The Basis for Bases?
With the addition of horn base as part of the "Horn Showcase" ranking system for composite horn and a steady thread in articles and on Web sites about the importance of "base to support tip-to-tip" I've been doing some initial research on which sires and dams are consistently producing big based progeny.
There are some animals that immediately come to mind that are being promoted or highlighted by prominent breeders- sires including (the late) Rutledge's Dinger, Peacemaker 44, JT Gun Runner and PPF Gun Maker (which I am infusing into my little herd) and the sole but great cow Torch.
Three of these animals are Gunman influenced, the other two making their own statement, but all exhibit an otherwise non-linked commonality for large bases.
Anyone else starting to study this, or has already figured it out?
As a student of Longhorn genetics and someone who is passionate about the breed, I welcome conversations and thoughts about breeding and husbandry strategies- drop me a line.
jeff@lucky7longhorns.com
LINKS
Check out these links to see some wonderful Longhorns:
www.cwlonghorns.com
Carol and Wes Chancey have an amazing herd featuring some of the best Longhorn genetics available- check out their Phenomenon own son Just Whistle and new herd sire Zabaco
www.starcreekranch.com
Dr. Darlene Aldridge has mastered the art and science of breeding stunning grulla Longhorns
http://www.doublehelixranch.com/
Dr. David Hillis' site is a wealth of information about Longhorn genetics- his papers on the genetics of color are extremely interesting and helpful
www.brokenwagon.com
In addition to having an amazing herd, the folks at Broken Wagon have the definitive links page for Longhorn breeders- hundreds of online herds
www.boxzranch.com
Steve Zunker and Louis Christa have a great herd that produces color, fertility and temperament by mixing legacy and modern genetics
www.cwcreekranch.com
Gary Kudrna has an exciting herd sire called JR Handiman that is many times Gunman, he has an amazing eye for picking the right bulls for the right cows and bred my favorite L7 heifer, Dusty.
www.premierlonghorns.com
DeeDee and Neal Strauss have an amazing AI program and are breeding for total package animals...
http://www.fbarlonghorns.com/
Lee Falkenhagen has just started out with some of the best bloodlines out there.
http://www.arrowheadcattlecompany.com/
Arrowhead Cattle Company's Craig Perez has assembled the most extensive horn analysis on the Web, a great resource for breeders researching consistency in progeny performance.
http://www.plantanapolofarm.com/index.html
Kay Sargeant has two of the breed's greats on her ranch- Gunman's Fancy Ava and PPF Gun Maker
http://www.tarcoolaranch.com/index.html
Robert and Jenny Fuller have the finest small herd I know- check out their '07 calves!
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