# Scottish highland cattle size



## lasergrl (Nov 24, 2007)

Hi,

Can anyone post pictures of their scottish highland cows? I have been looking into these guys for years, mainly the minis. The minis are waaay too expensive though. The regular size arent supposed to be very large but I am having a hard time getting a visual. We did go to the providence farm pumpkin festival in hopes of meeting some, but the cattle were at a different site  I want a beef breed, a female that will produce feeders or breeding stock. I just adore the highland, but royal yaks are growing on us too.

Tiffany


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## Up North (Nov 29, 2005)

Not our cow, but here's one+baby that reside at the Zoo in Wichita, KS:


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## Oxankle (Jun 20, 2003)

Boy, that one sure does not look like much. Got to be something out there better than that. Maybe musk oxen. 

Jokes aside, surely there are some highlander meat animals around. That poor thing in the zoo looks as if she were brought in from the sale barn after a long drought. 
Ox


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## Ark (Oct 5, 2004)

We got a calf from here -http://www.gallopingwindsranch.com/GWRcattle.html - lots of neat pictures to look at! Really nice honest people.

Here's the calf we got, she's half Belted Galloway, nursing from our Jersey cow. She's 8 months old.


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## piglady (Sep 28, 2006)

I don't have any pictures with me at the moment but go to our site www.wolfemountainfarms.com and click on the beef page. We love our highlands but I prefer the regular size over the mini's but then we raise them for beef. The tiny ones are cute but they just don't seem to grow.


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## Terry W (Mar 10, 2006)

piglady said:


> I don't have any pictures with me at the moment but go to our site www.wolfemountainfarms.com and click on the beef page. We love our highlands but I prefer the regular size over the mini's but then we raise them for beef. The tiny ones are cute but they just don't seem to grow.


 When checking out Highlands, and speaking to a local breeder-- they indicated the Highland is very slow to mature- But I was impressed with how docile the animals they had with them were--but the family has a policy of at least stroking each animal once a day-- their toddler was napping, using a calf's belly as a pillow, and Momma cow was contentdly watching over both.

I liked the size-- taller than some Angus, but shorter than the Holsteins I am used to. when i think about it-- they were about the same size as my neighbors Brahma-Longhorn crosses- smaller ears, a LOT more hair!


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## Lance Morgan (Mar 5, 2007)

We have a couple of regular highlanders available. Their names are Mallie & Allie. They can be seen on our website. www.bluegrassminiaturecattle.com


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## lasergrl (Nov 24, 2007)

but, how big are they? I am only 100 pounds and I just dont want something too big to handle as I have never had a cow before. A friend had 3 angus X cows, and they had a heck of a time with them when they needed moving or foot care. Granted they have little animal experience, and these werent halter trained at all. Are they a larger frame, or smaller? I think angus are bigger then I want, and dexters, well, they just dont have the fuzz but have the right size, and dont like black. Anyone raise highland X mini breeds?


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## lasergrl (Nov 24, 2007)

Lance Morgan said:


> We have a couple of regular highlanders available. Their names are Mallie & Allie. They can be seen on our website. www.bluegrassminiaturecattle.com


Oh my I love your cows and the variety! Have you ever bred a highland to a zubu? I have been looking into this cross and cant find any results from it. The dexter X zubu looks to have the longer fur, so I am assuming the highland X would. 
Do you ever sell bottle babies? Can babies be shipped? I have seen zubu calves shipped but those are tiny babies.


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## Lance Morgan (Mar 5, 2007)

lasergrl said:


> Oh my I love your cows and the variety! Have you ever bred a highland to a zubu? I have been looking into this cross and cant find any results from it. The dexter X zubu looks to have the longer fur, so I am assuming the highland X would.
> Do you ever sell bottle babies? Can babies be shipped? I have seen zubu calves shipped but those are tiny babies.


Don't have any experience with this cross, but I think they would have the fur. We have sold bottle calves before, but we usually don't bottle feed unless there is a need or someone wants this and will speak for the calf right away. There are a few reputable livestock companies out there, but it can get expensive pretty quick. The two highlanders that we have are open at this time.


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## de Molay (Sep 23, 2006)

I have a small herd of purebred Highlands for some time now. I would not keep any other breed. And I certainly would not crossbreed them. Simply because they are becoming an endangered breed.


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## affenpinschermom (May 10, 2002)

We have kept a small herd of Scottish Highland for over 20 years and like de Molay, we love them. We've never cross bred and never would. They are easy keepers. we sell the offspring for breeding stock and keep the ones that aren't good enough for breeding and raise up for beef. It's great beef. The hides make great rugs, also.


