 Cow and calf | |
| Conservation status | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Distribution |
|
| Standard | The Longhorn Cattle Society |
| Use | beef, formerly draught and dairy |
| Traits | |
| Weight |
|
| Height |
|
| Coat | variable: red, brown or grey and white, finched |
| Horn status | long curved horns |
| |
The Longhorn or British Longhorn is a British breed of beef cattle characterised by long curving horns. It originated in northern England, in the counties of Lancashire, Westmorland and Yorkshire, and later spread to the English Midlands and to Ireland.[4]: 49 It was originally a slow heavy draught animal; cows gave a little milk, although high in fat. In the eighteenth century Robert Bakewell applied his methods of selective breeding to these cattle, which for a short time became the predominant British breed.[5]: 232 [6]: 32 Both the numbers and the quality of the breed declined throughout the nineteenth century and for much of the twentieth. A breed society was formed in 1878, and a herd-book published in that year.[5]: 232
The Longhorn was formerly listed as "priority" on the watchlist of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, but in 2021 was listed among the "UK native breeds".[3]
The cattle are variable in colour, but are always finched – with a heavy line of white along the spine, tail and underside of the belly.[5]: 232
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
barbwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
dadwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
rbstwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
martinwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference
cabiwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
feliuswas invoked but never defined (see the help page).