got two new heifers

pygmybabies · #1 08/04/12, 08:12 AM

Went to look at some cattle and came home with 2 bred heifers and a steer. So he said they are due sometime around September/October. They are still a little shy of us but are starting to come around with the feed bucket. ANything special I need to do or feed for the last part of pregnancy?
got two new heifers - Cattle

All help is appreciated

PaulNKS · #2 08/04/12, 06:20 PM

ummmm. you bought Longhorns?

I have a few but all there offspring are by Herefords.

For them, they will always look thin. Don't try to overfeed and fatten them. They don't get fat. If they are Longhorns, they will do much better at grazing than most breeds. They are easy keepers. However, they are also heavy milkers for a beef breed and the nursing will pull them way down. Don't let it frighten you.

Their calves will small and long legged. A longhorn usually has no calving problems and can almost literally spit them out. lol

Anytime you buy an cow or calf, don't start pouring a lot of grain into them. One of the easiest ways to bloat and kill a cow is by suddenly changing her diet and causing acidosis. If you don't know if they were being grained or how much, I would only give them a couple handfuls a day. Once they get used to you, turn them out on grass. Put out free choice loose mineral that is a 12:12 good quality, and a salt block. I use sulfur salt. It helps with the flies. But Longhorns don't normally have as much trouble with flies as other breeds.

PaulNKS · #3 08/04/12, 06:28 PM

P.S. With a Longhorn, you don't have to fear the horns. They won't try to gore you, if they know you're taking care of them.

There are a couple other major differences between Longhorns and other beef breeds. The purebred calves don't sell too well unless sold as roping calves. Also, a Longhorn cow will tame down quicker than any other, until she calves. NEVER go near her calf or make her feel that her calf is threatened. They become very vicious mothers when they have a new calve. Wait until the calf is older.

The other difference with Longhorns is if you get to close to a new calve, not only will the mother turn on you to protect it, but ALL the cows in he herd will get very aggressively protective. I've seen mine chase coyotes with their heads down, bellering to beat all.

One other thing. If a Longhorn decides she doesn't like where she's at, she won't stay home. She can leap over a fence standing flatfooted when she does. Keep her happy and she'll never leave or wander. I have a couple old ones that are 18 and 19 years old, still having a calf and raising it every year. I can walk right up to them. But, when they have a new baby, I can't get within 1/4 mile of them and I don't try. They will often hide the calf for a week. When a Longhorn disappears from the herd for several days, I know she has had a calf somewhere. I never go look for it. I wait on her to bring it in.

That is totally unlike the Herefords. With the Herefords, I always find the calf and try to get it tagged asap.

Longhorns are a totally different breed. They will graze on a lot of things that other cattle won't touch. They are hardier and raise hardier calves. Their calves will grow quicker than an Angus or Hereford because the Longhorn has good milk.

If those are Longhorns, congrats! You'll enjoy them. But, you'll never make much money from them. The do not sell for much. But, they provide a good meat that is leaner than most beef breeds and has a good flavor.

A Longhorn will need less grain and supplements than most beef breeds, but it should not influence you to cut back on the free-choice loose mineral.

PaulNKS · #4 08/04/12, 06:29 PM

If those are Longhorns, great. If not, Ignore everything I wrote. lol

pygmybabies · #5 08/05/12, 07:09 AM

Yes they are fullblood longhorns...the man a lot of them very well cared for and were all pets....thanks for all that information...we have given them about a hanffull or so of grain each day to get them to cone to us...one will Luke my hand now...I ha e had them a week...we are in kc area but we actually have some free. In out field they had none at farm they came from I think we ha e natural springs under the ground. They mixed right in with our calves from last spring...who I bottle fed and gave a vac to but other than that haven't do e anything with them except pet them...good to know about the calving and mother being so protective ...will they hurt the goats of lgd that are out with them also to protect the baby?

PaulNKS · #6 08/05/12, 09:35 AM

If they are used to the goats, they should be fine.

pygmybabies · #7 08/07/12, 09:21 AM

wow, you can tell I wrote that from my phone and not my computer, think it is time for an eye appt!

RedDirt Cowgirl · #8 08/07/12, 12:24 PM

These are beautiful "picturesque" longhorns, but whatever are you going to do with them?

PaulNKS · #9 08/07/12, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedDirt Cowgirl

These are beautiful "picturesque" longhorns, but whatever are you going to do with them?

Breed them to a good beef bull (Hereford or Angus) and their calves will outgrow a Hereford or Angus calf by weaning time. The ones I've had and bred to the Hereford bulls have always outperformed. The calves will average almost 100 pounds more than the Hereford or Angus purebreds at sale time.

kycrawler · #10 08/07/12, 08:36 PM

i have 15 longhorn corinette cross cows . they are good cows and easy calvers i cross them with a lowline angus bull and 75% of the calves came out black the others were red and white . Last year i put my jersey bull out with those cows after i took the neighbors lowline home seems he only got 3 of them to take had a batch of really ugly calves this spring . i may try to find a herford or a baldy to cross them with next year

pygmybabies · #11 08/08/12, 07:10 AM

red....I will watch them in the pasture and scratch their heads when they finally get that close (which is starting to happen) and then breed them to my angus, for beef! They really are awesome looking, the breeder had quite a few and there were quite a few he wouldnt sell. We also got a steer that we will want to butcher, but not sure at what point to take him, he is about 4-5 months now. but if we grass feed I assume it will take longer.

RedDirt Cowgirl · #12 08/15/12, 12:34 PM

Huh! I'll have to share this around - we usually just see them as rancher's wife's pets or pastured around Jamboree type horse stables. They always seem peaceful in the fields.

Wonder how long they live compared to other cattle - our nearest neighbor has had pet one forever that looked so aged it could drop in the next heat wave the first year they got it, and it still keeps soldiering on.

Just read the greatest book "Wild Cow Tales" by Ben K Green. Gave me a renewed appreciation for cow personalities.

I may start lobbying for something new in the front lot..

Jessilee7 · #13 08/15/12, 01:06 PM

When I was growing up, that's what my parents raised- nothing but registered longhorns. They are the hardiest breed I've ever seen. Never any birthing problems, they broke ice themselves in winter, the cows kept having calves every year until they died which was almost always 20+. The only problems they ever gave us were some of the cows could and would jump a 7-8' tall corral when we caught them to work them. Amazing how animals so big carrying around all that extra weight on their heads could still jump like a deer. Around here, we made good money selling or leasing out the calves to ropers, selling breeding prospects, and charging extra for great tasting lean longhorn meat. We've been thinkin about running 5-10 head with our angus x cows to do some of the ice breaking for us in the winters. Then I could use the calves for roping and penning practice as a bonus.