There are many breeds of miniature cattle. No breed organizations recognize and register them as "miniature", so no different than the AHCA. There are miniature cattle registries, and like other organizations, there are breed standards that separate them into categories: mid-sized, standard miniatures, and micro. The categories are based on height at the hip. I started out with AHCA registered, mid-sized Scottish Highland cows bred to registered Scottish Highland bulls who also met the "miniature" standards. I have registerable calves with a birth weight of about 25-30 lbs. A 2 yr old heifer (cinnamon) has not yet reached her full adult weight/height. Miniature cattle cannot be registered until they are 3 yrs old for that reason. My mid-sized cows weigh about 750 lbs. The largest bull I've had weighed 1200 lbs. Subsequent bulls have been about 800-900 lbs. They are healthy, well fed, purebred Scottish Highland cattle . The individual I got them from initially had been selectively breeding registered highlands for smaller size, for years.
It seemed like there was some things missing on the standards and benefits to having mini cows. First of all, no mini cow is allowed to be higher than 40 inches over their shoulders. This includes highlands minis. They also weigh and eat a lot less than normal cattle. Therefore their footprint on the pasture as well as in natural gases is reduced. One could debate that if you want a goat size animal why not just get goats? Good question. I have a good answer. Goat don't taste like beef. You can, if you wish, milk both but the milk taste different from cow and goat. Highland cattle is an over all good resistant breed that can protect them self and their calf's better than some other breeds and they also graze much like a goat and retain most of the pasture/grazing area you have available. Including but not limited to bushes, trees, bramble, etc. Figured these could be some good points to bring forward. :) Plus, I must say, minis are absolutely adorable.
Hi those are some great points. I did talk a little about their requirements for less pasture land, but didn't really specify about that meaning they eat less. great stuff, thanks!
I am totally obsessed with Highland cattle 🐮❤. I don't live too far from Scotland, so I'm lucky enough to have plenty on my doorstep ( not in the literal sense). I honestly never knew there was actually a miniature Highland cow though, I knew about Dexter cattle but hadn't heard of any other miniature breeds. Very informative, thankyou 🐮🐮
I love the smaller and miniature breeds. I am a small woman and they would be much easier for me to handle. When we finally make the move I want a couple of miniature jersey cows for milk, cream and cheese and some smaller to miniature beef cattle breeds. I have heard that the Highland breed is good for both but haven't really looked into it. I mainly fell in love with their looks.
Well presented and objective summary here. There are actually very few breeders in the U.S. that have been selectively breeding for smaller (miniature) Highlands long enough to have an impact. Both Lowline Angus and Miniature Herefords were closed herds breeding for smaller sizes for many years in order to create the breed. We started our project downsizing the Highlands nearly 18 years ago, and the initial progress is made using a small bull, some line breeding, and now for us we are flushing embryos from our smallest cows and using that and several other small bulls on the embryos. Although the majority of our herd is not registered, we do have several registered with AHCA. One thing to note about registration however...there is no assurance of pedigree or fullblood status without parent verification (dna genotype testing) and even then it is necessary to go back at least 5 generations to obtain 15/16 status. Registration has value, however our selection was first toward breed guidelines, then conformation, then temperament. Registration came after those top three. We have unregistered Highlands that more closely conform to the breed standard than a couple of our registered ones. www.miniaturehighland.com
Thanks, I know there are people on both sides of the argument and I didn't want to step on any toes. I know that they can be bred to be significantly smaller, but it just seems like they get attacked by some other breeders as a "bad thing". I checked out your website you've got some great looking highlands. I wish I was in a little cooler area, I think that might promote a little more hair growth. Thanks for watching!
Great information. Our bull is small... both his parents were on the farm we bought him from and of standard size. I think sometimes past generation genetics show back up.
One thing I’ve noticed with highlands is that they are slow growers. Ours seem to hit a growth spurt about 2 1/2 years old. We started off with registered and think in the long run that’s the best way to go. We know the pedigree and can research bulls and make sure there is no in breeding. Love your videos!!
Hey Christi, I kind of wish I had all registered cows now that I've bought Mousse and Pepper from you. Although, Im not upset about having unregistered ones. That's good to know that maybe the growth will pick up as they age a little. The calves are doing good, I'm sure they will be in some upcoming videos
Dude... As long as the milk is good, the beef is tender and they're tiny and cute.... I could care less about it being a pure breed. Not knocking people who do want the lineage... but for me I'm all about mini.
