The Longhorn is an ancient and beautiful breed with an exciting role to play in the modern beef industry.
Once a rare breed, English Longhorns came close to extinction in the mid twentieth century, but with the uptake of traditional breeds they came back from the brink. Contrary to some people’s belief, English Longhorns are not related to the American or Texas Longhorn whose ancestors came from Spain.
Cwrt Henllys Longhorns are raised for breeding and beef production. Defined as a “suckler herd” - because the calves are allowed to suckle their mothers in a natural outdoor environment – they are weaned after eight months and remain on the farm, if going for beef, until they are two years old.
The best of females ‘heifers’ are usually kept as replacements or sold as breeding stock. The males are castrated and called “steers” unless they make the grade as “breeding bulls” and are left to fully mature.
Fed on our natural, lush grass they grow slowly and have a natural ability to put on fat reserves without the use of high protein fattening compounds.