Benefits of Highland Cattle
Highland cattle have many beneficial qualities and traits over other types of cattle. The obvious is the long hair. It keeps them warm in winter, protects them in brush, protects their eyes from flies and makes them the most beautiful cattle in the world. Their hair gets shorter in Summer and not as long in Southern climates. The long hair also means that they do not need the waste fat you find in some other breeds.
Highland Cattle are browsers, they will eat almost anything if it has food value. On my place, they have eaten poison ivy, honeysuckle vines, tree leaves they can reach and they "love" Cedar trees to death (of the tree). When hungry, I have even seen them eating "nightshade", a weed in most pastures. I have had good Bermuda grass tall in the pasture and they will be eating the weeds instead. They have cleaned up my woods as high as they can reach. It has been said, that they will thrive in poor pastures that other cattle will die in. They are a great breed to grow organic beef with. They do well with grass fed only.
They seem to be immune to everything. They stay very healthy with little care. They are a very hardy breed. They calve with no help what so ever. They are famous for giving birth to small calves that grow fast once born. They are great mothers that take good care of their calves and will protect them from predators. In fact, the whole herd will protect the calves.
Their meat is lean, but well marbled. It normally will grade out as Premium quality, the best. Test in Scotland have shown that Highland Cattle meat is lower in fat and cholesterol than chicken. It also is high in Iron. The Queen of England has a herd of Highland Cattle and has been said it is the only beef she will eat.
Highland Cattle make great all around homestead farm animals. They make good milk cows as their milk is high in butterfat. Not as much milk as a production milk cow, but enough for a homestead. Of course for meat, but their hides make great blankets and rugs, their hair (if brushed, shedding winter coat) can be made into yarn and into sweaters. And they also make good oxen.
This breed is very human friendly. They are a very docile animal, very low stress. Highlanders have been living with man for thousands of years, just as God made them. There has been written record as far back as the year 1200-AD, archeological finds take them back 1200-BC. In the early days, in winter the cows came into the home and their body heat helped warm the home. This also kept others from stealing them.
Bottom line is that Highland Cattle are easy keepers, gorgeous to look at, meat is wonderful and healthy. They were one of the first breeds to start a herd book registry that was started in 1884.
Highland Cattle are browsers, they will eat almost anything if it has food value. On my place, they have eaten poison ivy, honeysuckle vines, tree leaves they can reach and they "love" Cedar trees to death (of the tree). When hungry, I have even seen them eating "nightshade", a weed in most pastures. I have had good Bermuda grass tall in the pasture and they will be eating the weeds instead. They have cleaned up my woods as high as they can reach. It has been said, that they will thrive in poor pastures that other cattle will die in. They are a great breed to grow organic beef with. They do well with grass fed only.
They seem to be immune to everything. They stay very healthy with little care. They are a very hardy breed. They calve with no help what so ever. They are famous for giving birth to small calves that grow fast once born. They are great mothers that take good care of their calves and will protect them from predators. In fact, the whole herd will protect the calves.
Their meat is lean, but well marbled. It normally will grade out as Premium quality, the best. Test in Scotland have shown that Highland Cattle meat is lower in fat and cholesterol than chicken. It also is high in Iron. The Queen of England has a herd of Highland Cattle and has been said it is the only beef she will eat.
Highland Cattle make great all around homestead farm animals. They make good milk cows as their milk is high in butterfat. Not as much milk as a production milk cow, but enough for a homestead. Of course for meat, but their hides make great blankets and rugs, their hair (if brushed, shedding winter coat) can be made into yarn and into sweaters. And they also make good oxen.
This breed is very human friendly. They are a very docile animal, very low stress. Highlanders have been living with man for thousands of years, just as God made them. There has been written record as far back as the year 1200-AD, archeological finds take them back 1200-BC. In the early days, in winter the cows came into the home and their body heat helped warm the home. This also kept others from stealing them.
Bottom line is that Highland Cattle are easy keepers, gorgeous to look at, meat is wonderful and healthy. They were one of the first breeds to start a herd book registry that was started in 1884.
