highland cattle experience?

[Valley Ranch]

Hi All,
We are looking to get a cow for milk. As you might have seen in my other post, we were looking at mini jerseys. It seems they are hard to find around here and from research it seems a highland would be better suited to where we live.
So I would like some advice and input from anyone who has experience with these.
We are actually looking at a midsize or mini but either way a highland is a highland it seems.
I have done some research and am hoping someone with experience can either correct me or affirm my info.
1. as a breed they are a pretty docile
2. their milk is tasty and high in butterfat
3. the eat alot of forage that most cows don't/won't
4. they calve easily for the most part

Any help on these would be appreciated
thanks

 

[goodhors]

Something you don't mention, is that Highlands all come with HORNS.
Large, SHARP horns, that could be a problem at some point. Cattle are
cattle, and if they wear horns, you can BELIEVE that they know how
to use them when scared or angry.

Any cow you get, should be tame and easy to handle. Are you planning
to get more than one? Cows like company, may get lively and go FIND
some company if they have no cow friend. You may need to hunt
a bit, to find a well-handled Highland cow, that leads and ties, could
be used for milking. All the Highland owners I know, just keep them
for pasture animals, raise calves and beef, don't handle unless needed
or showing it. So they are NOT extremely tame, though they don't
charge you walking thru a field either.

And then there is the milking idea, because I don't know of any folks
milking their Highland cows. They let the calf have the milk, grows
better. Training ANY cow to milk, by hand or machine, could be
rather exciting. Just check some of the posts on this forum, to learn
of problems that are possible, problems that happen.

A lot of folks love their Highlands, but you have to be careful on reading
Breed information. It can be a bit misleading in all the benefits to getting
THEIR breed. Milking might be one of them, though I am sure the cows
got milked in Scotland, when a person only had 1-2 animals, handled them
daily. That doesn't happen so much these days.

We have a Highland breeder just down the road. Lovely stock, HUGE horns,
and a set of pens for handling them. He has one of the strongest set of hand
made steel barred pens I have EVER seen to handle his cattle for vaccinations,
weaning, loading them to haul places. His bulls are handled regularly, but not
the cows. He shows the bulls, they have excellent manners. He has had some
problems with the cows, they are rather defensive with calves, and have hurt
him in the past. Not the mother cow, but her friends! Still loves them, but
is more careful now around the new calves.

 

[Mike Fronczak]

We raise Highlands & have a couple highland/angus crosses. We only breed/raise for beef so I can't attest to the milking, butterfat, etc. There is someone on craigslist in our are that is selling one trained to milk supposdly. Our highlands are much easier to work with than the crosses & all are easier than the Jersey & Jersey/Holstein cross steer we started with. You do need to be aware/cautious of the horns we have one cow that likes to shake her head at us, the others are very laid back especially our bull. As far as being protective of calves we haven't had issues we use caution, but they are pretty smart. We almost lost a calf last year (2012), had to tube feed electolytes, bottle feed, etc. I had him in a headlock forcing him to eat in the middle of the pasture with them all right there, his mom was licking my forearm. Nerve wracking yes, crazy maybe, but he is still with us & so am I. This year was his first of his calves night and day difference between his calves & the crosses we had last year, same moms. These calves are very mellow, well behaved (no sneaking out under fences).

 

[Valley Ranch]

thanks for the info guys.
We have had lots of goats and horses and understand the herd metality and would be getting 2.
We have ahd full sized goat with horns and without and I must say I prefer without!! Even the most docile animal can accidently hurt you when frightened and horns are just an added danger! Hence the idea of a mini or midsized. Although I am under no illusion as to what harm they can do too.
We would get young calves and hard raise them so they were accustomed to being handled daily.
It is interesting how breed faithful people are whether horses, goats or cows it seems!!

 

[Mike Fronczak]

Have you looked into Galloways or Belted Galloways. We found them after we had or Highlands my wife loves the pictures of them we didn't inverstigate to much because we already had highlands. They are another heritage breed with long hair (not quite like highlands), but no horns. I believe they are very winter hardy as well.

 

[Valley Ranch]

no I haven't! But I know several people around here do have them and have done for many years. One is a small commercial operation so they must do ok with our climate or it wouldn't be financially viable I would think. Thanks for the idea I will check

 

[GLENMAR]

I have a couple of highlands. I love them, but I don't get too close to those horns.
It's fun to watch then scratch their backs with them though. They can also lift up a whole round bale.
:/

 

[Valley Ranch]

they sure are beautiful cows. Looks like we will be going the route of mini jerseys though/

 

[Jake]

Comparing temperaments, Jersey bulls are some of the most dangerous bovines that exist. Very high libidos, and always on the prod. Highland bulls otoh are some of the nicest bulls to be and have around. I have had a few and never had a moments problem with either sex. The Jersey cow is one of the nicest to have around. You might consider getting a Jersey heifer or cow, and a Highland bull and beef any bull calves.

Crofters in Scotland did indeed milk a cow or two, but also had Shorthorns around and the Highland/Shorthorn cross was a major beef animal suited to their climate.