Identify Highland Cattle
The following steps below will show you how to identify Scottish Highland cattle.
Contents
Steps
- Do a search on the Internet or in a Cattle Breeds book for "Scottish Highland", "Highland cattle" or "Furry Cows".
- Study the characteristics of the breed. Note the following:
- Colouration: Highlanders range from a light fawn/buckskin colour to brown to black. All animals come in one color.
- Body type and characteristics: Highlands are smaller cattle, similar in size to Dexters or low-line cattle. They have very long and shaggy coats. Highlands are not tall cattle, as they tend to have seemingly shorter legs in comparison to the rest of their body than other breeds. They are also not as long in length as other larger breeds like Angus, Charolais, or Limousin. Bulls, however are more muscular and thicker than cows. Calves, when quite young, look like little fur-balls with four legs, as they are quite fluffy, almost like that of a teddy bear.
- Head characteristics: All registered Highland cattle have horns, which taper out and up; older cattle have horns that also taper out at the tips, similar to Identify Texas Longhorn Cattle. Calves typically have no horns at birth, but will start to sprout horns as they get older. Highlands have a long forelocks that extend down past their eyes, making it seem their eyes are hidden from the rest of the mass of hair they have. Bulls have a broader forehead than cows do, with a bit of a dewlap hanging down from their chins.
- Other characteristics: Highland cattle are highly disease resistant, and also are very hardy in climates that are quite cold, snowy and wet. They also require very little, if any, supplements in the way of grain and bagged feed, and do just fine on grass and hay. They are a very docile breed, despite their unusual appearance and intimidating-looking horns. Highland cattle originated from the rugged and remote moors of Scotland, where hot, dry summers are a rarity.
- Memorize the details and characteristics of this breed.
- Go on a field trip or road trip and see if you can find farms and ranches with Highland cattle. Photography of what you thought were Highland cattle, and compare them with pictures of Highland cattle on the Internet and in your Cattle breeds book.
Tips
- Highland cattle are hard to miss when looking for them. Their curved horns, their shaggy coats and the fact that they seem to actually enjoy a cold winter day are a few of many characteristics that set them apart from other breeds.
Warnings
- Don't confuse Highland cattle with yaks. Yaks tend to lack the dewlap from their neck to their brisket, unlike the Highlands. Yaks also seem to have a convex-shaped and smaller head than Highlands do, in relation to the rest of their body. Yaks also do not come in one uniform colour: they can be a multitude of different colours. Yaks are often less docile than Highland as well.
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