History of Highland Cattle
The Highland cattle breed is one of the oldest purebred cattle breeds in the world. The breed originated on the outer islands and the highlands of Scotland hundreds of years ago. The breed was originally a dual-purpose breed supplying both meat and milk to the farmers on the cold and windy cost of Scotland.
The earliest importation to America on record was made consisting of 3 rail cars of heifers and bulls that were shipped to Moorcroft, Wyoming. These animals were trailed to the desolate prairie country known as the Powder River. The American Highland Cattle Association was started by a group of western Highland breeders from Wyoming, Montana and South Dakota in the 1950’s.
Currently there are over 1200 registered Highland breeders around the country including many in southern states who have adapted them to warmer climates. There are many more Highland owners who own and operate them around the country besides the listed members within the Association. There are also numerous county and regional fairs that feature Highland shows for individuals to get a first hand look at these great animals.
Colors of Highland Cattle
The Highland breed offers a wide spectrum of registered colors, 8 colors spanning from white to black. Red is currently the most popular and one of the strongest colors. The colors are white, silver (same as white, but with black nose and hooves), dun, yellow, red, brindle, black and parti (only heifers can be registered).
Black is the original color of the highland breed. In recent times black has become quite scarce. However with the tremendous marketing push of the Black Angus association and most other breeds turning black to become accepted to the modern cattle buyer in the northern states there has been an enormous interest in black highlands, especially black highland bulls to be used as heifer bulls on commercial black heifers. The bulk of this interest has occurred only in the past 5-years.
Breed Characteristics
Generally, Highland cows will weigh between 900 to 1,200 lbs at maturity. There are bloodlines, especially in the show circuit, that cows will average closer to 1500 lbs. The Vermont Highland Cattle Company herd averages just slightly over 1,000 lbs with the heaviest cow just over 1,200 lbs. Highland bulls generally run between 1,400-1,800 lbs at maturity. Again, there are some over 2,000 lbs. A general rule of thumb, the more acres it takes to run a cow on, then the smaller the cow needs to be and to wean a calf and rebreed in a timely manner. It is no surprise that the western highland cattle are generally smaller (10-40 acres per cow) than many on the mid-west and east coast (1-5 acres per cow).
Cows need to be feminine and bulls need to be masculine looking. Just like other cattle, Highland cattle need good conformation to walk the hills, browse, reproduce and to live a long life. Conformation is about good top and bottom lines, clean fronted, deep body, with a square back end.
Historically, cow horns swept up while bull horns swept forward. Working cattle in a corral or confined area, horns that sweep up are safer than those that sweep forward. Horns that sweep forward can easily catch and hurt an individual when an animal moves its head left or right to inspect another animal or is startled hearing a sudden noise such as a gate clanging shut. But, like color, each breeder has their own idea of a perfect set.
Care of Highland Cattle
The care of Highland cattle is quite similar to other cattle breeds with regards to vaccination programs, deworming, sound mineral usage, and most importantly the better the pasture the better the cattle.
The Highland breed is a great breed of cattle, but like all cattle it does take some work to make them good cattle. At all times the cattle need a steady supply of quality water. Quality water is low in total dissolve solids (TDS), low salt content, low nitrates, low sulfates along with no other toxic impurities. Essentially, if you can drink or want to drink the water with no problems, it is ideal for your cattle.
Feeding: good pastures make good cattle. Highland cattle love to browse especially willows, cottonwoods and poplars along with many other shrubs. However, Highlands still need great pastures with quality grass and legumes (alfalfa and clovers).
Winter feeding will require 2.2 to 2.5% of their body weight in feed. Therefore, a 1,000 lb cow will require 22-25 lbs per day of quality hay. Quality hay does not need to be second or third cutting alfalfa, but simply hay that has protein ranging between 8-12% in content.
Positive Attributes of Highland Cattle
Highland cattle have a number of very positive attributes that can aid a purebred cattleman or even improve a commercial operation with the appropriate selection and use of Highland genetics. Maternally, Highland cows are impressive coupled with calving ease. They are protective of their calves and are quick to get their calves up and ready to nurse. The calves typically weigh 65 lbs for heifers and 70 lbs for bull calves. These calves have a tremendous amount of vigor at birth and their ability to get up and get moving and nurse with minimal assistance makes them valuable to range operations.
Hardiness is one of the most publicized traits of this great breed. With their long coats and thick hides, they are ideally suited for the northern cattlemen. The bulk of the Highlands are easy keepers during the winter months.
The big 3 traits that attracted Vermont Highland Cattle Company to this breed were mothering, calving ease and of great importance carcass quality. There is a difference between a cattle rancher and a beef producer. A cattle rancher worries about pounds delivered at weaning time to his calf buyer, while a beef producer worries about the quality of the steak on a family’s table. Generally, the Highland cattle breed has produced exceptional carcasses for the company. With its large carcass quality database, Vermont Highland Cattle Company consistently produces high quality carcasses both on quality grades but of equal importance on yield grades.
Breeds such as the Scottish Highlands are domesticated livestock and some of the oldest in the world. Modern society demands have unfortunately caused many early-domesticated livestock breeds to come close to extinction; the Highland is no exception in spite of being world renowned for its exceptional beef quality. Highland beef is so good that the Queen of England has a large herd of Highlands at Balmoral Castle in Scotland and prefers Highland steaks over any other.
