FISHERS, Ind. – Amid celebrating the opening of their outdoor activities, those at Conner Prairie got a pleasant surprise – the birth of a rare English Longhorn calf, aptly named Roundabout.
The delivery brings Conner Prairie’s herd to a total of 11. There are only 40 of the breed in the U.S.
The new bull calf began as an embryo in England about 9 months ago. At seven days old, the embryo was shipped to Conner Prairie where it was implanted into one of the museum’s Shorthorn cows at an off-site facility.
Officials at Conner Prairie said this was the first time a transfer procedure involving an English Longhorn had been performed in the U.S. since 1993.
Kevyn Miller, livestock manager, said the technology could become instrumental in preserving English Longhorns in the country.
“This is a new technology to save a really, really old breed,” he said.
English Longhorns live about 18 to 20 years and weigh about 1,500 pounds when fully grown.
Since the calf is male, he will help preserve the genetic diversity of the museum’s herd.
Miller plans to breed the bull with other English Longhorns once he is mature.
“We’ve got two different genetic lines now,” Miller said. “We can keep breeding for several generations without inbreeding.”
