Highland Cattle

[ranger4327]

Anyone have any experience with Highlands? Any suggestions/ideas/thoughts for someone exploring the idea of raising some?

[Brooks WV]

I'm new to them, having had mine for about 6 months... I LOVE THEM!

They are extremely docile, superb foragers, taste wonderful and look pretty darn cool! You won't make money with them like Angus. Auctions and beef buyers at auctions are looking for black. Anything un-black is "exotic".

You will do well raising them for your own freezer or doing sales to people looking for high quality grass fed beef. We bought a 20# sample boxof beef from the ranch we got our Highlands from.. very tasty inspiration.

[ranger4327]

very cool !!! How many ya got? Is fencing an issue with them? I've been told that they dont seek shelter in a barn, even in our rough maine cold winters.....

[lonelyfarmgirl]

Well, well, someone told you wrong! There are a lot of discussion on here about highlands if you run a search. We have them, and have for a long time. That's our main herd bull, Bull-Regard in my little picture there.

We don't have a barn, but we do have a couple small shelters. 'Thou cow with the longest horns shall take shelter in the shed, and use them to clear out everyone else, thus they stand at the door, in the rain and mournfully gaze as the longest horned one stays dry..'

How does that sum it up?

There are some good pics on my website if you want to take a look.

[Brooks WV]

We've got four of them. To date, they've been 100% outdoors, sheltering in the woods. That will change on Monday, as I'm putting up two run-in shelters for them. I would think that they are capable of wintering without shelter, but if they had shelter, they'd choose to be in it. I suspect that with their heavy double layer coat they don't want to be closed in because they'd probably overheat.

Our fencing is 5 wire high-tensile, and they do not test it. We really enjoy our animals and they are a perfect fit in a "homestead" atmosphere. They will tolerate conditions that a standard beefer cannot... and look cool doing it. We have some pictures on our FB page at Brooks Mountain Farm.

~Mark

[lakeportfarms]

They'd be a good choice for you, provided you will be using it for your own purposes or plan to do private sales to family, friends, and other customers, namely individuals or if you're lucky or persistent, sales to specialty restaurants. They grow slowly compared to other breeds, breeding at about 2 and normally calving at between 3 and 4 years of age. The same goes for the bulls for breeding and the steers for finishing.

Ours have the option of shelter, though they never use it, preferring instead to be out in the open, under a tree, or hiding on the lee side of the round bale. The only time I feel bad for them is when we have the low 30's rains, followed by a strong cold front that drops the temperatures to the sub zero range. At least that weather is usually accompanied by 50 mph winds during the transition to blow dry them a little!

We have a herd of 25 or so, with an equivalent number of Dexters, and the Highlands are much easier on the fencing than the Dexters. They're a very docile breed with you, but don't put yourself in the middle of a large group of them with food, because they'll go after each other with you possibly standing in their path. The beef is delicious, finished properly, lean and well marbled, and we even pull a few of ours aside and milk them from time to time. Their milk is naturally very homogenized, and doesn't separate as much as the Dexter milk does. They like to browse almost as much as they like to graze, so if you have trees they'll soon have all of the smaller branches at about 6' and below trimmed.

The things to look for on Highlands are good feet (hooves) and broad faces. And hair...lots of it. Feet are a bit of a problem with some, they'll grow quite long. We make sure ours have some rough surfaces to walk on to keep them short, but have been really careful about selecting for feet, so we don't have much of a problem. We also prefer shorter leg lengths than the leggy ones...they are more docile and seem to be more thoughtful. The leggy ones like to run!

[highlands]

My cousin has been raising them for decades and has a large herd in NH. Delicious tasting. Hardy animals. Beautiful. Eat brush. Someday I want to get them. I like animals that are rugged and low maintenance.

[ranger4327]

they must have a big appetite huh? just wondering how much hay would be needed to keep them happy and healthy...i have the acreage of brush for them to feed on, but would certainly need to suppliment them on something, especially in the winter. Would starting off with two be ok, or do they do better in larger "folds"? Also, any thoughts on shelter for them, for say two (size, style, etc)....I would mainly be starting out with just freezer beef for the family and friend(s) and want them to provide a theuropeutic (sp) lifestyle and of course KNOCK down the brush....I can work on starting a herd later on if things work out...Any thoughts of pricing? I am not too much into superior genetics at this point...... so much so many questions...i have read some of the other threads and they are definitely good info !! thanks folks !!

[ranger4327]

and i looove the docile temperment, their ruggedness, low maintenance, and ability to withstand harsh environments like we have here in the north that everyone talks about !!!

[DJ in WA]

In most of the country, the summer heat is a bigger problem for cattle than the winter cold. They produce heat in their rumen and it is hard for them to get rid of it.

