What Are the Characteristics of the Texas Longhorn Breed?

The Texas longhorn serves as the University of Texas at Austin's team mascot and is a symbol around the Lone Star State. Distinguished by its long horns, this strong bovine breed is considered special because of its many unique characteristics. Texas longhorns can thrive in areas that no other cattle can survive, according to the Cattleman's Texas Longhorn Registry.

  1. Genetics

    • The Texas longhorn breed has been around for centuries and was first bred on American soil. Longhorns first occupied the Great Plains region and then became fenced and crossbred in 1900. However, they were rescued from extinction by the U.S. government, and their breed was preserved on protected wildlife refugees in Nebraska and Oklahoma in 1927, according to research by the Oklahoma State University Department of Animal Science. Since that time, the longhorn breed has sustained its hardy genetic reservoir; it is very fertile as well as extremely resistant to diseases and parasites.

    Body

    • Texas longhorns are medium-bodied, which means they have good length, moderate thickness and rounded body barrels. Their overall size is usually dependent on their natural environment, and longhorns that live on the range are usually larger than those that live in a desert environment. They rarely have extra loose skin, which prevents them from getting caught in thorny brush. They also have long legs, which makes it easier to travel long distances.

    Beef

    • Texas longhorn beef has less muscle fat and less saturated fat than beef from British cattle breeds, according to research by Texas A&M University. However, the beef's flavor, marbling, grade and quality remained the same. Longhorns are generally leaner than other types of cattle, and they typically have 1/4 inch or less of fat cover.

    Fertility

    • One of the most desirable qualities of the Texas longhorn breed is its high fertility. No other cattle breed can match its high reproductive rates. This breed also features early sexual maturity, and Texas longhorn heifers (females that have never given birth) typically conceive for the first time at 15 months of age and then continue to calf yearly until age 16.

    Horns

    • Both Texas longhorn bulls and cows (males and females) have horns. The bull's horns usually grow laterally, from just above the ears, and they grow slightly forward and upward. The longest bull horns on record were 9 feet long from tip to tip. The cow's horns are shorter, and they grow laterally with a slight upward turn and lateral twist outward.