Highland Cattle Info
Why Choose Highland Cattle?
THE BREED:- Highland cattle have lived for centuries in the Scottish Highlands. Harsh conditions created a process of natural selection, where only the fittest and the most adaptable of the breed survived. Highlands were originally known as Kyloes, which were predominately black cattle, over the years their frame size has increased as well as variations in colour. They can now be brown, red, brindle, dun, black and white. Highland cattle are not a miniature breed, mature females weigh between 400 to 650 kilos and bulls between 600 to 1000 kilos. This ancient breed is now found in five continents of the world, in Sweden it is the only breed allowed by law to be wintered outside. Highlands have two layers of hair, a soft undercoat that protects against the cold and a long overcoat to withstand rain and snow; this is shed in warmer weather. Highlands are well renowned for their breeding longevity, many cows breed in excess of 18 years having born fifteen calves. Heifers and cows calve easily requiring minimum attention; mothers are very protective of their calves. Despite their long horns they are docile and easy to handle, they will tilt their heads to fit their horns down ramps, races and into trucks and trailers. Most steers are dehorned at an early age with little stress to prevent bruising themselves or other animals on the way to the abattoir or butcher.
BEEF:- Highland cattle produce lean marbled beef, their thick hairy coat keeps them warm thus not needing to produce thick surface fat to keep their body heat. Less fat means less waste, a Highland carcase will dress out over 60% meat.
HIDE:- Highland skins make beautiful floor rugs with hair four to six inches long, the tanned hides sell for between to depending on the colour and size of the skin.
HORNS:- Polished horn sets ready to hang on the wall sell from , depending on the length and shape of horns. Females have much finer, longer horns than males, which are generally shorter and thicker.
HARDINESS:- One of the breeds most famous attributes. In Sweden it is the only breed allowed to be out wintered.
EASY-CALVING:- Heifers and cows calve easily as part of the daily routine, requiring the minimum of attention.
LONGEVITY:- Many cows Breed to ages in excess of 18, having borne fifteen calves. This can reduce replacement calves by 25%.
FORAGING:- Highland cattle make the most of whatever is offered to them, wasting nothing, and is the only breed in Europe to be used in National Parks to selectively graze and improve grazing land.
HEALTH:- The highland cow rarely requires more than routine dosing, keeping vet bills to an absolute minimum.
MANAGEMENT:- The health, ease of calving and foraging ability keep labour to the bare minimum.
ADAPTABILITY:- The versatility of these animals has led to their importation in over twelve countries where their adaptability has made them much envied.
THE BEEF:- Highland Cattle produced a high quality lean carcass. Because the meat is low fat, with the meat being ideally marbled to improve the taste and flavour.
COLOURS:- Highland Cattle come in all colours being, Red, Yellow, Brindle, Dun, Black, White and Parti-colour.
TEMPERAMENT:- The breed has a docile nature, which makes the breed easy to handle
AHCS Breed Standard
TYPE- The animal should be of good length, depth and elevation, with neck long enough to give the head a good lift. The head, horns, neck, body, hindquarters and legs should be in perfect balance. On the move the Highlander should show plenty of style, character and quality and look as if it is "going places".
HEAD- It should be proportionate to the body of the animal, and broad between the eyes, while short from the eyes to the point of the muzzle. The hair between the horns, known as the dossan, should be wide, long - reaching to the muzzle - and thick. The eyes should be bright and clear. The muzzle must be broad with large distending nostrils. Strong under-jaw with teeth meeting upper pad evenly, (not over or under shot). The ears should be symmetrical and well formed. No cropping of the ear is allowed.
HORNS- The horns in the bull should be strong, but not too heavy (heavy horns are undesirable), and come out of the head level, curving slightly forward. They should not emerge from the horn boss at an upward angle. Above all, the head and horns of a bull must give the impression of strength and masculinity.
The horns of the cows take a number of different shapes, but in general must be slightly lighter than the bulls. Coming out of the head more or less horizontally, they should not curve downwards too much before rising, and fining down considerably about six inches from the tip and up to the end of the horn denoting femininity. In the case of both cow and bull the horns should be symmetrical.
NECK- Should be of good length, allowing for natural lift to the head. A bull should show masculinity but this development should not be excessive at an early age. The throat and neck should be clean-cut without excess skin. The brisket should not be excessive or too fatty.
UDDER- The udder on females should not be fleshy, coming well forward in line with the body and well up behind; with four teats well apart and of even moderate size.
BODY & HINDQUARTERS- From the shoulder back, the top of the animal should be straight, with no hollows, and as wide as possible - particularly between the hooks, or hips, and should not be too hard, which indicates bone on which no flesh will develop. It should not narrow over the heart, ie behind the shoulders, nor should the shoulders be too prominent. The body should be long and proportionately long from the hook to the tail end of the spine in relation to good length from shoulder to hook. It is important that there should be no sloping of the spine from the hooks back to the tail end of the spine, it should be level and the tail set in smoothly to the body, not creating a knob or lump. On either side of the tail end of the spine are the plates, and these should be a good follow through from hooks to pins, the latter being well set up and wide. The animal must not be flat sided so the ribs need to be well sprung. The thighs should be well developed and be as full as possible. Finally, when viewed from the rear, the rear, the body should not appear to be split up to any great height by the legs, and the hindquarters should appear fairly square. When viewed from the side, the body should appear rectangular.
LEGS- The legs should be sturdy and straight with good bone and a good covering of hair, and the animal should be seen to be walking freely and easily, the legs not brushing against each other but set well outside the body. The four legs should each br placed at a corner of the body, the front ones straught when seen from the front or side and well apart; as the front, but slightly hooked when seen from the side. If hooked too much it becomes a 'sickle' hock, which is most undesirable, as are all structural faults. When viewed from the side of the animal the back of the hock should be in line with the pin bone on the same side. The legs should lead down into well-set and large even hoofs, and when on the move the hind feet should step into the tracks made by the front feet for perfect traction.
HAIR- Highland cattle have two coats of hair. The outer coat is long and strong and is presumably meant by nature to keep the winter weather away from the skin. The under coat is soft and fluffy to keep their bodies warm. This under coat does not grow long to renew the outer coat, but each coat is separately renewed. The Australian Highland Cattle Society's offical Highland coat colours range from black through brindle, dun, red, yellow, white and parti. No colour is genetically dominant.
SHEATH & SCROTUM- Bulls sheaths should not be loose or pendulous. The scrotum should contain two testicles well let down of good and even size.
