With long, shaggy hair and curving horns, they look like something out of a cartoon. These beautiful long-haired cows are popular due to their cute appearance. Their fluffy long hair helps them survive in tough environments. But, they can now be found all over the world in destinations like Australia, Canada, the U.S. They originated in the Scottish Highlands and on the Western Isles of Scotland. However, the Highland Cattle Society was formed in 1884, and the first herd wasn’t officially recorded until a year after that.
The first mention of the Highland cow was in the 6th century. They are the oldest cattle breed in the world. And, depending on the breeder, you can see Highland cows in silver, brindle, red, yellow, and dun.Ģ. At Eagle Brae, our Highland cows are the original black variety. It was, in fact, the Victorians who liked the ginger cows, so they selectively bred them to the point that ginger became the standard Highland cow colour that we all recognise today. However, originally Highland cattle were mostly black. These days, most of the Highland cows that are seen roaming the natural landscapes in Scotland are ginger or brown. These gentle giants are a Scottish icon but how much do you know about them? One of the most iconic Scottish animals you’ll see during a stay in one of our beautiful log cabins is the Highland cow. And these landscapes are home to a variety of local wildlife. Here at Eagle Brae in the Scottish Highlands, we are surrounded by magnificent natural landscapes. Digging through the snow with their horns to find buried plants or easily busting through your fence for tasty morsels on your side of the land, American Highland Cattle are extremely resourceful.įor more general information on our ranch and our cattle, please see our FAQ page HERE.Īrticle Credit : Mountain Primal Meat Co.Four Interesting Facts About the Highland Cow
Grazing and foraging plants that many other cattle avoid make these tough motherfuckers the stand-out survivalists of the cattle breeds. One slight tilt of the neck with her horns can send even the strongest man on the ranch flying!ħ) Ain't no mountain high enough! Possessing i nnate food foraging skills allow American Highland Cattle to not only survive, but thrive in steep mountainous, primal terrain. This is a general rule with most animals (and humans), but our ranch hands must take special care and develop a deep trust with the mamas when handling our calves. Highlanders shed out earlier in the spring and produce less hair in warmer climates, making them suitable for a variety of environments.Ħ) American Highland mothers are VERY protective of their young. While the breed may be new to you and a bit more rare than most (that's the only way we'd have it), they have been on this great American soil for well over 125 years.ĥ) American Highland Cattle hides can vary in color from red, black, brindle, yellow, dun, white, and silver. This allows the fat to distribute more evenly throughout the muscles (ie the "meat") and to marble naturally on low input foraging while producing lean, low fat, high-quality perfect cuts of beef.Ĥ) The first record of Highland Cattle being imported to the United States was in the late 1890s. Due to their unique dual-layer coat, American Highland Cattle do not need a heavy layer of back fat for insulation like many other cattle breeds. Highland Cattle have been successfully established in countries where winters are substantially colder than Scotland, such as Norway and Canada.ģ) American Highland Beef is a slightly leaner, more succulent cut of beef. Highland Cattle have been described as "almost as cold-tolerant as the arctic-dwelling caribou and reindeer”. This double coat makes them perfectly adaptable for conditions in cold, rugged terrain, with high annual precipitation or strong winds. The longest of any cattle breed, the hair on the outside is the oily outer hair layer that covers a woolly undercoat. 2) American Highland Cattle have a very unique double-layer coat.
0 kommentar(er)