This was another great and informative video about your cattle. I liked seeing your bull Whitewalker and seeing how he will come right up to you and just keep grazing. I can remember my uncle's bulls. They were always too mean to ever be in the pasture with them. (Angus bulls). Anyway, thanks for another great video.
Thanks! Ya when my dad had angus growing up I definitely was a little more cautious. Whitewalker has never acted aggressive at all, but I still keep a careful eye on him
A lot depends on how you raise them. I had a 1900lb bull that was so tame I would sometimes fall asleep on his back while he was grazing in the back 40. You could pet/scratch/brush him anywhere but the front of his head. His sale date at the stock yard was filled with laughter because when the corral hand was trying to display him all the bull would do is look back waiting for a proper scratching.
I read on one site, the farmer had a point when he said the cows / bulls from the islands are smaller than mainland cows. I also read that Highland Cows were predominantly black. People thought red was better?
So it's a combination problem between cleverly marketing a smaller animal for a higher price, and breed snobs that are stuck on adhering to a very old breed standard that doesn't account for the modern world. If I get to start my dream hobby farm, I want to keep mini jerseys for milk and smaller highlands for meat. I know I want smaller animals for the benefits that they include, but I would like to maintain registered animals as an additional source of potential revenue. You've given me some things to consider.
Thats a good way to sum it up. I enjoy the history of the old associates and the resources that they bring to breeders. But I also enjoy smaller animals for the benefits they have.
Greg Judy breeds the South Polls and focuses on uniform shape and a relatively modest to small size. Have you noticed a better birthing rate with the smaller size or is it proportionate to the size of the cow? Meaning a smaller cow has as hard a time as a large cow given all things equal in the bull (small bull to small cow and normal bull to normal cow).
Well I've had a lot more experienced breeders recommend AI on my first time heifers to low birth weight bulls to make sure they don't have trouble. Also, many people don't breed their cows until 2 years old because their body size is still too small until then
the only reason i think about raising a smaller breed of cow is they wont need 1) grain and 2)you can raise more of them then the bigger cows,, i can see the advantages of raising regestered cows also,,
When the Donut Operator music rolled in at the end, I did a a double take haha Very good info on these little guys (the Mrs is interested in having a few so I sent her this info just so she knows) :)
I really would love all the benefits and beauty of a highland but in a smaller size since I have smaller property. I love the idea of registered pure bred highland that is smaller size (hence mini). It’s all genetics. If we just breed the smaller size pure breds with good traits you get what you want. This exist, right?
There are certainly small and very small highlands. The trouble is that minis are known to be a problem for scams. They all look real small when they’re under 3 years old. Also the is no separate standalone mini breed of highlands. The very small ones are likely crossed with other breeds like dexter
My husband and I love highland cattle. But we once lived in Alaska they are great there. Now we are going to be living in Florida in a year. He wants a highland I keep telling him he can’t because of the Florida heat. I don’t think they can survive that type of heat. What is your opinion on them in the heat?
Hi Dayna, I can give you my experience here in Central Oklahoma. We regularly get to 100 degrees in the summer and it can be humid. My cows spend those days in the pond or in the shade. I've been to Florida but Im not sure what kind of temperatures you will be getting.
There are many breeds of miniature cattle. No breed organizations recognize and register them as "miniature", so no different than the AHCA. There are miniature cattle registries, and like other organizations, there are breed standards that separate them into categories: mid-sized, standard miniatures, and micro. The categories are based on height at the hip. I started out with AHCA registered, mid-sized Scottish Highland cows bred to registered Scottish Highland bulls who also met the "miniature" standards. I have registerable calves with a birth weight of about 25-30 lbs. A 2 yr old heifer (cinnamon) has not yet reached her full adult weight/height. Miniature cattle cannot be registered until they are 3 yrs old for that reason. My mid-sized cows weigh about 750 lbs. The largest bull I've had weighed 1200 lbs. Subsequent bulls have been about 800-900 lbs. They are healthy, well fed, purebred Scottish Highland cattle . The individual I got them from initially had been selectively breeding registered highlands for smaller size, for years.