Remember that Highland cattle come from a country where it is cool and cloudy year round. The long hair is a problem for cattle in summer in our country, as it greatly diminishes their ability to cool. The long hair prevents moving air from taking heat away from the skin. Black cattle are also at increased risk of heat stress, and most of the cattle dying in heat waves are black. Thousands of cattle died last year from heat, mostly in feedlots.

Even if they don’t die, cattle at 70 degrees begin to experience heat stress, and it takes extra energy for them to deal with it, as they increase respiration (pant). Fertility also declines with heat stress.

Might not be as big an issue in Maine, but something for readers to be aware of.

http://www.cattletoday.com/archive/2...e/CT1033.shtml

http://anrcom.msu.edu/news/article/h..._warning_signs

http://vetmed.iastate.edu/vdpam/exte...ss-beef-cattle

[KMA1]

I have had highlands for about 4 years. They are interesting and look different. Good points are they are relatively hardy and are generally easier to move between different areas because they tend to be more docil. That does not mean they will let you walk up and pet them at any time. Some will and others won't, but they don't head for the back side of the pasture, just a few steps away. Interestingly enough, my heard bull is the only one that will come to me to be scrached, which they love. The will tear down web wire fences, not ot get out, just scratching on they when they are shedding, so either barbed wire or electric are the fencing ot use. I am in Alabama, and have black highlands, and the heat does bother ther in the summer. By the way, my highlands qualify as black angus, as does any black breed as far as labeling. They adjust their schedules in the summer to graze at night and lounge in the shade during the day. I think they would do great for you in Maine. My beef tastes great finished off on grass, and the guy who did our butchering thought both were grain finished due to the marbling. The bad points are that around here, you can't just run them through a sale because no one will buy them. You will have to market them yourself. Which has not been a problem for me. The second problem is you have to hold the calves for 1.5-2years if you get to the size most people are looking for.

[SpaceCadet12364]

We have been running Highlands since 2003, and I can agree with pretty much all of the above.

Best thing, you have shelter that they can get into if/when they choose (hot seasons or cold seasons), a good source of water (they like ponds, especially in the summertime!), and plenty of room for them to graze. They will eat stuff that other cows wont, we had a herd sire a while back that just LOOOOVED honeysuckle. The neighbor borrowed him for his angus girls, had about 40 feet of fencerow that was thick with honeysuckle. Couple months later, when he came home, there was hardly a sign of honeysuckle left.

We run 6 strand high-tensile, with 3 hots on a solar charger. That seems to keep most of them in quite nicely.

Some of ours love being brushed out, some of them don't. Most will take treats (handful of grass, alfalfa cubes, apples, etc) from us. When you work with them a bit, its not too bad halter training them, we've had a couple we have shown locally. In hotter locations, or during most people's summers, Highlands will much of the time slick out quite a bit and lose the long hair. We have a few that really slick out, most thin out noticeably, and a couple just look a little less shaggy when it starts getting warm.

Got a nice young white bull (registerable), if you're wanting to come as far as Kentucky for one.

[DJ in WA]

I hate to say it, but I can't imagine having black long-haired cattle in Alabama, or anywhere near the south. Cattle produce alot of heat, then add a hot and humid climate, then make them black to absorb solar radiation and heat, then long hair so the wind can't blow off the heat. Not good for production, and many could argue it is abusive.

I would strongly suggest another breed. Alot of people add Brahma in the mix down there to handle the heat, but if you want a british breed, try British Whites, or White Parks, or red angus, or hereford, or something.

[Hexe]

Hello,

I'm in the mid-coast area of maine, so we're in the same "neck of the woods" so to speak. I don't have extensive experience with cattle, but have made observations that are pretty much on par with the above.
My goal was to use our property for "something" rather than just mow it or let it grow up in brush and trees and the cows def. fit the bill. I have a couple of Dexters and a Highland and they're all pretty hardy. They definetely have an affinity for brush, the Highland especially and they are easy to confine. You will have to train the calves to a electric fence if that's what you're using, but even that is pretty easy if you follow some common sense. They do finish nicely on grass (so to speak) and are easy keepers in the winter.
PM me if you want to come on out and take a look at fencing, set-up or shelter.

[springvalley]

My two cents worth, and thats all it`s worth, I hate the horns, just me. They are nice animals, but I hate horns, I love the belted Galloways (oreo cows), they are also a very good grass beef and double coated for harsh weather, and NO horns. > Thanks Marc

[ranger4327]

all good info folks...thanks so much !!!

@Hexe...i sent you a PM......

[Radicalrob01]

I plan on starting a fold of highland in a couple years. I will raise them for beef/breeding and maybe some shows. I was also thinking of having a few beefalo cows for crossing.

[Hexe]

Yeah, the horns ARE a pain and the Belted Galloway was/is a contender for replacement stock...