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Just like other breeds ( Dutch Belted etc) they are a FAD that appeals to cattleman mainly because they look so much different.
Yes, I saw Scottish Highlander cattle at the Minnesota State Fair in the early 70's ( over 40 years ago)
It sure seems like their popularity has increased very little in40 years as the guy at the state fair was saying the same thing you said ( nearly word for word) in touting Scottish Highlanders.
It seems your main input to the forum is to follow MT around and clap at every post he makes.
Sure, and sometimes he follows me around...and sometimes I follow YOU around, and most of the time, ognend follows ME around. Round and round the mulberry bush we go! Kindergarten for adults!
Well, my cattle population here just doubled this morning. Daphne, Jersey cow, produced a healthy and very lively black bull calf. Daphne is resting now. She thinks she has hidden the calf behind my truck. Now, if I had had her AI'ed to a Jersey bull, I would be out a couple of hundred bucks all told, because she had a bull calf. Its a good thing the sire is an Angus because with that you really can't loose. That is why people breed various breeds of cows to Angus bulls.
Well, my cattle population here just doubled this morning. Daphne, Jersey cow, produced a healthy and very lively black bull calf. Daphne is resting now. She thinks she has hidden the calf behind my truck. Now, if I had had her AI'ed to a Jersey bull, I would be out a couple of hundred bucks all told, because she had a bull calf. Its a good thing the sire is an Angus because with that you really can't loose. That is why people breed various breeds of cows to Angus bulls.
Very few people with Jersey cows breed them to Angus bulls Anyone wanting a future Jersey cow would have to mate their Jersey cow with a Jersey bull.
A Jersey/Angus crossbred heifer makes a lousy milk cow.
as a former Jersey dairy farmer, watch your cow very carefully for any signs of milk fever.
Just like other breeds ( Dutch Belted etc) they are a FAD that appeals to cattleman mainly because they look so much different.
Yes, I saw Scottish Highlander cattle at the Minnesota State Fair in the early 70's ( over 40 years ago)
It sure seems like their popularity has increased very little in40 years as the guy at the state fair was saying the same thing you said ( nearly word for word) in touting Scottish Highlanders.
Old fad as the breed predates the Roman occupation of England.
As I outlined, Scotthish Highland Cattle do not lend themselves to modern beef factory style production. Simple.
There are around 3 breeds of hogs that make up the bulk of factory farm production, Durocs, Hampshires, and Yorkshires. Does that mean that the Hereford Hog or the Mulefoot or the Old Orchard are lesser breeds? No. It means that those breeds are the easiest to raise in a factory and require the least amount of care for the amount of production.
Same with chickens. Cornish Cross are the production chicken for meat, Leghorns for eggs. Black Austrolothorpes are better egg producers, but don't do well in a 1 square foot cage for all their lives.
There are hundreds of breeds of heritage cattle that all had excellent qualities and premium beef or milk production, but don't do well in a factory setting.
Jersys and Holsteins are the majority of the milk breeds on American Dairys. What was wrong with the Brown Swiss or the Milking Shorthorn? Nothing except they didn't do well in a factory environment.
Scotch Highlanders don't do well in a factory environment, but they don't go away because of the qualities they have and in today's health consious market, they have a real following of people that want real meat, and for folks with health issues that have been doomed to eating only chicken and turkey, being able to eat real beef makes life a whole lot better.
You don't have to raise them, you don't have to have anything to do with them. I do raise them and love it. I have people lined up for every beef I can produce. There is a huge difference in creating a high quality product that outshines everything else, and just producing volume for high profit. One example that really fits here are the upsurge in microbreweries producing premium beer instead of the million gallon a day production from one of the major breweries. Quality over quantity.
Breeds like the Hereford were developed to grow fast and produce the maximum amount of meat to feed the masses drawn to the cities for the industrial revolution. Quality wasn't a factor, just quantity and breeds like the Hereford could meet the demand, but at a cost of flavor, higher fat and tenderness. Nothing has changed in the last hundred years except that now the feeders go to a feedlot to be pumped full of grain to increase the fat marbling in the meat as they eat their antibiotic infused feed to counteract the crowded, muck filled conditions of the feedlot as they eat and eat and eat to put on fat to increase weight for sales to factory slaughterhouses where they are converted into chunks of meat that fit inside a styrofoam container, and the final product tastes about the same as the container. There are even stores that inject nitrogen into the packages to make the meat redder and more appealing to the shopper. Yummy
Small holders have always been just that, small producers. If you want a factory farm to produce your food, fine. I like no hormone grass fed fresh beef that is low in cholesterol and fat and has a higher protein than other beef. I like raising animals that are unique and have history. I have Scotch Collie dogs, Belgian horses, I've raised Wessex hogs, but that breed has become so rare that I couldn't keep up the bloodline so I got out of hogs until I can find another heritage breed that meets my needs like they did.
I don't have to blacksmith to make tools and knives, but the product is far superior to what I can buy in the store. I don't have to do my own woodwork to make furnishings, but I like solid wood to the glued sawdust that passes for "quality" from the store.
I don't have to cut and split my own wood to heat my home, but I like the lifestyle and I don't have to pay for a gym membership to stay in shape.
I produce meat and produce for my family and a small group of customers. I don't do it as a primary business so I don't rely on high production for my livelyhood, but to be able to produce a superior product to feed my family without having to rely on storebought meat.