It seemed like there was some things missing on the standards and benefits to having mini cows. First of all, no mini cow is allowed to be higher than 40 inches over their shoulders. This includes highlands minis. They also weigh and eat a lot less than normal cattle. Therefore their footprint on the pasture as well as in natural gases is reduced. One could debate that if you want a goat size animal why not just get goats? Good question. I have a good answer. Goat don't taste like beef. You can, if you wish, milk both but the milk taste different from cow and goat. Highland cattle is an over all good resistant breed that can protect them self and their calf's better than some other breeds and they also graze much like a goat and retain most of the pasture/grazing area you have available. Including but not limited to bushes, trees, bramble, etc. Figured these could be some good points to bring forward. :) Plus, I must say, minis are absolutely adorable.
BEEF :D
Hi those are some great points. I did talk a little about their requirements for less pasture land, but didn't really specify about that meaning they eat less. great stuff, thanks!
I've also heard cows are easier to manage than goats. Goats like to cause trouble and need good fencing. Cows just need some electrical lines.
I am totally obsessed with Highland cattle 🐮❤.
I don't live too far from Scotland, so I'm lucky enough to have plenty on my doorstep ( not in the literal sense).
I honestly never knew there was actually a miniature Highland cow though, I knew about Dexter cattle but hadn't heard of any other miniature breeds.
Very informative, thankyou 🐮🐮
His video just said that there is not.
You mean they are Highland Hippie Cows. What gives them the name of hippie cows is the long hair on their faces.
I love the smaller and miniature breeds. I am a small woman and they would be much easier for me to handle. When we finally make the move I want a couple of miniature jersey cows for milk, cream and cheese and some smaller to miniature beef cattle breeds. I have heard that the Highland breed is good for both but haven't really looked into it. I mainly fell in love with their looks.
No need to eat these gentle creatures
@@carlottaschmitz3441 you do know thats why they're gentle right? THEY WERE BRED TO EAT AND TO BE ABLE TO CONTROL! THEY ARE FOOD! GAMFLAH..
Well presented and objective summary here. There are actually very few breeders in the U.S. that have been selectively breeding for smaller (miniature) Highlands long enough to have an impact. Both Lowline Angus and Miniature Herefords were closed herds breeding for smaller sizes for many years in order to create the breed. We started our project downsizing the Highlands nearly 18 years ago, and the initial progress is made using a small bull, some line breeding, and now for us we are flushing embryos from our smallest cows and using that and several other small bulls on the embryos. Although the majority of our herd is not registered, we do have several registered with AHCA. One thing to note about registration however...there is no assurance of pedigree or fullblood status without parent verification (dna genotype testing) and even then it is necessary to go back at least 5 generations to obtain 15/16 status. Registration has value, however our selection was first toward breed guidelines, then conformation, then temperament. Registration came after those top three. We have unregistered Highlands that more closely conform to the breed standard than a couple of our registered ones. www.miniaturehighland.com
Thanks, I know there are people on both sides of the argument and I didn't want to step on any toes. I know that they can be bred to be significantly smaller, but it just seems like they get attacked by some other breeders as a "bad thing". I checked out your website you've got some great looking highlands. I wish I was in a little cooler area, I think that might promote a little more hair growth. Thanks for watching!
Great information. Our bull is small... both his parents were on the farm we bought him from and of standard size. I think sometimes past generation genetics show back up.
One thing I’ve noticed with highlands is that they are slow growers. Ours seem to hit a growth spurt about 2 1/2 years old. We started off with registered and think in the long run that’s the best way to go. We know the pedigree and can research bulls and make sure there is no in breeding. Love your videos!!
Hey Christi, I kind of wish I had all registered cows now that I've bought Mousse and Pepper from you. Although, Im not upset about having unregistered ones. That's good to know that maybe the growth will pick up as they age a little. The calves are doing good, I'm sure they will be in some upcoming videos
100 Acre Wood Highlands I’m glad they are doing good! I love watching them in the videos. You are doing a great job with them!!
Dude... As long as the milk is good, the beef is tender and they're tiny and cute.... I could care less about it being a pure breed. Not knocking people who do want the lineage... but for me I'm all about mini.
It's time for a new hat baby 😂
He just got it broken in 😄
This was another great and informative video about your cattle. I liked seeing your bull Whitewalker and seeing how he will come right up to you and just keep grazing. I can remember my uncle's bulls. They were always too mean to ever be in the pasture with them. (Angus bulls). Anyway, thanks for another great video.
