How to Prepare Your Property for Longhorn Brood Cows

How to Prepare Your Property for Longhorn Brood Cows

If you're considering adding Longhorn brood cows to your ranch's lineage or just to raise overall enjoyment as cattle enthusiasts, you'll find that it can be a rewarding experience. Besides the fact that they have good maternal instincts, are hardy in nature, and have recognizable horns, Texas Longhorns are an extremely hardy breed and an ideal option for beef production and breeding programs. However, before placing Longhorn brood cows on your property, you need to properly prepare your property to ensure the health, safety, and productivity of these brood cows. You need to think about everything from fencing to feeding and everything in between.

Evaluate Your Land and Space Requirements

The first task to complete is assessing whether your property can support Longhorn brood cows. Longhorn brood cows need lots of space to roam, graze, and lie. The general guideline is 1.5-2 acres per cow-calf pair, give or take, based on the quality of grazing. Next, do your due diligence and look at the property itself. It includes looking at the terrain. You will want to verify if there are hazardous conditions on the property that could hurt a Longhorn, such as steep inclines, holes, and any general obstacles. 
You will want to verify if the property has clean watering sources (any ponds, troughs, or streams will be sufficient) and that they are available all year round. Try to manage pastureland through rotating pasture and managing the property acreage itself through sections where they can be put to graze with no issues of overgrazing. Longhorns like to graze and are active grazers; therefore, they require access to nutrient-based and quality forage. 

Install Secure and Cow-Friendly Fencing

Some ranchers use traditional barbed wire, which may be effective. However, as they are such large animals, a high-tension electric fence and pipe fencing can be a much better solution for keeping them contained and protected. Fences should be no less than 5 feet so that the Longhorns can be easily contained. It also needs to withstand the animals leaning against them or rubbing. Avoid tight places and corners that can get in the way of the horns. Regularly inspect the fences for gaps or broken areas, especially if your Longhorns are allowed to escape. Longhorns are great escape artists in their spare time. Gates should swing freely and latch securely. Lastly, the gates should be wide enough to accommodate a cow and calf together. 

Provide Shelter and Shade Structures

Shade structures are also crucial, particularly in hotter climates, to avoid heat stress; however, windbreaks or three-sided shelters also work well in the winter. Depending on your herd management livestock operation, things like trees, barns, or portable shade fabrics also work. In expiring shade structures, make sure there is not too much of a crowd so all cows have access to benefit from the cover. It is also essential to separate a birthing pen for calving cows, unless there is a private quiet area to birth in. Bedding: straw or hay should be clean and dry to ensure that there are no problems that may contribute to disease or discomfort to the cow. If you are in an area of heavy rainfall, drainage should be pumped to stop muddy conditions that cause hoof problems. 

Set Up a Reliable Watering System

Longhorn brood cows will not negotiate when it comes to fresh, clean water. On average, a cow will consume anywhere from 10 to 20 gallons of water per day. When they are lactating or in warm weather, they will drink even more. Water sources can include ponds, automatic waterers, troughs, or gravity-fed sources. With troughs and fountains, regularly cleaning the troughs for algae and bacteria is vital. Although automatic waterers are a time saver, it is recommended to check them daily to ensure there are no failures. For a natural water source, like a stream or pond, it is beneficial to put up fencing to prevent them from damaging the banks or polluting the water. For cold climates, evaluate the option of heated waterers to avert freezing. Water sources should be near the center and accessible on the pasture to encourage consumption.

Prepare a Quality Feeding and Grazing Plan

Longhorns are natural foragers and can utilize many native grasses and forbs, but they still have nutrient requirements to meet, especially when pregnant or lactating. Begin with pasture assessment and determine the nutritional value of your forage. You may need to supply hay, supplements, minerals, or feed during either winter or drought situations. If you are using mineral blocks or loose mineral feeders, ensure that they are for cattle, so they are getting a complete mineral and vitamin profile to avoid deficiencies. Poor-condition cows pre-calving will find it difficult to nurse and raise healthy calves. Rotational grazing is a grazing management practice that gives forage plants a period of rest for regrowth and prevents forage depletion.

Plan for Health Care and Breeding Management

While proper health care and breeding management go hand-in-hand, if you plan to build a herd of Longhorn brood cows, the first step is to work with, or at least establish a working relationship with, a large animal veterinarian. Next, you should have proper facilities with working pens, a squeeze chute, or alleyway to work your cattle safely, especially during vaccinations, pregnancy checks, or medical care. Follow a routine vaccination schedule and deworming plan. Keep complete records as these cows move through their breeding cycles, pregnancy status, and calving history. Ensure you can identify these cows with ear tags or brands, and you can associate the ear tags/brands individually with their historical records.

Establish a Safe and Efficient Handling System

Handling longhorn brood cows requires tranquil, well-planned facilities to minimize stress and injuries to the animal and handler. The unique long horns and the more assertive nature of longhorns also require more area than most animal handling facilities. A curved chute system, non-slip concrete flooring, and wide alleyways will assist in guiding the animals safely. Solid-sided panels minimize distraction to the animals, reduce resistance during movement, and keep they remain calm. A squeeze chute for health check vaccinations or pregnancy exams is a good addition to minimize injury to you and the animal. Always make sure all hardware, including gates, latches, and fencing, is functioning and reliable for the safety of your cattle and when handling them.

The End

Approaching Longhorn brood cows for sale can be both productive and enjoyable whenever your property is structured to fit their unique requirements. By preparing space, shelter, water, nutrition, and health management, you will create an area conducive to breeding, calving, and herd growth. Thoughtful planning is the first step towards a productive Longhorn operation. For more information, check out the website today - Star Creek Ranch.