Texas Longhorns
Big horns. Big character. Serious Genetics.
Texas Longhorns are hard to ignore. Their extraordinary horns, distinctive colouring and individual character make them one of the most recognisable cattle breeds in the world.
But there's far more to these cattle than good looks. Texas Longhorns are renowned for their hardiness, adaptability, fertility and calving ease - qualities that make them particularly interesting for commercial and crossbreeding programmes.
At Deer Genetics NZ, we're building our own Longhorn herd around genetics that combine eye-catching cattle with useful, practical traits.
Yes, the horns are impressive.
But that's not all.
Texas Longhorns combine extraordinary looks with a remarkable range of practical traits.
A breed that almost disappeared.
Texas Longhorns have a remarkable history.
Descended from cattle brought to North America by Spanish explorers and settlers, they developed over generations in the harsh, open landscapes of Texas. Their ability to survive with little human intervention helped shape the hardy and adaptable cattle we know today.
After the great Texas cattle drives of the 1800s, changing farming practices and the arrival of other beef breeds saw Longhorn numbers decline dramatically. By the 1920s, the breed was nearing extinction.
Dedicated breeders and conservationists stepped in to preserve them. Today, Texas Longhorns are once again recognised around the world - not only for their extraordinary appearance, but for the practical traits that helped them survive in the first place.
The Longhorn Look
The horns are certainly part of the attraction.
But it's the extraordinary combination of colour, pattern, horn shape and character that makes every Longhorn unique.
No two Texas Longhorns are quite the same. Their incredible range of colours, patterns and horn shapes is part of what makes the breed so distinctive.
Add their calm demeaner and individual character, and it's easy to see why Texas Longhorns appeal not only to breeders, but to lifestyle farmers looking for something a little different.
Our Longhorn Herd
The cattle behind our programme.
At Deer Genetics NZ, we're building a Texas Longhorn herd around genetics we believe have something to offer - combining extraordinary looking cattle with useful, practical traits.
Our herd includes cows, calves and bulls, with each generation contributing to the genetics we're developing here in New Zealand.
Cows
The females behind our herd
Calves
The next generation
Bulls
The sires shaping our genetics
Our Texas Longhorn Sires
Selected genetics. Bred in New Zealand.
Our Longhorn sires form an important part of the breeding programme we're developing here at Deer Genetics NZ. Each brings its own pedigree, performance and unmistakable Longhorn character.
SEMEN AVAILABLE
Purpose Built Squeeze
Built for Longhorns
When you’re working with Texas Longhorns, standard cattle handling equipment doesn’t always fit the bill!
Our purpose-built squeeze was specially designed for these impressive animals, allowing room for their exceptional horn spread while still providing secure, controlled restraint.
It’s an important part of safe, low-stress handling on the farm — helping make routine health checks, weighing, tagging and other animal care safer for both the Longhorns and the people working with them.
Because when you’re handling cattle with horns like these, the equipment needs to be designed around the animal.
The Original Genetics Behind Our Herd
The Texas longhorn breed earn their celebrity status for their exceptional horns.
Over the years, we have used genetics from some outstanding Texas Longhorn sires to develop our herd. Below we showcase some of the influential sires from Dickinson Cattle, (and their progeny) that have contributed to our breeding programme.
TUXEDO
Tuxedo is the son of a world record holder Cowboy Tuff Chex (100+'' T2T).
He is owned by Dickinson Cattle Co. We purchased 3 embryos and they on farm and developing nicely.
OUR PROGENY
Bella Tory DG
Bizedo Cowboy DG
Victory Lap is one of Dickinson Cattle Co.'s great sires. He is well respected for thick beef conformation, gentle disposition and one of the top 180 US sires for T2T. We are very excited to see how his progeny develop.
VICTORY LAP
OUR PROGENY
Victory Smiles DG
RODEO MAX
Rodeo Max is the 8th widest tip to tip, living, officially measured TL bull. He has a massive girth to him and we have two progeny developing so far.
OUR PROGENY
Rodeo Victor DG
Rodeo Princess DG