We've been involved in cattle for all our lives but started raising and selling Registered Texas Longhorns in 2012. Like all serious breeders, we don't have "mean" or problem cattle.
All of our Longhorns are full-blooded and registered through one of the major registries - TLBAA or ITLA.
We are also proud to have Longhorns registered through the Cattleman’s Texas Longhorn Registry (CTLR), the ONLY Texas Longhorn breeders group dedicated to the conservation of the historically correct Texas Longhorn phenotypes and supports The Livestock Conservancy.
We breed Longhorns for exceptional genetics, great dispositions, exciting colors, super horns, and easy keeping! Our Longhorns make exceptional breeding stock, show animals, pasture pets, herd sires, and trophy steers. Y4 Longhorns offers affordable prices, starter herds, and other packages!
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A Little Longhorn History...
A 2013 study at the University of Texas analyzed DNA and found that Longhorns were direct descendants from the cattle brought by Christopher Columbus in 1493. Before then, there were only buffalo in the Western Hemisphere. Spaniards continued to ship cows for the next 20 years, and the Longhorns arrived in what is now Texas by the early 1600's.
Compliments of the UTLibrary
After the civil war, the long horned, rugged animals were gathered and herded north to provide beef and hides to the US and Europe. The longhorns were a main source of income for Texas in the post-war years. The cowboys that worked them made very little money but earned reputations of being the toughest around as they spent months moving the wild longhorns up the Chisolm and other trails north out of Texas.
In the early part of the 20th century, beefier European cattle rose in the markets and the Longhorns were becoming less desired. Fortunately, seven Texas ranchers were determined to preserve the breed. These families dedicated their lives to the Longhorn breed by establishing foundation herds.
In the 1960s, the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America (TLBAA) was created to help preserve the integrity of the breed. All Y4 Longhorn cattle are registered with the TLBAA, and/or the International Texas Longhorn Association, and are Millennium Futurity Eligible.
Today, Longhorns have made a comeback not just as symbols of the Old West but they are cattle that provide great "pasture pets," show animals, breeder competitions, lean beef, and more. Texas Longhorns are bred for calm, gentle dispositions with many colors and very long horns!
People prefer longhorns for various reasons, including they are disease resistant, heat resistant, can thrive on poor pasture, longevity, easy calving, and they can take care of themselves against predators.
Click on this link for more history of the Texas Longhorn.
Registered Texas Longhorn Beef
Did you know that red meat can be included as part of a healthy diet? Thanks to Texas Longhorns, today’s health-conscious consumer doesn’t have to avoid tender, juicy steaks. Longhorn beef is leaner than other breeds and is lower in saturated fats. Packed full of flavor, Longhorn beef has less cholesterol and calories than white meat. Including lean beef in a heart-healthy diet can positively impact blood cholesterol levels. Studies have shown that eating lean beef can help increase ‘good’ cholesterol and reduce ‘bad’ cholesterol in people with elevated cholesterol levels.
Beef is the best source of protein, zinc and Vitamin B12 and is the third best source of iron in the food supply. Beef is also a good source of selenium, which may reduce the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer (such as prostate) as well as enhance the body’s ability to fight infections.
“Lean beef is good for you – and the key word is lean. A heart patient can eat steak every meal if it is in the right proportions. Longhorn meat, on average, contains 10 percent less saturated fat than that of other cattle. That puts lean Longhorn beef on par with skinned boneless white meat of chicken and that fact may come as a surprise to many dietitians.” -Dr. Joseph Graham, Cardiovascular Surgeon at St. John’s Medical Center in Joplin, Missouri.
Y4 Longhorns will typically have Longhorn Beef to share. Please contact us if interested. (adapted from TLBAA site)
