Highland Cattle

[amysflock]

I have heard of a couple folks milking their Highlands, but I've never tried it.

 

[ILoveHorses]

Hey Toby,

We're really small and don't have any special handling equipment per se. I do work with them a small amount almost every day, though...more for my pleasure than anything else. They're the same to handle as any other cattle, with one exception: those horns! Highlands can be pretty "expressive" with their horns; they use them on one another, will likely try to use them on you in some way (whether it's head shaking out of annoyance/dominance, or actually tapping or hitting you with one, or worse - none of which is tolerated on our farm!)...our lead cow is deftly skilled at using hers to reach apple tree branches to either shake the apples out, or to pull fresh leaves down to her mouth. They can also scratch itches on themselves that polled cattle would just have to suffer through! (My lead cow, Sheila, actually stood on three legs to scratch the very back/underside of her udder not long ago. I was amazed at her flexibility.)

They *love* to be combed (usually...calves can be shy, and some cattle take awhile to get used to the comb if they haven't been combed before), and they - and I - get a lot of joy out of regular combing sessions to remove knots and tangles, clumps of dirt, etc. (They can get quite gnarly in the spring/early summer as their undercoats start to shed out - one of ours, Natalie, is nicknamed Ratty Natty for a reason! - but they do manage to shed even the biggest mats on their own, so combing isn't necessary...but it's fun!)

My biggest suggestions are the same as working with any cattle: move slowly, avoid large or quick movements, loud noises, use their flight zones to your advantage, etc. Be mindful of how you approach them; from the side is best (less threatening). I would recommend reading some of Temple Grandin's work with cattle for some great information.

A lot of breeders halter break their heifer calves (and some bull calves) prior to sale...always a huge plus and I'd definitely recommend looking for a halter broken animal. (Ask the seller to demonstrate so you can PROVE with your own eyes whether they're easy to catch/halter/lead.) Mature Highland cows can be challenging to get a halter on because of the width of those horns as opposed to their little noses; those adjustable, one-piece rope halters (poly is fine) are awesome because you can easily adjust the loops to be as big or small as you need. We often use a little bit (1/2 lb to 1 lb) of grain in a bucket as a bribe if needed, and then slip the loop over the horns and nose while they're "busy."

For vet visits, once they're haltered, we tie them off to a study post until we're ready for each animal, and then use a v-squeeze setup to contain them for procedures/shots. (A v-squeeze is two cattle panels, one fixed and one pivoting, connected by chains at one end with a block of wood or something to maintain spacing so you can get a girl and her horns up close enough to the front. Once she's in place, you close the pivoting panel tight against her side so she's wedged in, tie it off with rope behind the backs of her thighs to the other, and voila!)

If you do get Highlands and want to "upgrade" to a proper squeeze chute with headgate, the scissors style gate works better than the common headgates, as the latter don't open up wide enough to get horns through. Sometimes a cow can get through one horn at a time - if you hold a horn and crank her head around - but a mature bull won't ever fit.

Oh, golly, what else? Do you have other specific questions? I'm not sure if I'm just rambling or actually helping, LOL!

Can you feed them JUST grass?

 

[amysflock]

If you're lucky enough to have grass year-round, of course. That's not reality in most parts of the country, though. Grass hay and haylage work great in winter or when grass is dormant.

 

[ILoveHorses]

Thanks!!!

 

[theawesomefowl]

You people. You make me want those adorable things!!

I love highlands!!!! I really want cows!!!!!!!!
Anybody have a highland calf I could have for a smile?? (kidding!!!!)

 

[ILoveHorses]

HaHa!!!
I LOVE them!!!

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

hello! i am wanting to buy some highlands. i've got some addresses but i need to do some fencing and building and $$$ before i can get them. what type of fence would you recammend? i don't want electric... don't like draggin batteries, been there, done that. the area where i think they will go is about 3 acres. how many do you think would be good for that area? it's hay field now.
i want to do a grass/hay diet.

 

[amysflock]

You can generally do up to 1 per acre, depending on the quality of forage (and how long you have good forage for). Here in Western WA, our grass goes dormant July-Sept. and again in Nov. for the winter, so we feed quite a bit of hay. We're practicing MIG, though, and that's helping improve our grass so that hopefully in a couple of years we'll be able to feed less hay.

As far as fencing, if you're really that opposed to electric (and I highly recommend you reconsider that), then I would go with 5-strand barbed or New Zealand fencing. We have three- to four-strand barbed (was there when we moved in) with a hotwire top and bottom, and have had no break outs. Highlands are greatly detered by hotwires, especially if you either give them good opportunity to get acquainted (i.e. hang a pie plate on it with wire, so the whole "target" is hot, or for calves, lead them up and touch their noses on it if they've been crawling through). The fencer needs to be strong, though, to get through that hair. Highlands aren't known fence jumpers/breakers (unlike some breeds, like Angus) because they're just not high strung. Any repeat offenders really need to head to the beef program.

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

i'm not against the electric fence. i'm against carrying car batteries up and down and charging and carrying and switching and charging and switching and..... i'm on ohio, the only flat spot i see is about 3x3 ft. and it probably just looks flat, it's probably really tilted. which can be really annoying sometimes.

 

[jhm47]

I use Parmak 30 mile battery fencers. I only have to charge the batteries once during a summer. Great control of the cattle, and no problems with the fencers. I use John Deere tractor batteries (12 volt). However, those tractor batteries are HEAVY!