Highlands & other breeds...

Cowmansam

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Shropshire
If buying Highland Cattle I'd suggest being careful about where they come from.
Thanks to hobby breeders, a lot of Highlands have coarse teats and fertility can be very hit or miss, as can temperament.

Unless you have very hard hill ground with white grass or Heather I don't see the point in them.
There’s at least 3 biggish herds I know of one on Cheshire dairy type land and two on nice Shropshire country can’t weigh it up myself but I suppose there like an easy care sheep but the beef version the one run a limo bull and the calves are actually pretty shapely
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
Up to a few years ago I bred pedigree AA, prior to that, ped Lims & Blues also, never in my life did I envisage asking about keeping highlands but times change, and so have I.
Anyway, small farm, there will come a point in the not too distant future where no-one will be home during the day (anticipating this was partly the reason behind getting out of cattle a few years ago) we both work full time off site.
I didn't anticipate keeping cattle again but youngest daughter is very keen as she missed out on the years we kept and showed cattle and all the rigmarole that goes with that.
Decided to buy a couple of baby fatstockers for her to show but she really fancies breeding cattle, we've a rough patch of ground that could be home to a couple of highland heifers & a young bull, I cant see the point in getting back on the Lim or any other continental treadmill as I cant be arsed with the whole thing and don't fancy the stress of pulling big calves etc.
Outside Scotland, is there a market for small scale produced Highlands? and if so in what form, also, what other breed would fill the same remit?
Need to be out all year round, could be able to put up a field shelter type of arrangement (sheds that used to hold cattle now used for other stuff) calving ease is the biggest requirement along with docile temperament, they wont be far from the house and would be checked daily but don't want to go back to the big arsed pedigree world if I'm honest, no disrespect, it's just not for me anymore.

Well to be honest Juggler, stay local and get Welsh Blacks?

Like all the other weird and wonderful breeds mentioned here, handle regularly with a bit of feed to get them to come in nicely, and you will (well the daughter will) be away.

If you want a few bigger carcase calves, get a continental bull.. Plenty of butchers like them too.
 

Old Tip

Member
Location
Cumbria
To be fair, the last contact I had with Galloways was in the days before tagging and birth and they'd only be brought in once a year for weaning. Yours might just have a bit more human contact lol.

I shouldn't have judged the breed on that alone.
I was nearly killed by one and so only have one Galloway left now, Whitebred Shorthorns are the most docile cattle you will ever get, short gestatio, easy calving and good milkers
 

hendrebc

Member
Livestock Farmer
All these other breeds won't have the cute factor that Highlands do though with their floppy fringe and ridiculous horns.
If their just pets or a hobby I'd let the daughter pick her own breed from a shortlist and I'd bet she would pick the Highland.
I am a hypocrite though my daughter will NOT be getting a Highland cow despite her mother asking several times. Would be preferable to a horse though I suppose :rolleyes:
 
All these other breeds won't have the cute factor that Highlands do though with their floppy fringe and ridiculous horns.
If their just pets or a hobby I'd let the daughter pick her own breed from a shortlist and I'd bet she would pick the Highland.
I am a hypocrite though my daughter will NOT be getting a Highland cow despite her mother asking several times. Would be preferable to a horse though I suppose :rolleyes:
I bought one for my son. She is certainly in no rush to grow but it gives him an interest and I reckon she'll have a decent calf to our Hereford bull.
 

hendrebc

Member
Livestock Farmer
I bought one for my son. She is certainly in no rush to grow but it gives him an interest and I reckon she'll have a decent calf to our Hereford bull.
I can think of much worse things to buy than a Highland cow. She's still not getting one though ;)
I know what would happen if they did persuade me to get one though. It would have to be bred pure then it would have a bloody heifer calf most likely and that would have to be bred pure then next thing I know if have a bloody herd of them running round :banghead:
Daughter will be easy enough to convert into an Angus fan I think I've already done it letting her name the new bull. I think it's her mother that wants a Highland really...
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
I can think of much worse things to buy than a Highland cow. She's still not getting one though ;)
I know what would happen if they did persuade me to get one though. It would have to be bred pure then it would have a bloody heifer calf most likely and that would have to be bred pure then next thing I know if have a bloody herd of them running round :banghead:
Daughter will be easy enough to convert into an Angus fan I think I've already done it letting her name the new bull. I think it's her mother that wants a Highland really...

