Canadian shorthorns/Lincoln Reds

[Okotoks]

A lot of Booth bred bulls were sent to France and from what I understood many were used in the foundation of the Maine Anjou breed. I know Shorthorns imported into North America were often referred to as Durhams and that included most types. I think the term Durham was used less as the Scotch Shorthorns became the bloodlines of choice. Sort of distinguished them from the English bloodlines. (Of course the English bloodlines were used in developing the Scotch bloodlines)

 

[knabe]

http://www.steerplanet.com/bb/the-big-show/what-is-a-good-shorthorn-bull/msg168605/?PHPSESSID=00f75d9c5ccf9e9e486b7377111c43b0

there's some links on that page including some of what may be in mancelle's.

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/Extinct_Swiss_cow_turns_up_in_Patagonia.html?cid=6792474

too bad.  turned out to not be true.

http://worldradio.ch/wrs/news/wrsnews/fribourg-cow-confirmed-extinct.shtml

 

[Okotoks]

A link to the British Lincoln Red Society history page.

http://www.lincolnredcattlesociety.co.uk/breed-history.php

 

[garybob]

Same here, Jean. My grandpa still calls my roan cows 'roan durhams' as to him, shorthorns are those big framey cows in the neighbors parlor.

Same in the Ozarks, that is, IF you can find a guy old-enough, whose memory is still clear-enough to correctly recall.
Those guys are the ONLY ones that ( aside from the occasional showring kid with clubbies or WHR-Cates-Sullivan-purchased heifers) know there's a difference between ANY TYPE of Beef Shorthorns and Milking Shorthorns.
I'd say the biggest obstacle in getting the commercial beef cowman to turn out a Shorthorn bull with his cows, is simply the confusion surrounding the "Dairy" stigma. He/She doesn't know, and won't listen to anything contrary to preconceived notions, UNTIL someone locally considered a "BIG DOG" jumps in there, and starts distributing the truth. Until then, we're held hostage by the Coffee Shop.

GB

 

[garybob]

I feel like this is a semantics issue.  Durhams and Teeswater cattle were used to develop shorthorns. Durhams and Mancelle cattle were used to develop the Maine Anjou breed. From everything ive read, Shorthorn bulls were not used in developing Maines.

Ryan, Buddy.......That's because the early-importers and breeders of Fullblood Maine-Anjou cattle in the USA either WOULD NOT...., or COULD NOT.....,or maybe they were simply NOT WILLING to admit....for one second.........that Maines and Shorthorns were even related. Period.

Durham=Shorthorn.........Period!

GB

 

[oakview]

I've been under the impression for our entire 49 year involvement with Shorthorns that the terms Shorthorn and Durham were pretty much interchangeable.  Over time, Shorthorn became the word of choice.  I do remember, sometime in the late 70's I believe, a movement to change the name from Shorthorn to Durham arose at a National Meeting.  There was a group of people that felt Shorthorns needed to change their image and changing the name would be a good place to start.  It didn't get too far.  Prior to that time, Shorthorns were believed to be fast gainers, good milkers, and easy graders, but were criticized for being too fat and having small ribeyes.  I can still remember the "gobby" tail heads and people trying to smooth them out with rolling pins.  Unfortunately, that image still persists.  The Angus breed is an amazing testament to what can be done with tons of money and an effective promotional campaign. 

 

[justintime]

I agree with oakview again. Our family has had Shorthorns since 1903, with the purebred herd started in 1917 by my grandfather. When he purchased his first purebreds, they were called Durham Shorthorns, but eventually they dropped the Durham from the breed name.

I also agree about the misconceptions that still exist about Shorthorns. Recently, a long time breeder of another breed commented to me, that he really liked many of the Shorthorns he was seeing now, but it was too bad they had that greasy fat that the packers dislike. I looked at him wondering if he was just trying to make a joke, but he was dead serious. I said to him that I thought fat was fat, to which he said" Oh now, Shorthorns have a different type of fat that is real greasy and hard for the packers to deal with". I have no idea where this crap gets started. I told him that I would stand my Shorthorn carcasses beside his Polled Hereford carcasses any day.

I am old enough to remember the Shorthorns of the 60s and I cringe a bit when I see some breeders using semen from any sire they can find from that era. Yes, there were some pretty good bulls back then, and they can be very useful when combined with today's genetics, but the biggest majority of the cattle in that era were bad then... and they are bad now... and they should be forgot for the rest of history. I also remember how long it took us to correct the problems of that time, including adding some frame size, and I wonder why some breeders want to go back there.

 

[r.n.reed]

From what I have read the breed was always known as Durhams and the name Shorthorn was nothing more than a marketing ploy for the boys selling bulls out west who wanted to differentiate from the predominate Longhorn range cattle.
I also agree with JIT that most of what was left of the breed in the 60's was junk but I feel I have found a useful bull from that era in Kenmar President 26a.The bull pictured below  we call Double Brute.His sire is our Frontline bull and he is out of a 26a first calf heifer making him a double bred 26a.540lbs weaning weight on drought  pasture no creep,914lb yrlg weight with no grain in his diet and med.quality roughage at best.For the last 79 days he has gained 3.19lbs per day on that washy grass you see.Also his dam calved right back after probably the most stressfull summer and winter our cow herd has ever experienced.He is pictured at 14 mo.and is our heifer bull for this year.

 

[oakview]

Nothing wrong with that bull!  President 26A was always one of my favorite Leader line bulls.  I seem to remember a son of him named PaDo Maxim Adair that was national champion bull or at least won a few shows.  I think Stouts nicknamed him "Skunk".  Colorwise, he looked like he could have had a touch of Maine.  Stouts probably raised a few bulls that could have been more widely used.  I always liked Houston, Hollywood Avenue, Skunk, Boxer, and a maternal brother to Boxer whose name excapes me.  He may have been sired by Irish Magic or something similar.  You could do worse than having a few Boxer cows around.  Us old guys know that Harvey Fulton raised more than a few good ones, including President 26A.  I came across semen from another Leader 9th son, Kenmar Leader 13B.  Don't know what I'm going to use it on, I'll think of something.