Texas Longhorn cattle
The Texas Longhorn is a hardy, long-lived beef breed for rough land and extremes of heat or cold. Cows calve without help and keep breeding into their teens. Traditional Longhorns weigh 600–1,200 lb. The horns are the catch: the breed standard expects 48 inches or more at maturity in both sexes, so pens, gates and chutes built for hornless cattle won't do. The Livestock Conservancy lists the traditional lines as Critical.
- Temperament
- Docile, Active, Intelligent
- Cold tolerance
- Heat tolerance
Is the Texas Longhorn right for you?
Good fit if
- Your land is rough, brushy or short of good grass
- Your weather runs to extremes of heat or cold
- You want cows that calve without help and keep breeding into their teens
- You want lean beef, or cattle that are worth looking at
Poor fit if
- You're new to cattle and your pens, gates and chute were built for hornless stock
- You want a heavy beef animal. Adults top out around 1,200 lb
- You want a milk cow
Appearance and varieties
The horn is the breed's most distinctive feature. The Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America standard asks for horns of moderate diameter; cows should have out-swept horns, preferably with a twist or curl, while bulls vary widely in horn shape and angle. Horns under 48 inches at maturity are highly objectionable in either sex. Alberta Agriculture says they can reach 7 feet across.
The Livestock Conservancy describes the cattle as rangy and gives an adult weight of 600–1,200 lb. The standard calls for a long head with a wide muzzle, small ears held close to the horn, a neck with no hump, and a long tail whose switch reaches at least mid-cannon.
The standard calls for a slick, short coat (seasonally). Colours and patterns are extremely varied, and the association says no two Longhorns are alike; speckled hides turn up as often as solid colours.3124
Temperament and handling
The Livestock Conservancy lists the temperament as docile, though the cattle can be active. It says Longhorns are no longer a wild breed but gentle and intelligent, and adds that they would do better with new stewards who have long-horned breed experience.
The breed association calls them intelligent and easy to work with, and says they are readily trained to show, to lead or drive in parades, to pull wagons, and even to ride. It also notes a market for them as roping and cutting stock because they are quick and agile.12
Animals vary within a breed. Treat this as what to expect, not a promise, and meet the animal before you buy if you can.
Production numbers
What our sources report for the breed. If two sources disagree, you see the full range.
| Measure | Typical | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Calf birth weight | 65–75 lb4 | |
| Calving | Typically unassisted; cows routinely calve at 11-month intervals if given the chance21 | |
| Longevity | Cows in their late teens are not unusual; the association says some calve into their 20s12 | |
| Beef | Naturally lean2 | The breed association's description. |
| Crossbreeding | Longhorn bulls on first-calf heifers for low birth weights; crosses show strong hybrid vigour21 | |
| Gestation | 283 days, give or take 1910 | All cattle, from Oregon State. |
Housing, feed and health
Housing
Longhorns cope with a wide range of weather. The Livestock Conservancy says they handle both hot tropical weather and subzero winters and can thrive where other breeds struggle; the breed association says they do well from hot, damp coastal regions to harsh northern winters.
For beef cattle in general, Oregon State says elaborate housing is not needed and cattle do very well outside in most weather. It recommends a mud-free area with protection from wind and rain, such as a three-sided shelter, a perimeter fence with strong corner braces, and a corral, narrow alley and squeeze chute so animals can be handled safely.12310
Feed
The Livestock Conservancy says Longhorns can live on weeds, cactus and brush far from water. Oklahoma State credits them with using browse and coarse forage on marginal rangeland more efficiently than most other cattle breeds.
For beef cattle in general, Oregon State says an animal eats up to 3 percent of its bodyweight in good-quality feed a day on a dry-matter basis and drinks 4 to 20 gallons of water a day depending on size, age and weather, with much more in high heat. Clean water must be available at all times.11110
Health
The Livestock Conservancy says Longhorns are hardy and resist disease and parasites, and the breed association attributes this to a natural immunity developed over centuries on open range. Oklahoma State lists disease and parasite resistance, hardiness and longevity among the traits fixed by natural selection.
Resistant is not immune. Oregon State's basics apply to any beef herd: clean sheds, lots and troughs, a sound vaccination programme, parasite control, and frequent observation.
This is a starting point, not veterinary advice. If an animal goes off its feed or seems unwell, call a large-animal vet or your county extension office.121110
Price and where to buy
Asking prices from private-treaty listings on The Cattle Range, read as archived copies on 9 October 2026. The pages show no posting date; the months below come from the listing addresses and archive copies. An unregistered one-year-old bull in North Texas was listed at $3,500 (December 2025), and unregistered cow-calf pairs in south Mississippi at $3,500 a pair (August 2025; the seller asks for a call on prices for the cows alone). Five registered cows aged two to six, three of them with calves, were offered as a group in North Texas for $15,000 (December 2025). Only three listings, so treat this as thin. We found no dated page pricing steers or weanlings.