Thanks! Ya when my dad had angus growing up I definitely was a little more cautious. Whitewalker has never acted aggressive at all, but I still keep a careful eye on him
A lot depends on how you raise them. I had a 1900lb bull that was so tame I would sometimes fall asleep on his back while he was grazing in the back 40. You could pet/scratch/brush him anywhere but the front of his head. His sale date at the stock yard was filled with laughter because when the corral hand was trying to display him all the bull would do is look back waiting for a proper scratching.
I remember as a child on the farm every summer we were not allowed near the bulls.
Great video! Very informative!! Thank you.
That's what I'm needing a mini highland cow
Back at it, hoping to watch your videos to the current videos
Dang, they are so cute. Plus, they eat a lot of things that other animals won't. I would love some!
I just found out what high land are called they are gorgious the. Calf you have is just so darn cute
3:50 Cinnamon has some thoughts on this commentary
Miniature is so cute. 🥰 I love small dogs and the small horses (Shetland?). The small Highland cows are so cute, especially the children.
Good information. I love this breed and would be strongly upset if the breed was destroyed by the make a minnie cow.
I have a friend with mini highlands and the are literally the height of a Labrador
10/10 good farm stuff
I read on one site, the farmer had a point when he said the cows / bulls from the islands are smaller than mainland cows. I also read that Highland Cows were predominantly black. People thought red was better?
Howdy…. from Australia…Chad sent me
So it's a combination problem between cleverly marketing a smaller animal for a higher price, and breed snobs that are stuck on adhering to a very old breed standard that doesn't account for the modern world. If I get to start my dream hobby farm, I want to keep mini jerseys for milk and smaller highlands for meat. I know I want smaller animals for the benefits that they include, but I would like to maintain registered animals as an additional source of potential revenue. You've given me some things to consider.
Thats a good way to sum it up. I enjoy the history of the old associates and the resources that they bring to breeders. But I also enjoy smaller animals for the benefits they have.
Dextor and Highland cattle are small as it is how could you get miniature versions of them
Greg Judy breeds the South Polls and focuses on uniform shape and a relatively modest to small size. Have you noticed a better birthing rate with the smaller size or is it proportionate to the size of the cow? Meaning a smaller cow has as hard a time as a large cow given all things equal in the bull (small bull to small cow and normal bull to normal cow).
Well I've had a lot more experienced breeders recommend AI on my first time heifers to low birth weight bulls to make sure they don't have trouble. Also, many people don't breed their cows until 2 years old because their body size is still too small until then
the only reason i think about raising a smaller breed of cow is they wont need 1) grain and 2)you can raise more of them then the bigger cows,, i can see the advantages of raising regestered cows also,,
Okay but the real question, can I kees?
When the Donut Operator music rolled in at the end, I did a a double take haha
Very good info on these little guys (the Mrs is interested in having a few so I sent her this info just so she knows) :)
My fiancé promised me a mini highland cow. She’s going to be more of a pampered outdoor pet.
I really would love all the benefits and beauty of a highland but in a smaller size since I have smaller property. I love the idea of registered pure bred highland that is smaller size (hence mini). It’s all genetics. If we just breed the smaller size pure breds with good traits you get what you want. This exist, right?
There are certainly small and very small highlands. The trouble is that minis are known to be a problem for scams. They all look real small when they’re under 3 years old. Also the is no separate standalone mini breed of highlands. The very small ones are likely crossed with other breeds like dexter
Update on the highland cows?
So what type of acreage does each miniature cow need? I’m sorry if you mentioned and I missed it
Were do I buy a mini cow
So how much does a mature cow weigh? I listened to the vid waiting to find out
Cows 1,200 pounds or more, bulls can approach 2,000 sometimes
👍👍👍
What is the age limit for slaughter of the Highlanders.
Interesting. The controversy with these cattle breeds are the same with dog breeds.
Ex. (American pit bull terrier vs small bullies)
My husband and I love highland cattle. But we once lived in Alaska they are great there. Now we are going to be living in Florida in a year. He wants a highland I keep telling him he can’t because of the Florida heat. I don’t think they can survive that type of heat. What is your opinion on them in the heat?
Hi Dayna, I can give you my experience here in Central Oklahoma. We regularly get to 100 degrees in the summer and it can be humid. My cows spend those days in the pond or in the shade. I've been to Florida but Im not sure what kind of temperatures you will be getting.
I also don't know any farms in Florida that have them but they can adapt pretty well and do good in the heat here
Check out miniature Jerseys
AND YOU.did i edit that.
Highland Hippie Cows. They are hippies cause of the long hair on their faces.