SATURDAY CRITTERS - The Garlic Farm (Part 4)

I gave you a little glimpse of the Highland cattle in Thursday’d post.  Today the first 2 photos were taken just opposite The Garlic Farm and the others were in another field.  I have included some information regarding this breed. 

Highland cattle (Scottish Gaelic: Bò Ghàidhealach) (Scots: kyloe) are a Scottish breed of cattle with long horns and long wavy coats which are coloured black, brindled, red, yellow or dun.  

The Highland cattle registry ("herd book") was established in 1885.  Although groups of cattle are generally called herds, a group of Highlands is known as a fold. They were also known as kyloes in Scots.

The breed was developed in the Scottish Highlands and Western Isles of Scotland. Breeding stock has been exported to the rest of the world, especially Australia and North America, since the early 20th Century. The breed was developed from two sets of stock, one originally black, and the other reddish.

Highlands are known as a hardy breed due to the rugged nature of their native Scottish Highlands, with high rainfall and very strong winds. Highland cattle have been successfully established in many temperate countries and indeed in countries where winters are substantially colder than Scotland's such as in central Europe and Canada. Their hair gives protection during the cold winters and their skill in looking for food allows them to survive in steep mountain areas. They both graze and browse and eat plants which many other cattle avoid.

 The meat tends to be leaner than most beef because Highlands get most of their insulation from their thick shaggy hair rather than subcutaneous fat. The coat makes them a good breed for cold northern climates and they are able to thrive in outdoor conditions that would defeat most other breeds of domestic beef cattle. 

As such, Highland cattle are able to produce beef at a reasonable gross margin from inhospitable land that would otherwise normally be incapable of rendering a profit agriculturally. Whilst the UK domestic and worldwide popularity of Highland cattle has made trade in pedigree beasts occasionally the most lucrative - mainly on account of their handsome appearance - they are at their best agriculturally when used to produce beef in a cold climate from poor pasture and forage.

Whilst the muscle of pure-bred Highland cattle is exceptionally tender and of high flavour, modern butchery and shopping trends tend to demand a carcass and a cut of meat of a different character. In order to address this market, Highland beef producers commonly run commercial Highland suckler cows with a 'terminal' sire such as a Shorthorn or Limousin bull.

This allows the hardy Highland cow, grazed upon the rough hillsides of her natural environment, to produce a cross-bred beef calf featuring the tender beef of its mother on a more modern carcass of high commercial value at slaughter, thus rendering a gross margin from her grazing that would have been impossible from other breeds in that environment.   Now for a bit of fun!

Look Lady, I am trying to have my dinner.

                                                               OK?

Boy this is good grub!

You still there?

Look, I don’t want to be rude - but.....

 I told you, can’t a girl have a meal in piece!

Enough photographs please.

I’m not looking at you.

I’m off!

I hope you enjoyed this post and the little bit of fun.

I have a short video, CLICK HERE if it does not appear below.

I am linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS.

I have 3 more posts about The Garlic Farm so hope you will join me
 for the final posts on this series.

Thank you for your visit and also for all your comments.