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## de Molay (Sep 23, 2006)

There is no such thing as miniture Highland Cattle as far as I know, at least not true Highland. They are a very ancient breed and have the oldest herd book of all breeds. They have some very interesting qualities, such as being very resistant to disease that other cattle are subject too. Pink eye, bag problems, etc. They do take longer to mature a calve to table, but were they win out is that they will produce a calve for 15 or 20 years. Long after the exotics have been shipped due to their problems. An exotic usually is only good for about 5 years, then has to be replaced. With Highlands you never need the vet for calving. They calve on their own. If the pastures are bad and their lack of feed, they will not breed, the female will wait until things improve. They are highly intelligent and very docile. They can be milked, and their milk is very high in BF. Their hides when butchered bring a good price. Their horns are worth about 500 dollars. So even after they quit giving calves they still replace themselves with the horns and the hide. Our oldest cow Old Mary just died this past summer, she was over 20 years of age and gave a calve for 19 years. Never had the vet once. A very high return on investment I would say. I would recommend them as the very best for the small farmer or homesteader. Don't be put off by their horns, I use them like the handlebar on a bicycle to steer them around. Have fun.


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## lasergrl (Nov 24, 2007)

you are right in that the minis are crosses, at least back a few generations. I'll tell you though, they sure are starting to look pure in type and coat. The minis are a bit too small, and definately too expensive for a mix.
I will just have to keep my eyes open for a breeder with smaller stock. I only have 5 acres of pasture and I dont really want a very large cow, tearing it up and overgrazing it, and me being smaller would just be easier for me to work with and enjoy.


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## Christiaan (Mar 13, 2004)

I don't have any pictures of my Highlands standing next to a person, but here are some that should give you an idea of size. They are about as tall as a Hereford or Angus but not as long or as bulky. My Beth weighs 900 - 1000 pounds. She is 6 1/2 years old and has had 5 calves. I can expect another 10 to 15 calves from her before she retires.


















You can just see the top of Beth's head peeking over the fence, which is four feet.








Beth with Floyd displaying his tail for her.


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## GANGGREEN (Jul 13, 2006)

Glad to see a few folks with Highland cattle. I'm a new Highland owner, I've got two adult cows, one adult heifer that I hope is bred and 3 young bulls (they were supposed to be castrated before delivery but it was never done. I'll probably keep one intact and castrate the other 2). Ideally, I'd like to keep 3 or 4 adult cows and have a few yearlings and a few calves each year for beef. 

A couple of questions for those of you who have them. First of all, who have you gotten to tan the hides and what was the cost? I think that they're really striking. I'd like to get the first one done for my own place but will sell the rest if it's worth the cost of tanning and fleshing the beasts. Secondly, what about the horns? What is your market for the horns? Are you direct marketing them on Ebay, selling them at local markets or just through word of mouth? Again, I'll likely keep the first set or two, one for decorations in the house and the next one for powder horns but I'd like to sell them after that to help offset the cost of my small operation.

For what it's worth, I've only had my animals for about a month but I love them. They're very cautious about letting me touch them so far but they'll let me walk right up to them as long as I'm slow and quiet and I'm sure that within a few months they'll be accustomed to me and allow me to rake them out and pet them. I've also eaten the beef and it's quite delicious, lean and healthy but still tender, even when grass finished.


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## dodgewc (Jul 8, 2006)

Here's a picture of me, 6 foot tall, with Maggie, our Highland,







and Dianna, one of our Dexters.


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## de Molay (Sep 23, 2006)

And if you draw a line from the bottom of your foot it ends up near her shoulder. She is standing in a hole. Highlands weigh heavy, they just have short legs. My Highlands stand about level with my armpit, that is their backs, on level ground. You have to develop your own High end market. Market them as natural grass fed beef. Top end steak brings 10-15 dollars a pound. Here is a link. http://www.jadhore.ca/en/jadhoree.html


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## de Molay (Sep 23, 2006)

Here is another good link showing classic Highland Cattle at the premium show in Scotland. http://www.highlandcattleworld.com/


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## Christiaan (Mar 13, 2004)

They are great beasts. Be sure to scratch the tail root, they just love it. 
I have just had one hide tanned. $12/sq foot. Came to almost $800! Won't work as a money maker, just do it for yourself. I have done a horn mount $300, and the guy parted the fall in the middle?!? Took a lot of combing to get that to straighten out. I've kept one skull, let the critters take the horns as they weren't in very good shape. And I've made drinking horns from others. Takes quite awhile, first to get them off the cores (beetles do that best) and then pack them in baking soda for a few months to get rid of the odor. But, it was fun and the price was right. I don't know if there would be much of a market for either the horns or hides. Hard to compete with the products from Mexico, Asia and Africa.