Now the truth is coming out... ;)
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
All these other breeds won't have the cute factor that Highlands do though with their floppy fringe and ridiculous horns.
If their just pets or a hobby I'd let the daughter pick her own breed from a shortlist and I'd bet she would pick the Highland.
I am a hypocrite though my daughter will NOT be getting a Highland cow despite her mother asking several times. Would be preferable to a horse though I suppose :rolleyes:

Highland calves are without any doubt, the cutest calf in existence!! :)
 
I can think of much worse things to buy than a Highland cow. She's still not getting one though ;)
I know what would happen if they did persuade me to get one though. It would have to be bred pure then it would have a bloody heifer calf most likely and that would have to be bred pure then next thing I know if have a bloody herd of them running round :banghead:
Daughter will be easy enough to convert into an Angus fan I think I've already done it letting her name the new bull. I think it's her mother that wants a Highland really...
Yes, I can foresee a strain of extra hairy, wee white-faced cows running about here for years to come if Morrigan has a heifer calf!
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
Long horns are probably the only beef animal I would keep just like the looks have a mega long back to them do you breed pure or cross always fancied a continental over one see what came out

Mongrels, Hereford bull, which doesn't work IMO, I was going to try my neighbours Simmy last time, but a TB outbreak stopped him moving...

The cows though are lovely looking. ;)
 

ImLost

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Not sure
20210725_194917.jpg


Cute factor

Jus' sayin' 😌
20210725_194929.jpg
 

Juggler

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Anglesey
Well to be honest Juggler, stay local and get Welsh Blacks?

Like all the other weird and wonderful breeds mentioned here, handle regularly with a bit of feed to get them to come in nicely, and you will (well the daughter will) be away.

If you want a few bigger carcase calves, get a continental bull.. Plenty of butchers like them too.
Nearly tried them a few years ago but, god help me, I know I'll burn in hell for this.. I just dont like em!
 
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Juggler

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Anglesey
All these other breeds won't have the cute factor that Highlands do though with their floppy fringe and ridiculous horns.
If their just pets or a hobby I'd let the daughter pick her own breed from a shortlist and I'd bet she would pick the Highland.
I am a hypocrite though my daughter will NOT be getting a Highland cow despite her mother asking several times. Would be preferable to a horse though I suppose :rolleyes:
Funny old thing, daughters are already heavily into showjumping so things cant get much worse... can they?
My Wife is the one behind the Highland thing here as well...
 

Juggler

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Anglesey
For your daughter to show then Highlands would probably be ideal and they should be hardy enough for you to keep outside.
I don't know anything much about them but I imagine they are like most things that are popular with the show crowd there will be some that are ruined by mollycoddling and be as hardy as a Fabergé egg. I'd try and find some that aren't so you can treat them like cows and leave them outside like they should be without them falling to pieces.
Not really planning on showing Highlands if we go down that route, I'm going to get her a couple of baby beef fatstockers to show.
The highland thing goes against the grain for me having imersed myself in ped lims & blues for years, I loved the Angus I bred for the last 5 years of breeding cattle but they weren't as hands off as I had initially hoped. Mind you some of the bulls we bred weighed more than the Lims on much less feed so maybe wrong type.
Having said that I do like the highlands to look at, very charasmatic & cute calves, its just what the market would be like for them here, sell as youngstock to smallholders / holiday parks? Home kill branded beef?
 

Juggler

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Anglesey
@Juggler If you require docility, calving ease and ability to live out then Herefords would tick those boxes, particularly traditional/original population Herefords. Their smaller stature would be easier on the ground over winter and they're a bit more 'local' for you than Highlands.

Nobody has mentioned Welsh Blacks? (Edit: other than @steveR).
I like Herefords, but like the Angus, they are on the verge of getting very mainstream and competitive, I know I would seek out the best I could afford, its just how I am and I cant help it! So would probably end up with unsuitable cattle for the plans we have.
I'm renting my land out since the cattle went so only have a limited area to keep what will be a hobby (god I hate using that word..) on.
 

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