After renting out our cropland, we just had 40 acres left for our farming endeavor. The cattle are rotationally grazed on O That Way Farms pastures and fields, which have been certified organic since 1987. Rather than being called a ‘herd’ the collective name for a group of Highland cattle is a fold.
The "Gentle Pasture" pictured above works with snowy or muddy weather. This makes them good for conservation grazing, as well as that they do not eat the grass very low, grasping the sward with their tongues, and that pollen sticks to their long coats and is moved about the pasture.
The "Mountain Pasture" feeds the cattle well in the summer and dry fall, with daily cool breezes in the shady saddles between mountain peaks. The beauty of the Scottish Highland Cattle is they still possess many natural instincts and traits.
The Highland Cow (or ‘Heilen Coo’ in Scottish) is the most icon breed of Scottish cow and is synonymous with Scotland. The first mention of this kind of cow was made in the 6th Century, making it one of the oldest known breed of cow too. Our herd eats brush and weeds with as much vigor as they attack grass. In fact the thickness and warmth of their coat means that they retain their body heat tremendously well and consequently have a lower level of body fat, meaning that their meat is very lean (about 38% lower than most other beef breeds) and lower in cholesterol. It is probably their shaggy coats, long curved horns and big eyelashes that make them so popular, but these are all important reasons why they thrive in the Highlands of Scotland. It was also at about this time that the Highland Cattle Society was formed and with this, the Herd Book, which, dating back to 1884 is the oldest Herd Book in the world.
Their milk is very high in butterfat, ensuring that calves are well nourished from an early age. If you are new to raising cattle, you should begin with how to start a cattle farm and cattle farming for beginners.After researching beef cattle breeds, I knew I wanted something different, not the norm.We came upon the Scottish Highland breed. Rocking L Ranch is a boutique designer of highland micro miniature and miniature cattle. The true Beauty of the breed is seen watching the herd grazing the pasture with the wind moving that gorgeous long hair.Below, Bill is walking the girls down to the "Calving Pasture" along Brummetts Creek.We breed and raise Scottish Highland cattle. Most of the Highland Cows seen today are a reddish-brown, but originally they were mostly all black. For example, the butterfat content of Highland Cow milk can be around 10%, whereas the milk from a Holstein or Friesian is usually about 4%. Learn More. They are hardy, prefer to browse brush rather than eat grass, mate and calve without human help or intervention, protect each other and their young, and have conformation to enable them to make use of …