Breed Guidelines - Back
In this issue of Breed Guidelines we will be reviewing the back or top-lines of Longhorn cattle. A desirable back or top-line should be strong with a slope upward from the shoulders to hook bones. The back should show some flex or dip as the animal walks. This helps the animal to be able to travel to water and greener grasses. An animal with an extreme swayback is considered objectionable.
Example of a good topline
Example of a slightly weak topline with high shoulders
Example of a slight swayback animal
Posted on March 19, 2009 - by Russell
Breed Guidelines - Conformation
In this issue of Breed Guidelines we are going to be looking at the general conformation of Texas Longhorn cattle. The general type or form should exhibit good length of body with moderate depth and thickness of body. The top of the hips should be higher than the top of the shoulders. The body should have an elliptical shape for heat adaptation. Bulls should be slightly thicker and heavier muscled than cows. Bulls should exhibit crest development on the neck, not over the shoulders. The bones of both cows and bulls should be sound and dense. The feet and legs should be strong with free movement, squarely set, sound feet and joints. The front legs and shoulders of both cows and bulls should form a V shape, not square or rectangular. This helps with calving ease. Very short legs, sickle hocks, post legged, mule-footed and weak hocks are all objectionable traits that should be avoided.
Example of good brood cow conformation
Good feet and legs, V shaped legs and shoulders
Example of poor conformation and rear leg set
Posted on March 9, 2009 - by Russell
Breed Guidelines - Hooks and Rump
In this issue of our Breed Guidelines we will be talking about the rear-end structure of a Longhorn. The hooks (or hip bones) should be broad and reasonably prominent with a downward slop toward the pin bones. You want to avoid narrowness in the hooks and extreme levelness from hooks to pins as these will effect calving ease. The rump should be long with a slop from the hooks to pins. The Longhorn rump has a very different look than some of the other beef breeds. The Longhorn generally carries more lean meat with less fat on its rump. A big rounded rump is not normally characteristic of the Longhorn breed, that is not to say that there are not some bloodlines within the industry that are beefier than others. But even the rumps of these beefier Longhorns have a different look to them than that of beef cattle.
Example of good slop from hooks to pins
Example of extremely level hooks to pins, fat on tail head and pin bones.
Posted on February 27, 2009 - by Russell
Breed Guidelines - Sheath and Navel
In this issue of Breed Guidelines we will be taking a look at the Sheath on bulls and the Navel on bulls and cows. The sheath of a Longhorn bull should have a small orifice and a retracted prepuce. The navel should be flat and small in size. You do not want to see a long pendulous sheath with a non-retractable prepuce. This could indicate the influence of another breed of cattle. You want to avoid excessive navel flap on both males and females. A small amount of navel skin is okay but you do not want to have hanging skin running from the navel to the brisket and dewlap and/or toward the udder and testicles.
Example of a good tight skinned sheath and navel on a Longhorn bull. This animal could even have a little more navel and still be a good example.
This is example of excessive navel with extra skin running back toward the udder.
Example of excessive sheath and navel with extra skin running back toward the testicles.
Another example of excessive sheath and navel with extra skin running back toward the testicles.
Another example of a good tight skinned sheath and navel on a Longhorn bull.
Posted on February 19, 2009 - by Russell
Breed Guidelines - Ears
In this edition of the Breed Guidelines we are going to study the ears of a Longhorn. We will be looking at size, shape and position of the ears. The ears should be medium to small in size and they should be round in shape. The ears should also be positioned fairly close to the horns or horn base. It is considered objectionable if the ears are long with a slight droop. Extremely large and droopy ears are considered an undesirable trait in a Longhorn. Photos left to right. Photo 1) Example of small ears, rounded on the ends and set close to the horns. Photo 2) Example of medium size ears, rounded on the ends but could be set a little closer to the horns. Photo 3)Example of a ear that is a little larger than it should be, it rounds on ends and doesn’t droop. Photo 4) Example of ears that are somewhat larger than they should be, not set very close to the horns and they are pointing forward, these are not very desirable. Photo 5) Example of small ears, rounded on the ends and set close to the horns. Photo 6)Example of medium size ears, rounded on the ends but could be set a little closer to the horns. If you look closely at all these photos you will notice that there is hair hanging over the opening of the ears. This hair serves an important purpose, it keeps insects from being able to get inside the ears.