Where to look
Start with a breeder you can visit. Nobody pays to be on this list.
| Seller or directory | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America: Breeders Near You | Breed association | |
| Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America: Longhorn Sales | Breed association | |
| The Livestock Conservancy | Conservation organisation | Links to its breeders directory and to the Cattlemen's Texas Longhorn Registry for traditional lines |
| The Cattle Range | Classified listings | Dated private-treaty listings by breed and state; archived copy of one Longhorn listing |
Similar breeds
| Breed | Cow weight | Bull weight | Beginner | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Longhorn (this breed) | 600–1200 lb | $3500 | ||
| Highland | 900–1300 lb | 1500–2000 lb | $2250–$10000 |
History
The Longhorn's ancestors were Spanish cattle. The breed association traces them from Columbus's 1493 landing at Santo Domingo to Mexico in 1521 and then into Texas with explorers, settlers and missions. Left to run free, they were shaped by survival, which is why The Livestock Conservancy calls the Texas Longhorn the oldest North American breed and the only one to evolve without much human involvement.
After the Civil War the wild herds became the Southwest's way back to solvency. The association estimates 10 million Texas cattle were trailed to northern markets between 1866 and 1895. Then the ranges were fenced and other breeds brought in, and Oklahoma State says intensive crossbreeding had nearly erased the true Longhorn by 1900.
In 1927 Congress put up $3,000 for a federal herd. Forest Service men found 27 head of the old type, which became the foundation of the herd at the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Cache, Oklahoma. Breeders organised the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America in 1964; it is now based in Fort Worth and has registered more than 450,000 head.
The Livestock Conservancy says selection from the 1960s on favoured horn size and growth at the expense of breed purity, and that a few breeders formed the Cattlemen's Texas Longhorn Registry to seek out the old, purely Spanish-type cattle. It is those traditional lines that the Conservancy lists as Critical.9111
Common questions
How big do Texas Longhorns get?
The Livestock Conservancy gives an adult weight of 600–1,200 lb for traditional Texas Longhorns. Calves weigh 65–75 lb at birth, according to Alberta Agriculture.14
How long are a Texas Longhorn's horns?
The breed standard treats anything under 48 inches at maturity as highly objectionable in either sex, and Alberta Agriculture says the horns can reach 7 feet across.34
Do female Texas Longhorns have horns?
Yes. Both sexes are horned. The standard says cows should have out-swept horns, with a twist or curl preferred.3
What colour are Texas Longhorns?
Almost any. The breed standard says coat patterns and colours are extremely varied, and The Livestock Conservancy says speckled hides occur as often as solid colours.31
What are Texas Longhorns used for?
Lean beef, first of all. The breed association also lists Longhorn bulls for breeding first-calf heifers, roping and cutting stock, show and parade animals, and horns, skulls and hides sold as decor.12
Are Texas Longhorns dangerous or aggressive?
The Livestock Conservancy lists their temperament as docile, if active, and says they are no longer a wild breed but gentle and intelligent. It still suggests they do better with keepers who have experience of long-horned cattle.1
Are Texas Longhorns endangered?
The traditional lines are. The Livestock Conservancy lists the Texas Longhorn kept by the Cattlemen's Texas Longhorn Registry as Critical. Longhorns in the wider sense are more numerous: the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America has registered more than 450,000 head since 1964.19
Sources
The small numbers beside each fact point to one of these.
- The Livestock Conservancy, Texas Longhorn Cattle (CTLR).
- Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America, Benefits of the Breed.
- Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America, Breed Guidelines: Approved Breed Standard.
- Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Alberta Beef Breeds (with Alberta dairy breeds).
- BreedBarn, Editorial rating, method on the editorial policy page.
- The Cattle Range, Listing: 1 Longhorn Bull, North TX, December 2025 (archived copy).
- The Cattle Range, Listing: 11 Longhorn Cows w/ 4 Calves, Southern MS, August 2025 (archived copy).
- The Cattle Range, Listing: 5 Reg. Longhorn Cows w/ 3 Calves, North TX, December 2025 (archived copy).
- Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America, History.
- Oregon State University Extension Service, Beef production for small farms: An overview (EC 1514).
- Oklahoma State University, Breeds of Livestock: Texas Longhorn Cattle (archived copy).
Something wrong? Tell us and we'll check it.