Let’s go Down Under to Australia.
A special shipment is arriving from the United States. It is a working chute for cattle – but not just for any cattle: This is a chute designed for Texas longhorns. Now, customers are discovering the chute is excellent for handling other types of animals as well.
Last week we met Joe Sedlacek, owner of Lazy J Longhorns near Greenleaf, Kan. Since 2008, he has been working fulltime at raising world record-setting Texas Longhorns. One of Joe’s home-raised steers was a three-time world champion because of the steer’s long horns.
Joe continues to raise and market longhorn steers and breeding stock. He also uses a registered Charolais bull to cross with certain longhorns. This produces a beefy, naturally hornless calf which is excellent for the market. “It also keeps the quality higher in my registered longhorn herd,” Joe said.
Joe points out that there are several advantages of the longhorn breed, perhaps because they originated in the wilds of Texas more than a century ago.
“Their eating habits are more like a goat than a cow,” Joe said. “They will eat more types of vegetation than a typical beef cow, so I can run more longhorns per acre than straight Angus. Longhorns are really good moms and are really intelligent.”
As with other animals, longhorns need occasional vaccinations and other herd health procedures. Many cattleman have metal working chutes and headgates to hold the cattle still while they get their shots.
