Crossing The 1200 Lb Success Mark

DCC Ranch eNews #112, 8-17-2017

Fifty years ago, when the Dickinson family invested in their first Texas Longhorn cattle most cows only weighed 600 to 750 lbs. Most bulls were in the 900 to 1100 lb range. Although this was considered not even close to viable for the commercial cattle industry, those of us who loved the breed forged forward. From the first DCC calf crop in 1967 each calf was weighed at weaning and adjusted to 205 days for careful evaluation. The healthiest and fastest growing cattle were multiplied. Many disappointments filled the pasture. As years were invested in breed improvement many still shamed everyone who wanted to "change" the breed away from the original historic size, shape, disposition and size.

Old Bull

This was one of the early bulls that was held in high regard. Everyone had to start somewhere.

As more data became used, it was easy to increase size, improve disposition, more twisty horn and fine tune to a critical point of excellence.

Texas longhorn Bull - Reckon So

Size is the easiest mountain to conquer. A consistent weighing will evaluate the success from one generation to the next. The list below shows some of the success of the Dickinson Cattle Co's effort to increase size and easy fleshing in the cow herd. These are the cows that weighed 1200 lbs and over in June. At DCC females are bred as yearlings for calving at age 2. Most of these over 1200 cows have calved every year and grazed 12 months of every year on grass. DCC is not working to raise all 1600 lb cows, but if they are easy fleshing and calve every year -- so it goes.

Cows at DCC in June of 2017 that are 1200+
   Weight       Cow Name       Age       Sire Code   
1600 Slap Leather 10 OK
1495 Jest Keeper 6 DI
1480 Jama Tune 10 JZ
1475 Dragon Pearl 5 DI
1470 Mega Yea! 6 T
1460 Idle Frenzie 9 MM
1458 Drag Hot 7 DI
1420 Krinkly Teu 8 OK
1415 Wizard Struck 15 SZ
1390 Bizarre 9 VL
1385 Win Jubilee 13 W
1385 Iron Queen 5 DI
1380 Senachoo 13 S
1375 Brown Beauty 7 DI
1350 Jama Dandy 9 JZ
1345 Victory Party 10 VL
1340 Snap Strap 5 BS
1335 Jamboree 7 J
1335 Barn Dancer 9 OK
1330 Jamaju 9 JZ
1325 Over Lap 12 VL
1320 Jizelle 10 SD
1320 Tempting Play 6 T
1320 On Stage 9 SD
1315 Super Drafter 11 SB
1310 Jitters 12 Tri
1310 Obsession 5 BS
1305 Sheaspook 12 C
1300 Tempters Trophy 7 T
1295 Belluchi Fund 5 WW
1295 Jester 13 W
1290 Triple Crown 7 WW
1290 The Ace of Roses 10 TA
1285 Super Tempt 4 T
1280 Overly Sweet 6 OK
1280 Prosty Tot 11 WW
1270 Tempt Vainly 9 T
1265 Play The Raffle 13 R
1265 Rose In The Wind 14 W
1260 Rose 4 the Winner 5 WW
1260 Trista 3 PL
1260 Naughty Pine 12 W
1260 Unlimited Mileage 10 MM
1255 Sweetheart 5 CW
1245 Jam Packed 5 JZ
1245 Fine Forever 8 OK
1245 Dragy Draft 7 DI
1240 MacKenzie Lee 6 DI
1240 Lucia 9 T
1240 Viola' 8 VL
1240 Victory Bella 11 VL
1235 Shortcake 6 DI
1235 Unlimited Smiles 8 U
1230 Draw Me Over 6 DI
1225 Drag Off 7 DI
1225 Victory Vavra 10 VL
1225 Debbie Steel 7 DI
1220 Darkened Drag 4 DI
1215 Dance Contest 10 W
1210 Madora 6 FF
1210 Bowl Draft 13 SB
1205 Dragon Smile 5 DI
1200 Toss The Jam 8 JZ
1200 Sweet Jubilee 9 TS
1200 Mystic 10 OK

 

Bull Code Bull Name # of Cows
over 1200+
BS Black Strap (Over Kill) 2
CW Clear Win (Win Win) 1
DI Drag Iron (Jamakizm) 13
FF Fast Friend (Super Fast) 1
JZ Jamakizm (Shadowizm) 5
J Juma (Jamakizm) 1
MM Mile Marker (The Shadow) 2
OK Over Kill (Over Head) 6
PL Plum Line (Over Kill) 1
R Raffles (Not Gunna) 1
S Senator (Overwhelmer) 1
SZ Shadowizm (The Shadow) 1
SD Super Duty (Super Bowl) 2
SB Super Bowl (Superman) 2
TA Temptations The Ace 1
T Tempter (Temptations The Ace) 6
TS The Shadow (Senator) 1
U Unlimited 1
VL Victory Lap (Winchester) 6
WW Win Win (Winchester) 4
W Winchester (Gizmo) 5

With the size data it is amazing, many of these cows are over 80" and also the cows that are producing the main herd sires at DCC. Size, bone, horn, it all seems to get larger at the same time. The original criticism of the breed being too small can be history if the right genetics are selected. However, there are still many adult herd sires around the country weighing under 1200 lbs and cows weighing under 800. Some things change, some don't.

For breeding stock with size and all the other good stuff check inventory for sale at www.texaslonghorn.com or call 740 758 5050, DCC, 35000 Muskrat Pike, Barnesville, OH 43713