The English Longhorn cattle are multipurpose breed of cattle which are raised for meat, milk and used as a draught animal previously. As the name suggests, the breed has long horn and originated from Craven, in the north of England.
It is also known by some other names such as Longhorn, Dishley, Lancashire, Leicestershire and Warwickshire. These animals became the first breed that were improved by Robert Bakewell of Leicestershire, England in the mid 1700s.
Bakewell pioneered the use of inbreeding technique in cattle selection. And he selected the English Longhorn cattle breed for quick growth and heavy hindquarters of these animals.
Selection efforts of Bakewell led the breed to become the most widely used animals throughout England and Ireland until it was surpasses by the Shorthorn cattle in the early 1800s.
Total population of the English Longhorn cattle declined rapidly for nearly 200 years until the breed was rescued by the RBST (Rare Breeds Survival Trust). And the efforts of RBST resulted in 255 registered animals in 1980.
Currently the English Longhorn cattle are available in United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland and New Zealand. Read more information about the breed below.
English Longhorn Cattle Characteristics
English Longhorn cattle are medium sized animals and both bulls and cows have long horns. They are mainly red, brown, grey or white in coloration.
Their horns are very long and curved down to around the nose. There are white patch along the line of their spine and under their bellies. They have many similarities with the Texas Longhorn cattle breed.
Average height of the mature bulls is around 150 cm at the withers. And the cows are pretty smaller than the bulls, and their average body height vary form 130 to 140 kg.
The mature bulls on average weight around 1000 kg. And average live body weight of the mature cows vary from 500 to 600 kg. Photo and info from Wikipedia.
Uses
English Longhorn cattle are raised mainly as a beef cattle breed. They are primarily used for meat production, but also used for the production of milk. They were previously used for draught purposes.
Special Notes
The English Longhorn cattle are long lived and quite healthy animals. They are usually very friendly and have relatively docile temperament. They are of good behavior and very easily managed animals. They live surprisingly longer than other cattle breeds and the cows are known for easy calving.
The cows are excellent mothers and they protect their calves very efficiently. The cows are pretty good for milk production and produce enough milk for their calves. Currently they are raised mainly for meat production, and they produce very good quality meat. Review full breed profile of this breed in the following chart.
| Breed Name | English Longhorn | |
| Other Name | Longhorn, Dishley, Lancashire, Leicestershire and Warwickshire | |
| Breed Purpose | Mainly meat, also milk and draught | |
| Special Notes | Good milk quality, docile temperament, relatively calm behavior, well adapted to native climates, good for meat, cows are protective mothers | |
| Breed Size | Medium | |
| Bulls | Around 1000 kg | |
| Cows | Vary from 500 to 600 kg | |
| Climate Tolerance | Native climates | |
| Coat Color | Usually red, brown, grey and white | |
| Horned | Yes | |
| Milk Yield | Good | |
| Rarity | Common | |
| Country/Place of Origin | England |
