What do texas longhorns look like

The first Spanish explorers turned their dark, thin-legged, wiry Moorish-Andalusian cattle loose on the Caribbean Islands. Left on their own, the cattle strayed, grew larger and soon turned wild. In the wild they thrived, growing heavy-boned, skinny and swift.

Their long legs and long horns provided offensive weapons and defensive protection. They also developed a fiery temper and a malicious cleverness. In , Spanish sea captain Gregorio de Villalobos, defying a law prohibiting cattle trading in Mexico, left Santo Domingo with six cows and a bull and set sail to Veracruz, Mexico.

The explorer Hernando Cortes also set sail with Criollo, or Spanish, cattle to have beef while on his expeditions. He branded his herds with three crosses-the first brand recorded in North America.

As more Spanish explorers headed north, their crippled and exhausted cows were left behind, loose on the trail, to fend for themselves. These Spanish explorers held to the Castilian tradition that grass was a gift of nature. Spanish cattlemen did not fence in their fields or their herds, and cattle easily wandered off to join the wild population.

In the s, settlers in Texas, then part of Mexico, primarily raised European breeds of cattle. The Texas Longhorn is the result of the accidental crossbreeding of escaped descendants of the Criollo cattle and the cows of early American settlers, including English Longhorns. The easily identifiable result is a wild, slab-sided, ornery, multicolored bovine weighing between 1, and 1, pounds and having a horn spread of 4 to 7 feet.

A Longhorn was considered mature at 10 years, and by then averaged 1, pounds. The combination of these characteristics made Longhorns hearty and self-reliant. One of their drawbacks was their meat. It was known to be lean, stringy and tough, but was still better than beef from Criollo cattle. It is apt to be a little tough. By the Mexican War, , the Texas Longhorn had become a recognizable type. The Longhorn did not have many enemies. Native Indians did not hunt the wild cattle; they preferred the meat of the tamer and easier to kill buffalo.

As you look at Texas Longhorn cows for sale and make your purchasing decisions, keep in mind that the horn growth varies between cows and bulls. Some Texas Longhorn cows may have an emphasis on tip to tip growth while others will carry more of a total horn influence.

Also be aware that some family lines will gain horn growth slower and not really hit their good growth period until ages two to three. A cow will grow horn her whole life, but she will gain most of it in her first six to seven years. Many top breeding programs, including Star Creek Ranch, have really focused on increasing base in their respective programs. Just as tip to tip can be increased by breeding longer-horned individuals to longer horned, base can also be increased by focusing on that trait.

Starbase Commander , premier herd sire at Star Creek Ranch, is famous from adding base to the horns of his offspring. Typically a Texas Longhorn bull will have more base to his horns than a cow will have to her horns.

But overall base within the industry has increased in the last ten to twelve years. When looking at Texas Longhorn cattle for sale, you need to consider a number of factors, including the genetic health of the bloodline, the quality of the herd sires , health of the entire stock, and the reputation of the breeder.

As you might expect, the length and size of the horns are a direct reflection of the health of the animal, and there are no shortcuts to success. That also goes for when a longhorn calf cries out in alarm. Long has Bevo reigned. A group of UT alumni led by Stephen Pinckney presented the longhorn at halftime as a mascot to bring their old school good luck.

It must have worked, because the tie at halftime turned into a win against the favored Aggies. As for how Bevo got his name, UT campus magazine editor Ben Dyer is credited with christening the steer in the December issue. Long may he reign! According to the Texas Exes website texasexes. One is that Dyer got it from Bevo, a popular soft drink at the time. And another theory suggests Dyer got the idea from comic strips by Gus Mager, which featured characters named Braggo and Sherlocko.

Fifteen longhorns have held the title Bevo as a living mascot. The current longhorn, Bevo XV, made his debut in September at a th anniversary celebration of the Bevo legacy. The Texas longhorn became an official state animal in More for you. Texas athletics postpones events as winter storm sweeps state.

Police release footage of fatal shooting of bicyclist. San Antonio counselor was at casinos instead of therapy sessions. 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 predation, sometimes causing difficulty for ranchers, who may need to work on the animal. Most breeds of cattle fall into either beef or dairy.