USA Agmate and Cattle Broker Joel Gill thought cattle producers would like this:
Courtesy of the Dickinson Cattle Co., Inc. Barnesville, Ohio USA.
Follow along the dusty trail of a modern day Texas Longhorn trail drive. Here at Dickinson Cattle Co.Inc (DCCI)the calves are being born at 8 to 20 per day.
For good management, every 3 to 5 days all the calves of that age group are moved with their mothers to a separate pasture.
It is easier to check pastures if management groups are separated by pairs, springers and dries. By the end of calving season the DCCI pastures will have sorted 40 to 50 pair in 10 to 14 pastures.
On April 7 twenty calves were born. On April 8 the new pairs were driven 3 miles to a new pasture. About half way, the day old calves just got tuckered out and started dragging toward the rear. As they demanded to “sleep-it-off” in the middle of a public road, the DCCI men loaded them into the old ranch truck.Scott became the official baby sitter.
These are all Texas Longhorn calves sired by Over Kill, Tempter, Victory Lap, Temptations The Ace, Super Bowl, Jamakizm, The Shadow and Win Win. They are completely pooped! However, 2 miles is a pretty good stampede for a one day old calf. The 3 and 4 day olds walked the total distance.
Each calf has an ear tag with the initials of the sire and name of the dam. All DCCI calves are weighed, receive a selenium shot and tagged promptly after birth. Little lives are very important at DCCI. Some will grow to be great impressive specimens. Every precaution is taken for their health and safety.
Each calf is unloaded to be optimistically received by the expectant mother at the end of the trail. For those of us north of the fortieth parallel in Ohio, the new grass is just starting.(Ten days ago we had 9 inches of snow.)
New mothers are now comforted and happy. The calves quickly grabbed an aggressive shot of milk, lay down in the new grass and zonk out.
Note: Don’t look at the old truck door–the handle hasn’t worked for months, but it opens and closes fine with a bungee cord. That is one way you can tell DCCI is not operated by the US government.)
Cows mother-up and the calves feel like new in an hour or so. (Youth is wonderful.) All is well that ends well. Dickinson Cattle Co.Inc.Barnsville Ohio USA.
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Tags: Beef
That is some serious horn!!
I work with stud beef shorthorns in Australia. What purpose do these cattle serve, are they breed for beef, trophy horns, or just to keep the breed alive?
G’day Rachel,
If you think that serious Horn have a look at this week Agmates article on the Texas Longhorn / Watusi cattle that the Dickinson Cattle Company Inc breed.
You can read that article by clicking here and ask the owner Darol Dickinson the same question. They run 1,600 registered Longhorn cattle on their ranch in Ohio.
i am working on these thypes of species in school and i would like to ask do you still breed them and why is it to keep there species alive or is it just for there good use of meat thank you x
ashleigh x
G’day Ashleigh,
Agmates Editor Steve here - I’ll let Darol Dickinson the owner of these cattle in Ohio USA know that you have asked these questions and get him to respond to you.
Just might be a couple of days