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## piglady (Sep 28, 2006)

I just called the taxidermist around here and he is going to send our hide away to be tanned. He said to expect between 3 to 4 hundred dollars. It's a 2 year old white steer and the hair is very long so I may keep it or I may see what it brings on ebay.


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## piglady (Sep 28, 2006)

Here is an adult.


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## SpaceCadet12364 (Apr 27, 2003)

Nice looking dun there!


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## GBov (May 4, 2008)

I have a question for all you highland people, how do they do with heat?

I have always loved the look of them but we are moving to south eastern Georgia and its hot hot HOT there, would the poor fur covered beasty just melt away  or would it be like a long haired dog and just get use to it?

I am bringing the mister around to the idea that soon after the move we will be getting a couple of cows, a jersey is a must but a highland is close in the running as I am short so the cows better be to


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## SpaceCadet12364 (Apr 27, 2003)

We are in south central KY, ours do just fine in the summer heat. I would say there would be a couple-three things that you should do however if you are wanting to go with Highlands. You should have some form of shelter for them to get into when they want, such as a barn area or 3-sided shed thats open on the one side so they get in and out. You dont have to put them up in the winter, but this shelter area will be useful for them in both the summer heat and the winter cold (if you ever get any in that part of GA). A pond or year-round creek that they can access is something you really should have too....gives them water and also somewhere they can hang out to cool off. Trees are a good thing too, since that serves the purpose of providing an airy place that has shade....and also, Highlands like most cattle LOVE to scratch themselves on anything and everything. A few good sized trees come in handy that way too. 

Highlands, depending on the bloodlines, tend to be smaller than your average cattle breed. Unless the breeder that you get some from is trying to breed cow-zillas or something. Ours are closer to the smaller end of the average scale, or a more traditional size if you will.


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## SpaceCadet12364 (Apr 27, 2003)

Oh, and DONT EVER give in to the temptation to de-horn a Highland. It makes them look funny, and its part of their natural cooling system.

If the horns on a Highland scare you, it would be best to go for a different breed rather than dehorn one. JMHO.


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## LifeSpring (Nov 19, 2008)

I find that when it is hot they will drop their long hair and nature will give them a much shorter coat for the summers. I just love Highlands. 
They are SO smart. In fact my old herd boss just kept the other 29 off them away from me while I was filling a tipped over water trough for half an hour!
But yes a stream is best as it is all year round and so much easier.
I find our Highlands never use the shelter but instead hang out in the forest
for pretty much everything, the sun, the wind, the cold.
Just make sure you do a walk through first and break off the branches at eye level, as although they will do this for you, and they do have long bangs, 
best not to take the chance of any eye injuries. Yup, five years later and not one health problem or injury or birthing problem. Love them!
ALso, for those of you who eat meat, The Heart Assoc. says that Highland meat is the healthiest meat to eat partly due to the fact that because of the long hair they don't have to 'grow fat' in the winters to keep warm and so very low in cholesterol.


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## genebo (Sep 12, 2004)

My Dexter bull bred two Highlands. One was big, about 1000#, and mean. The other was smaller, about 900#, and nicer.

The calves were as sweet natured as you please, and much smaller.

Genebo
Paradise Farm


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## carellama (Nov 12, 2007)

Thank you all for your very interesting info! I keep coming back to this breed in my research. DH has decided to be an Angus man-got himself 3 bred hiefers - but, alas, what would another 2 hurt sometime in the future? Even if they look a tad different and have horns?


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## genebo (Sep 12, 2004)

carellama said:


> Thank you all for your very interesting info! I keep coming back to this breed in my research. DH has decided to be an Angus man-got himself 3 bred hiefers - but, alas, what would another 2 hurt sometime in the future? Even if they look a tad different and have horns?



If she's like Big Mama from the picture two posts ago, she can hurt your Angus cattle. Big Mama put too many holes in the hide of her owner's prize red Angus, so she went.

Maybe you could consider putting some of those balls on her horns, so she can't do as much damage. Her horns are going to be long and sharp. It's typical of the breed.

If she's like Little Mama, the nice Highland, then the horns will be no problem.

Genebo
Paradise Farm


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## SpaceCadet12364 (Apr 27, 2003)

Highlands and Angus cross very nicely....and the horns are recessive, so for example since your DH got some angus bred heifers.....maybe a Highland bull to use on them for the next time around? Your resulting calves would be polled. And Highland bulls, in our experience anyways so far, tend to be a lot more mellower than what I have heard about other types of bulls. And they dont usually end up near as huge in size either....a Highland bull in breeding condition will on average top out around 1800 pounds.


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