Investing in top genetics has its rewards!

I am writing down my thoughts about the Texas Longhorn Cattle industry.  By no means do I consider myself an authority on the subject.  I have been getting an education in investing in Longhorns since spring of 2002.  I do not believe I will ever run out of things to learn.  When running a registered seed stock operation, you will be tested in all aspects of agriculture and animal husbandry.  If you like being outside and always having something to do, then this is the life for you.  You will learn to adapt, survive, and thrive, just as these great longhorn cattle do.  If not, then you can always find someone like me who will manage them for you.  If you don't love it you will not do it very well!

Raising Registered Texas Longhorns is not a get rich quick scheme.  But, investing in top marquee name bloodlines has its rewards! 

There are many different ways to market and sell longhorn cattle.
Sell young bulls that will not meet your Registered seed stock requirements to commercial cattlemen for their 1 calf heifers.
Local Sale barn, where your inferior animals should go if you are not going to feed them out for slaughter.
Instead of taking inferior cows to the sale barn, if they are fertile, good milker, with good maternal instincts, I have used and sold them for recipe cows with great success.
You can sell the horns, hide and lean healthy meat.
Train and Sell longhorn riding steers.
Sell them as easy keeping lawn art to smaller ranchettes for agricultural exemption.
Sell young animal for the show ring.
Breed better quality longhorn cows using marquee named bulls utilizing AI & ET so that other seed stock producers will want to buy them, either at auction or private treaty.  Auctions should be used as a way to promote your program, not as a way to sell off the bottom of your program.  I believe you should use auctions to promote your program to generate interest and therefore private treaty sales.
 

This piece is a work in progress, it is not complete.  My hope is to generate conversation, learn from others and help each other market this great breed of cattle and the genuinely nice people in this industry.

If you have answers to any of the following questions, please email  your thoughts on the subject and I will be happy to post them here.

What different ways do you market your longhorn cattle?

How do you maximize your longhorn investments?