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"Gallery of Horns"

WHY MEASURE???

   Regardless of what your breeding program is aiming for, at the sale ring one thing brings all the money. That one thing is horn!!! The more of it, the more it is worth. The horn showcase is one way to compare how well your program is keeping up with the top producers. However being a student of growing horns myself I've found that this can be a very difficult way to try and chart what results are expected for comparison. Thus I've taken a slightly different approach. With the development of the "Gallery Of Horns" I keep records on many animals as they stretch out that measuring tape. This page will change as new animals come along and break new barriers. The key is that it takes the breeder to keep the records first. In this case  breeder/owners have kept monthly records on their animals. For the first time you can see what you are really up against. Keep in mind that these animals have already made there mark. It's up to a new generation to break these records!

 One further note to mention is that these young bulls may be the among the first contenders to take the current title away from GF Heavy HItter as the longest horned bull (presently the only bull over 80" tip to tip). In doing so, they will set a new bar for success as breeders gear up to breed for the first 90" tip to tip bull. The question in everyone's mind is has he been born yet? We shall soon see!

As you can see above based on measuring monthly you can determine when your animal hits a growth spurt accurately in comparison to other animals. ZD Kelly was nearly 5" behind JP Rio Grande, and then within a few months he picked up speed and nearly matched him at 28 months. Before he was 32 months ZD Kelly became the new youngest 70" bull. However if he would have been judged at just a year old, he may not have ever made it this far if it were not for some very wise breeders to hold onto him. These are among the best and brightest of the 2003 and 2004 rising star bulls. Several others are in the race and we hope that all of them will make it. It is only through breeding and record keeping that we can truly understand and properly judge our programs!

 Below are three animals, a cow and two bulls to show in contrast of what some of the longest horned youngsters are doing. These stats give you a month by month comparison to show you just what has been done. Serious record keeping and measuring have been done in order to bring this information to you. We thank the owners of these animals for their time, effort, and generosity to share this information with us!

Eileen Feisty Leigh CF2 DOB: 7/9/3	Pedigree		JBR CASH DOB: 2/17/5	Pedigree		JP Rio Grande DOB: 11/11/3	Pedigree
12/1/3	13 5/8
12/9/3	14 3/8
1/9/4	17 3/8
1/26/4	18 5/8
2/9/4	20 1/8
3/9/4	23 1/8
4/9/4	26 3/4
5/10/4	29 1/2
6/9/4	32 1/2
7/9/4	35 1/4	12 months	2/17/6	38 3/4	12 months	11/11/4	33 1/4
8/9/4	38 3/8		3/17/6	42 1/2		11/16/4	33 1/4
9/9/4	40 7/8		4/17/6	45 3/4		1/7/5	37
10/11/4	43 3/8		5/17/6	48 1/2		2/21/5	41 1/8
11/8/4 & 11/12/4	45 3/4		6/17/6	52 1/4		3/22/5	44
12/9/4	48		7/17/6	55 1/2		4/11/5	46
1/10/5	50 3/8		8/17/6	57		5/11/5	49
2/9/5	52 1/2		9/17/6	60 1/2		6/11/5	52
3/9/5	54 7/8		10/17/6	61 3/4		7/12/5	54 3/4
4/9/5	56 1/4		11/17/6	62 1/2		8/11/5	57
5/9/5	58 3/8		12/17/6	64 1/4		9/14/5	59 1/2
6/9/5	60 1/4		1/17/7	65 1/2		10/12/5	61
7/9/5	61 5/8	24 months	2/17/7	66	24 months	11/11/5	62 1/4
8/9/5	63 1/8		3/17/7	66 1/2
9/9/5	64 3/8		4/17/7	68 1/2		1/16/5	64 1/4
10/9/5	66		5/17/7	70 1/8
11/12/5	67		6/17/7	71 1/4		3/11/6	66
12/12/5	68		7/17/7	72		4/11/6	67
1/9/6	69	30 months	8/17/7	75	30 months	5/24/6	68 3/4
2/9/6	70					6/12/6	69 1/4
3/10/6	70 1/2					7/9/6	70
4/13/6	71 1/4		11/9/7	70 3/8
5/4/6	72
6/26/6	72 7/8
7/9/6	73 1/4	36 months			36 months	11/11/6	71 1/2

 The answer to "WHY MEASURE" is "BREAK RECORDS"!!! If you don't measure your animals you don't know if they are breaking records. Both of these animals have one thing in common, due to early measurements the breeders/owners knew they had winners in their pastures. With detailed measurements at monthly intervals they have a standard to measure the rest of their herds. While these animals are exceptions right now, a breeding program can now have something to work forward. Trends in slow periods and fast periods can be tracked and noted. This can aid in ensuring that the next big horned cow or bull isn't sent off to roping school or across the scales. Of course when you are growing them this big you don't need a measuring tape to tell you how good they are, but it can show you times when you may need to change feeding programs, breeding seasons, and other control factors that can help or hinder horn growth. Prediction charts can be good estimates, however different horn shapes and families grow at different rates. The only true way to know what you can expect from your bulls and cows is to measure and create a bench mark to work from. If you are looking at the fastest and longest horn growth, here it is, take note and "MEASURE UP"!!!

Thank you to Vicki's Menagerie and the Hubbell/Hovingh/Loomis Partnership for all of your hard work!

4/15/6