|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Breed: Texas Longhorn:
- The ancestors of the Texas Longhorn were the cattle brought to America
in the 1600s.
- The Texas Longhorn was shaped largely by natural selection and is
particularly well adapted to life in Texas, Oklahoma,
Nebraska and other areas of the mid-west.
- The Longhorn's heyday was in the mid-to-late 1800s with a peak of about
5 million head.
- By the year 1900, cross-breeding had almost eliminated the typical
Longhorn.
- However, beginning in the late 1920s, the Texas Longhorn was preserved
in wildlife refuges in Oklahoma and Nebraska.
- In the 1960s, there were still only a small number of Longhorns --
about 1500 head.
- The Longhorn is getting renewed attention because of its genetic
diversity and potential for improving other breeds of cattle.
- There are about 100,000 Texas Longhorn cattle in the United States
today.
- The Texas Longhorn is spotted and comes in a variety of colors.
- They have long legs, high shoulders, and an easy stride.
- Their horns average a span of 5 1/2 feet.
- The Texas Longhorn is known for its heat tolerance, disease resistance,
good mothering ability, and general toughness and adaptibility.
Sources:
A Field Guide to Cows, by John Pukite, Falcon Press, Helena, Montana, 1996, pp. 36-37.
and
Texas Longhorn Cattle Page.
Photo from the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America
|
|
