Horn is important in the Texas Longhorn industry hence the name...Texas Longhorns. So you have started into the addiction known as being a Texas Longhorn Breeder and want to know more about their horns; well you’re reading the right document then. In this article you will find some great information that has been collected for more than 40 years by the experts themselves. Some of the breeders that have been in this industry longer than anyone else have shared their knowledge about horns and have shared it with us for all others to access as well. So keep reading and find out more about the Texas Longhorn horn.

 

In the early sixties the first registered Texas Longhorn bulls had a mere 24”-35” tip to tip of horn. As breeding stock was selected for more size, color, horn, muscle thickness and profitability, horn tip to tip increased. In the 1970’s horn tip to tip increased to the forties and fifty inch range and only continued to grow from there.

 

With selective mating of top herd sires with the greatest size, muscle, and competitive meat qualities this is what has made it possible for tip to tip to increase greatly without sacrificing calving ease and the longevity that Texas Longhorns posse over other breeds.

 

In today’s society however, people always want more and the Longhorn industry is no exception to this. For the last 10 years horn has added more and more value to these cattle than is believable. Cattle are bred for wide horn, heavier bases, and a quick growing corkscrew twist in females. Corkscrew horn is rare and genetically inconsistent at the best. A few bloodlines have been identified that have a higher likelihood of producing corkscrew twist than others.

 

Another genetic factor for tip to tip is if the horn goes forward and upward on bulls. These shapes tend

to be the genetic origin of females also with forward and upward horn shapes. This type of horn shape

does not sell well compared to the wider, lower, more twisted shapes. In the early 1960’s most bulls

would start out with flat lateral horn shapes, but by the time they were 24 months old the bulls horns

shape would start to tip forward and begin to grow upward instead of out like desired. By the time these

bulls would be mature at five years old they had less tip to tip than when they were a younger age.

 

Over the past 40 years many breeders have observed that white or chalky colored horns tend to grow

faster than black horns. Black based bulls may produce both colors of horn but when two full siblings

were observed; one with black horn and the other with white horn it was apparent that the white horn

grew faster than the black horn. Don’t discredit or give up on a heifer or bull with black horn they are just slower growers but the horn will eventually turn white and start to grow faster.

 

The observations listed above have been from over 40 years of recorded data and shared amongst breeders to improve the breed in general. When measuring horn it has proven that horns with the preferred growth direction go lateral with a backward twist. Animals that have this horn shape tend to bring more money and grow more horn. Remember when measuring horn if the tape has to bend over the forehead and not in front of or above the forehead than this is a good indication that the animal will have the desired horn shape. Tip to tip measurements are the most respected in the Texas Longhorn industry and data for your herd should be recorded to show customers and gain business. Remember data makes your customer confident in your program.

 

                                                                      When considering what herd sire to use on your herd remember these things; conformation is most                                                                              important to build a great herd, then color this is very profitable, and horn this will get you noticed.                                                                                   Breeding a bull with 80” of horn but no color or conformation isn’t going to make your herd profitable, but                                                                       breeding a bull with fifty inches of horn that has color and conformation won’t make your herd profitable                                                                         either. You will want to look for a bull that has the total package and that is easy to market and get your                                                                           name out there; a bull that is memorable and one that people will  recognize.

                                                                    Tomey Farms has many great herd sire prospects to choose from out of some the top bulls in the industry.                                                                  Win Win who is over 74” tip to tip and weighs over a ton produces thick, heavy muscles, and calves with the twist people desire. Annex has some of the wildest color in the world with two of the most famous Longhorns the industry as his sire and dam. Drag Iron his sire is over 85” tip to tip and weighs over 2200 lbs and Annex’s dam Jester, is one of the most well known cows ever. She is a half sister to Win Win and her tip to tip is an amazing 89.13” tip to tip with a ton more total horn and all the while maintaining a top weight of 1300lbs. If you want speckled calves that will get attention from five miles down the road and that have beef quality that will make the other beef breeders in your area jealous then Annex calves are what your want to add to your program. Kip Up is a son of the late JP Rio Grande who was known as one of the leading bulls in the industry for horn production and Kip Up’s dam is over 78” tip to tip. Give us a call to pick out your next herd sire to add horn, color, show winning conformation, and disposition to your growing herd today.

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Written by Darol Dickinson