Posted on February 12, 2009 - by Russell
Letter of Concern
Introduction: When I read this letter, which was written in 2003 by Dr. Joe Knowles, I thought it was worth sharing with our readers. This letter was written with the request that it be read to the 2003 TLBAA Board of Directors. However it was not read to the TLBAA Board, due to past management until the recent 2009 Board Meeting at which time a copy was given to each director and it was order that it be add to the minutes of the meeting as printed. After reading this letter in the TLBAA minutes I feel it may be even more relevant today, six years after it was originally drafted.
Dos Rios Ranch
HCR 60 Box 6, Springer, N.M. 87747
January 31, 2003
After receiving a request from Doris and Charlie Snyder for input for future direction of the T.L.B.A.A. I have the following comments for your consideration.
Dr. Stewart Fowler, at the time consultant to the T.L.B.A.A. and 25 years ago, stated that the Texas Longhorn was a “genetic goldmine”. He also stated that for any beef breed of cattle to be successful over an extended period of time it had to possess a unique trait or traits that would enable the commercial cowman to more efficiently produce beef. Dr Bonzma an internationally recognized breed development expert states that single trait selection for a desirable trait also produces an undesirable trait or traits.
With the above basic breeding principles in mind, I suggest that the powers that be in the T.L.B.A.A. consider the following items in questioning the wisdom of the “tape measure philosophy” that the T.L.B.A.A. leadership and a lot of the membership have promoted for the last 25 years.
Twenty five years ago, the Texas Longhorn (genetic goldmine) that nature had produced through basic environmental and survival of the fittest selection for 500 years, weighed around 800 to 850 pounds and had a horn of 3 feet plus or minus a few inches. The horn was curved and in a shape to be an effective weapon (a straight flat horn makes more inches on the tape measurement but is not an effective weapon as nature intended). She was fertile, had a calf unassisted probably at or before 24 months, had genetic disease resistance, conceived and did a good job of raising a calf up into the late teens and sometimes older. I have had several cows 23 years old that had just weaned a calf and had the dentition of a 10 year old Angus or Hereford cow. They were hustling well doing cows that could make it in unfavorable environmental conditions.
Mans attempts at improving the traits of other breeds has been frequented by many a “wreck” and then attempts at correction of the “improvement”. Examples are; bigger is better, faster growth is better, taller is better, shorter is better, blockyer is better, bigger frame score, smaller frame score, back straight as a string ,low tail head ,not cut high in the flank. Selecting for these traits to improve the breed, especially single trait selection (Dr. Bonzma) has resulted in bigger birth weights (growth rate in part is determined by genetic trait at conception not at birth) hence you get dystopia. Selecting for more muscle in a female alters the estrogen -testosterone balance and effects fertility and milk production. About in the 50’s it became popular in the Herford breed to have big muscular cattle. This type won the shows and brought the highest price in the sales. The cows’ were sure big, muscular and pretty, but they would not give enough milk to raise a calf. The seed stock breeders concluded that the answer to this problem was to get nurse cows which a lot of them did. These nurse cow fed calves looked mighty good at weaning and when fed well brought premium prices when sold as bulls. Everything went well until the man who bought the bull saved some heifers out of him that had low fertility and poor milk production. Rapid growth and bigger frame scores and they produced post legged animals that had stifle problems, angkle problems, and poor locomotion. Shorter and blockyer selection resulted in “dwarfing out” both Angus and Herford. Selecting for backs as straight as a string and low tail won lots of shows and brought premium prices but resulted in flattened pelvises with resultant dystopia. Nature’s selection produced quadrupeds with sway backs and higher at the hips than at the withers. Deer, antelope ,elk, cheetah, longhorns are examples of this confirmation and they seem to get around pretty good and the “weak back” as man calls it doesn’t seem to be a problem. I didn’t say it was pretty or pleasing to my eye.