You can try to denigrate the Highland Cattle all you wish, won't hurt me or them because I and a lot of other people know exactly what the Scottish Highlander brings to the table, and they will be here a long time after you and I are both dust.
Well, my cattle population here just doubled this morning. Daphne, Jersey cow, produced a healthy and very lively black bull calf. Daphne is resting now. She thinks she has hidden the calf behind my truck. Now, if I had had her AI'ed to a Jersey bull, I would be out a couple of hundred bucks all told, because she had a bull calf. Its a good thing the sire is an Angus because with that you really can't loose. That is why people breed various breeds of cows to Angus bulls.
Congratulations!!
You have the option of some good meat or some income, and the enjoyment of having the calf around to watch as he plays and grows.
The reason I posted the warning of Jerseys being very susceptible to milk fever is many small farmers who only have one or two Jerseys are unaware.
A guy at church told me his neighbor had 2 Jersey cows and a day after one older cow calved, she got weaker and weaker and died.
He said he told her to call the Veterinarian to save her, but she refused to believe in calling vets and never heard of milk fever.......something very common in Jerseys.
Old fad as the breed predates the Roman occupation of England.
As I outlined, Scotthish Highland Cattle do not lend themselves to modern beef factory style production. Simple.
There are around 3 breeds of hogs that make up the bulk of factory farm production, Durocs, Hampshires, and Yorkshires. Does that mean that the Hereford Hog or the Mulefoot or the Old Orchard are lesser breeds? No. It means that those breeds are the easiest to raise in a factory and require the least amount of care for the amount of production.
Same with chickens. Cornish Cross are the production chicken for meat, Leghorns for eggs. Black Austrolothorpes are better egg producers, but don't do well in a 1 square foot cage for all their lives.
There are hundreds of breeds of heritage cattle that all had excellent qualities and premium beef or milk production, but don't do well in a factory setting.
Jersys and Holsteins are the majority of the milk breeds on American Dairys. What was wrong with the Brown Swiss or the Milking Shorthorn? Nothing except they didn't do well in a factory environment.
Scotch Highlanders don't do well in a factory environment, but they don't go away because of the qualities they have and in today's health consious market, they have a real following of people that want real meat, and for folks with health issues that have been doomed to eating only chicken and turkey, being able to eat real beef makes life a whole lot better.
You don't have to raise them, you don't have to have anything to do with them. I do raise them and love it. I have people lined up for every beef I can produce. There is a huge difference in creating a high quality product that outshines everything else, and just producing volume for high profit. One example that really fits here are the upsurge in microbreweries producing premium beer instead of the million gallon a day production from one of the major breweries. Quality over quantity.
Breeds like the Hereford were developed to grow fast and produce the maximum amount of meat to feed the masses drawn to the cities for the industrial revolution. Quality wasn't a factor, just quantity and breeds like the Hereford could meet the demand, but at a cost of flavor, higher fat and tenderness. Nothing has changed in the last hundred years except that now the feeders go to a feedlot to be pumped full of grain to increase the fat marbling in the meat as they eat their antibiotic infused feed to counteract the crowded, muck filled conditions of the feedlot as they eat and eat and eat to put on fat to increase weight for sales to factory slaughterhouses where they are converted into chunks of meat that fit inside a styrofoam container, and the final product tastes about the same as the container. There are even stores that inject nitrogen into the packages to make the meat redder and more appealing to the shopper. Yummy
Small holders have always been just that, small producers. If you want a factory farm to produce your food, fine. I like no hormone grass fed fresh beef that is low in cholesterol and fat and has a higher protein than other beef. I like raising animals that are unique and have history. I have Scotch Collie dogs, Belgian horses, I've raised Wessex hogs, but that breed has become so rare that I couldn't keep up the bloodline so I got out of hogs until I can find another heritage breed that meets my needs like they did.
I don't have to blacksmith to make tools and knives, but the product is far superior to what I can buy in the store. I don't have to do my own woodwork to make furnishings, but I like solid wood to the glued sawdust that passes for "quality" from the store.
I don't have to cut and split my own wood to heat my home, but I like the lifestyle and I don't have to pay for a gym membership to stay in shape.
I produce meat and produce for my family and a small group of customers. I don't do it as a primary business so I don't rely on high production for my livelyhood, but to be able to produce a superior product to feed my family without having to rely on storebought meat.
You can try to denigrate the Highland Cattle all you wish, won't hurt me or them because I and a lot of other people know exactly what the Scottish Highlander brings to the table, and they will be here a long time after you and I are both dust.
Another reason Angus has started to dominate the beef industry is the ranchers like them. They are always polled ( no dehorning necessary) and compared to Hereford have a much lower rate of pink eye and cancer eye ) I just read an article about a rancher who said that premiere steak houses are demanding Angus steaks that grade prime and customers are willing to pay high prices for excellent marbled Angus steak.
(Hogs)..........yes, I raised hogs before I dairy farmed.....I had 42 sows and sold feeder pigs....Duroc, Chester White, Hampshire, Spotted Poland China, Berkshire
Today...........most confinement systems want strictly the large white breed.........Landrace
Long, lean animals which consumers want.
Great mothering ability for big litter size
Once again.............consumers plus producers like those breeds.
I preferred crossbreds and always colored but they have fallen by the wayside today.
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