They’re gentle, they’re friendly and easy to handle. In fact, they really are kind of cute. But don’t let their curly, shagging coats fool you. Because they’re bred for the harsh weather of northern Scotland, they’re able to withstand even the harshest of Canadian winters.
Highland Cattle are gaining popularity here in Canada.
Kirk Sinclair has about a 100 head of the long horned cattle in the Qu’Appelle Valley nestled in pastures between Spy Hill and Rocanville.
Because of careful selection and research, Sinclair’s Highland Cattle are among the most pure bloodlines in the country.
“We got the first of two herd dispersals of Highland Cattle from a guy named Robert Lindsay in Alberta,” Sinclair said. “They were from a herd that his family imported from Scotland in 1928. They’ve been in his family ever since and their family has a great reputation as breeders.”
An experienced cattleman in his own right, Sinclair knows the importance of a traceable bloodline.
Their second lot came from the U.S. where Sinclair picked from the top of 40 breeders at the Denver Stock Show and bought a dispersal from Flatheads Farms in Kalispel, Montana
He’s another breeder with a great reputation who had been performance testing for thirty years before we even came along and got into this,” Sinclair said. “So we know what we were starting with was prime genetics right off the bat.”
Now Sinclair’s herd of Highland Cattle has grown to 100 head.
So, what’s so special about this exotic breed of cattle?
As mentioned, these cattle are hardy.
The Highland’s long coat is made up of two layers – an under down and a longer, more coarse outer layer which protects them from cold and wind. As the layers grow fast in winter and molt in summer, although they might look like it, shearing isn’t necessary.
“Their hide is two and a half times thicker than an Angus, probably even thicker than a buffalo so it’s not just their surface hair, it’s the hide itself that keeps them warmer and hardy through our Canadian winters and we find that they don’t have as much surface fat as other breeds of cattle.”
Highland cattle also take about a year longer to mature, which presents quite a few advantages over other breeds.
“They mature at a slower rate which, I think, factors into the quality of their meat because it’s of a much finer texture and grain with a lower fat content,” Sinclair explained.
They reach full maturity at about three or four and while they look smaller because of their shorter legs, he’s finding that his mature cows are weighing in at a decent size of between 1,250 and 1,350 lbs.
The longevity of the breed too, he says, is really remarkable.
“Robert Lindsay, who we brought our highlanders from, had a cow who calved until she was 23 years old which means that they’re outliving and out producing other breeds by about 50 percent.”
The other plus, Sinclair said, is that these cattle are not at all finicky in what they eat.
Because they grow and mature more slowly, Sinclair finds that they eat less and gain weight at a slower rate than other cattle.
Perhaps it’s because they’ve come from the rough territory of the Scottish highlands, but Sinclair says another plus is that they’re not overly fussy on what they’ll eat, making them perfect for putting out in marginal pastures and brush that other cattle would balk at.
Sinclair says he’s thinking that the rise in the popularity of the breed may well be because of a change in the way people are now looking at life.
“I think what we’re seeing is people who want to move out from the city and start a more peaceful life,” he said. “Maybe buy a few animals and a simple life out in the country. Or if you’re willing to wait that extra year to reach maturity, growing their own high quality meat.”
And Highland cattle are perfect for that type of scenario.
“They’re docile and very curious,” Sinclair said. “They stick together and have a really good herd mentality so they babysit each other’s babies all the time.”
“They seldom have birthing issues and over all are quite low maintenance,” he added. “And you can definitely put them in areas where other cattle wouldn’t be likely to feed.”
Sinclair can be contacted through a visit to his website: https://valleychoicehighlands.com/
Article by: Terrie Welwood