MKMC Longhorns
Marianna, FL
MKMC Longhorns is a small farm located in the Florida panhandle outside the town of Marianna.
I appreciate the Longhorn’s tough and smart traits, developed by nature through the centuries, and enjoy the visual beauty of the animals. They're heat and insect tolerant, disease resistant, early maturing and have a long breeding life. Mine is a hardy herd, gentle, and well mannered, but they are not pets. There is zero tolerance policy for fence crawlers, mean cows, or non-breeders. They are healthy, without a lot of unnecessary medications and vaccinations. The heifer calves are all Bangs vaccinated, making them available to both national and international breeders. The first priority is a maintenance free cow that raises a good calf every year.
Breeding Texas Longhorn Cattle is easy. Breed for correct structure, color, longevity, a well-proportioned udder, easy calving, and an opportunity to have a lot of twisty horn. Not all Longhorns will have the large horn so you need something that will produce a calf every year. It is going to be a 50/50 chance to get bulls and heifers, everyone raising seed stock would like to get heifers, so what do you do with all those bulls?
Not all bulls should be herd sires, so some of the bulls are culled at weaning to make steers. The ones that have the pedigree, size, correct structure, color and opportunity to have large horns (angle, tip size, and color of horn) are held and observed for future evaluation. I see the importance of keeping the twist within the Longhorn breed and will continue to work towards the perfect conformation carrying a healthy tip-to-tip with twist.
I like my cattle to have good conformation, excellent milking ability and a gently disposition. I like a cow with some depth of body. Most of my Longhorns are a little bigger than the typical old Western trail drive Longhorns people might expect. They aren’t bony. They have a straight top line, and my females have to look feminine.
I believed that you need to cull hard on cows, bulls and steers. With this culling process in mind, there is the development of a source of lean beef. Promoting the culls as beef instead of taking them to the local wholesale market give the opportunity to capitalize on a hidden beef industry and the fact that once someone eats this beef they are hooked on the flavor and the health aspects.
In summary I attempt to raise quality Longhorns, knowing that not every animal is going to be over that 80-inch cow or bull. With every breeding, I strive to go over the mark. I want to develop saleable cattle in a variety of colors, while keeping in mind that not every animal will meet the standards of my breeding program, and thus will make healthy lean beef. By keeping this philosophy, it allows me to maintain a herd with good manners and provide lean beef for my clientele.
My clientele is as varied as the color patterns of my cattle. Whether you are looking for a few cows to get you started, powerful genetics to improve your existing herd, roping steers, or a piece of living history, I have the perfect animal to fit the bill. MKMC Longhorns is your home for big horns, big bodies, sweet dispositions, and plenty of color.
If you don’t have room for your own Longhorns but have a desire to eat healthy, lean Longhorn beef is the answer. All-natural lean beef is raised without the use of growth hormones, steroids, or unnecessary antibiotics. You will enjoy a diet of great taste as well as the tremendous nutritional value.
Along my journey into the Longhorn business, I have learned that like longhorns themselves, the longhorn community is unique. A community of breeders willing to share their years of knowledge and experience to help new breeders, like me, to become established. I bought most of my cattle from breeders in the southeast, most notably Nancy C Dunn of Eclectic, Alabama and Jimmy Jones from Greenville, Alabama, both of whom I call my mentors and friends. I have traveled to futurities and sales, visited ranches, spent countless hours talking Longhorns and learning about the breed, but, most of all, making lifelong friends.
Longhorns are their own best reward; they offer peace in the pasture and it is very therapeutic just watching them. If you are in the Marianna area feel free to call and come visit and enjoy the peace in the pasture. I am blessed with the great Longhorn friends I have made over the years. I hope to see you join the Longhorn family soon.