We just got our highland cows! We've been setting up the corrals and pasture for them all summer. They are finally here! Here's a picture of three of them. They are in their short summer coats now.
Wow! wish we could get some rare heritage breeds. I love the shaggies! There used to be some on the Blue Ridge Parkway here in NC.
They are so cool! May I ask what their purpose on your farm is going to be? I never really knew what Highlands were for but I have seen them and they are soo hairy.
Highlands are meat cattle and are the healthiest beef you can eat. We are raising them because we just love the breed and want to promote them in this area. Too many are being bred to angus and what'not for the beef industry and are thus lost to the highland gene pool. We want to improve and protect the pure highland genetics. We've contacted two other farms which are reasonably close and we'll be working on a cooperative breeding program. That way we'll only need our one bull, Victor. Highland cattle are great! They have the most docile nature and the babies are simply adorable! It's my job to halter train them.
That looks like such a cute family! Seems like they would be very high maintainence and expensive to keep!
We bought one for a "pet" a few years ago. It was okay when he was small, but as he grew, his horns did too! He was docile, but I never trusted my back turned to him. He started getting out of our fence by jumping, and the last straw was when the neighbors woke us up at 6 AM and told us our steer was in the road!!!!!! After I got him to follow us (my horse & I) back home, we fattened him up and had him butchered shortly after. He was the toughest beef we ever had!
Very cool. I know people who breed them here in Maine. They'll eat most things that others cows will turn their nose up at, all the scrub brush. They are usually very docile and good mommy's. Great find!
Highlands are low maintenance as far as cattle go. Not fussy eaters! They do best on plain 'ol grass pasture and can be left out there all year long as long as you supplement with grass hay when everything goes dormant. They calf easily and love cold winters. Here's our yearling heifer, Molly.