ABOUT MINIATURE
HIGHLAND CATTLE
Things You Need To Know About Miniature Highland
Perfectly adapted for harsh/all conditions
There is no escaping the fact that Highland cattle are ridiculously cute. With their shaggy coats, just-out-of-bed hair, long curving horns and teddy-bear appearance, they are highly photogenic. These features are not just pretty though, they also enable the cow to survive harsh winters in tough environments. Their thick woolly undercoats keep them warm, while the longer guard hairs shed snow and rain. Long eyelashes and a thick fringe of hair protects their eyes from stinging hail, lashing rain, insects, and biting winds, and they use their big horns to rake away snow in order to get to food (and for a good scratch!). The fact that these things make them look adorable is just a happy bonus. Highland mini cow for sale, Highland miniature cattle for sale
The oldest registered breed of cattle in the world
The Highland Cattle Society was formed in 1884, with the first herd book recorded the year after. At this time, in Inverness, the breed standard was discussed and set (including those bangs) and has remained unchanged ever since. Written records of Highland cows go back a century before this, and their first mention was in the 6th century — a very old breed indeed. Today the Queen is the patron of the Highland Cattle Society and not only has an award-winning herd (or fold, as a group of Highland cattle are known) of her own — founded at Balmoral in the year of her coronation, 1953 — but her fold is considered one of the best in the world. Highland mini cow for sale, Highland miniature cattle for sale
Different colors, different horns, different names
Although the classic image of a Highland cow is ginger in color, they also come in other shades — red, yellow, brindle, dun, silver, white, and also black. When they are being shown they are groomed, with conditioner and oils being used to make their coats gleam and fluffy. The horns grow differently in males and females, with the bulls being thicker, curving forward with only a small upwards rise near the tip, if any at all. The cows’ horns are more slender, and curve upwards. They are also longer than the bulls’ horns. The Highland cow is known as the Heilan coo in Scots, and Bò Ghàidhealach in Gaelic.
Excellent temperament
The Highland cow is renowned for its friendly nature, often approaching people to demand attention. Despite the fearsome horns, they have such a good social hierarchy and understanding of their own place within it, that fights never happen. As with all livestock, it is worth taking extra care if you are walking with a dog, and do not approach the cattle if they have young calves, as they can be protective (they make remarkable mothers too — often breeding beyond the age of 18 and raising 15 or m
Conservation grazer
A bull Highland cow weighs around 800kg (1,800 pounds) and a cow 500kg (1,100 pounds), which is relatively light for cattle. Due to this, and their natural light-footedness, the Highland cow is an excellent choice for conservation grazing, where rough ground is grazed in order to provide habitat for other species. They trample areas of bracken, allowing flowers to flourish, their dung provides excellent fertilizer for the ground and, because they feed by pulling up grass and plants with their tongues, they do not trim the vegetation as closely as nibbling sheep do. Wildflower seeds are also spread by becoming attached to their coat, to drop off elsewhere. Highland mini cow for sale, Highland miniature cattle for sale
How Big Do Mini Highland Cows Get?
Miniature Highland cattle typically weigh between 500 and 1,000 pounds – or 227 to 453 kg. They are also relatively short, with a typical adult height of 36 to 42 inches (91 to 107 cm). The bulls are generally slightly larger than the cows.
Although they are much smaller than their full-size cousins, miniature Highland cattle still possess many similarly distinctive features, including long curved horns, shaggy coats, and wavy eyelashes. Miniature Highland cows make excellent pets – due partly to their docile nature and compact size.
How Much Does A Mini Highland Cow Eat Per Day?
Cows usually eat around 2% of their body weight daily. A full-grown miniature Highland cow weighs approximately 500 to 1,000 pounds. So – expect your mini Highland cow to eat roughly 10 to 20 pounds of hay daily. (500 pounds * .02 = 10 pounds.) or (1,000 pounds * .02 = 20 pounds.)
This number is just an estimate! Your mini Highland cow could certainly eat more than 10 pounds per day. But we’d be surprised if the total amount exceeded 30 pounds of hay daily.
This amount may seem like a lot for such a little fellow! But it’s far less than what many other types of cattle consume. For example, Angus cattle can eat up to 35 pounds of hay daily. And we’ve heard of some hungry Holstein cows eating as much as 50 pounds of hay!
Of course, the amount a miniature Highland cow eats will also depend on factors such as age, weight, and activity level. Younger cows tend to eat more than older cows, and cows used for breeding or milking need more food than those kept as pets. Highland mini cow for sale, Highland miniature cattle for sale