Man in all his wisdom has “improved” the Texas Longhorn (there are other longhorn breeds) to where the cows have 5 or 6 feet horns (straight and lateral growth to increase tape measurement is better), some weigh 1200 lbs and have a bigger frame score. The bulls weight 2000 lbs or more and have a lot more muscle and frame score. This is man’s idea of the traits of a Texas Longhorn and a far cry from the balanced cow that nature evolved over a 500 year period. What has happened in just 25 years to the “genetic goldmine’ in changing these traits? Has following the “tape measure philosophy” altered the other unique traits of the Texas Longhorn? If you apply natures rules for rate of growth, longevity, fertility (Bonsma says the bigger the bovine the lower the fertility), characteristics of skeleton, muscle development hormone balance, you get a good estimation of what is occurring. A lot of mistakes made by the other breeds has been selecting for the extremes and then “improving “in the other direction. These mistakes by other breeds have been encouraged by the shows, sales and price premiums for the extremes. Fads and novelties don’t last too long. Remember chinchillas, emus, llamas, pot bellied pigs, miniature horses, etc.
I think some of the questions that the powers that be in the T.L.B.A.A should be asking themselves and membership that are knowledgeable in breed development are; opinions on the above items, how many breeders of 20 year s ago are still breeders and still active in T.L.B.A.A. activities, what % of the breeders are making a profit,how many is it important that they do so, is 99%of promotion directed toward 1% of the cattle, how much of the change in traits was brought about by infusion of genes from other breeds, how much effort has been expended on maintaining purity (in constitution), what happened to the studies done by Texas A and M. on feeding Longhorns and what efforts have been made to use this information in promoting commercial cattlemen into using Longhorn genetics, Texas A and M. “s Ranch to Rail program says that a calf that has had all his immunizations is worth 16 cent more per lb due to his disease resistance, what is the genetic disease resistance in a Longhorn worth and has this information been transmitted to commercial cattleman, would more energy and resources directed toward commercial cattleman in using Longhorn genetics be beneficial to the 99% of the cattle and membership, how much space in the Trails is devoted to the “tape measure mode” and how much is devoted to those without cows with 5 foot horns and other problems in selling the other 99%.I realize that practically all your income comes from advertisers that have the 5 foot horn.
In my opinion the long term success of the Texas Longhorn breed should be utilization of their unique traits as shaped by 500 years of natures selection and not of fads, extremes, and novelty.
We almost lost the Texas Longhorn the early part of the last century. My hope is that we don’t lose to men’s folly in this century.
Joe Knowles
Posted on February 10, 2009 - by Russell
Breed Guidelines - Muzzles
In this installment of the Breed Guidelines we will be looking at the muzzle of Texas Longhorns. A desirable trait that you should look for around the mouth is what they call ”mealy mouth” which is a difference in the coloring around the nose and mouth. This helps with heat exchange of the animal and it’s surroundings. There should also be “pigmentation” around the eyes which helps keep them from being sunburned which would make them susceptible to getting cancer eye. It also helps fight against insects which spread diseases like pink eye. The lack of these traits would be consider objectionable. When we look at undesirable muzzle traits those would be a wry nose, overshot, undershot or crocked jaw. Photos left to right: Photo 1) Example of muzzle with mealy mouth and good pigment on nose and around the eyes. Photo 2) Example of good muzzle with the mealy mouth trait and good pigmentation around the eyes. Notice the light color of the hair around the eyes, like the mealy mouth. This was a summer photo and that lighter color helps with the heat. Also this photo shows the pigmentation of the skin around the eye. Photo 3) Example of a wry or crocked nose and muzzle. Photo 4)Another example of mealy mouth, eye and nose pigmentation.You should be able to see some from of this pigmentation even on white or light colored cattle. Photo 5) Shows an animal with a lack of pigmentation around the eyes and on nose. Photo 6) This animal shows a lack pigmentation and is showing the effects of that with the irritation of the eyes which resulting in thewatering of the eyes. The watering of the eyes attracts insects to the eyes which can result in several health problems.
