Dickinson Cattle Company’s Exotic Cattle Tours
County:
Belmont County Although cattle grazing on the Southeastern Ohio countryside may not seem out of the ordinary, droves of Texas Longhorns or African Watusi certainly is. Yes itjust so happens that herding Longhorns, Watusi and BueLingo cattle is nothing short of tradition for the Dickinson Cattle Company’s ranch in Barnesville.
This unique cattle company’s ranch welcomes visitors by offering a tour, running from June through the end of August, where everyone can get a close look at these otherwise foreign-to-Ohio species of cattle.
The 75 minute tour allows visitors to roam the ranch and get an up close view of its three major types of cattle: the Longhorns, BueLingo and Watusi. The Ranch takes most pride in its Texas Longhorn, identifiable by their horns that may extend up to 7 feet from tip to tip. The ranch has a Longhorn inventory of over 190, not including newborns. The ranch also contains about 30 BueLingo cattle, which feature a bold white stripe down their middle, and almost 20 Watusi, one of the rarest breeds of cattle in the world.
While the cattle remain the ranch’s main attraction, the tour also features a stop at a lake where guests can purchase feed for the many fish living there. Guests are also allowed to purchase feed for the cattle and are encouraged to bring cameras to document their up-and-close encounters. The tour culminates with a stop at The Longhorns Head to Tail store that features all natural beef, jerky and snacks for purchase.
Dickinson Cattle Company’s specialty may be raising top-dollar cattle, but it also takes pride in its availability to the people of Southeastern Ohio. The tour is $10 for adults, $4 for kids 4 to 12 years old and free for anyone under the age of four. The Company also takes pride in teaching everyone about their rare breeds of cattle and helping anyone interested to get involved in raising their own herd. The Longhorn Tours at the ranch are certainly a sight one won’t often see in the Appalachian hills.
