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.

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.
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