Brushing Scotch Highlanders?

[minckler]

<FONT color=#ff6600>I just bought 2 Scotch Highlanders as pets and they are all matted and such. Anyone have any suggestions on making them pretty again. Not like I can just put them in the sink like I do my dogs...</FONT>

[woofgang]

sorry, what are scotch highlanders?

[FP]

Cattle, I believe with shaggy golden coats?

[minckler]

Yup, Cattle..I guess people also call them Scottish Highlanders.  Big and furry with horns!

[FP]

Are they friendly minckler?  Can they be groomed like horses?  You are very lucky to have them as pets, they are such lovely looking animals.  We had some in a field near us a year or so ago and the calves were absolutely adorable. 

Can these people help you?

http://www.highlandcattlesociety.com/

[minckler]

The people I bought them from say they are one of the most friendly breed.  I just love them and can't wait to get them home.  I looked on the link you gave me about Highlanders but really couldn't find questions or answers but I did find an e-mail address so I tried that.  Thank you, anyone else have any information about them?

[FP]

We used to have a wonderful contributor on here with the user name of Newforester.  He seemed to know everything about nature and farming, etc.  He also had a lot to do with cattle and, if I remember rightly, he had a herd of his own white cattle.  I was hoping he might look in and help you out with this question.

If you are out there Newforester, we need you back.  Animals and Nature has never been the same since you have stopped posting.  xx

[New Forester]

Just whistle, FP...

Yes, I have British White cattle, and have handled Highlands in the past too.

If your Highlands are tame, then yes, you'll be able to tie them up and groom them.  Cattle really love being groomed, and will often go into a happy daze for as long as you have patience.  (Though of course be aware of where the points of their horns are as they move their heads about -- they are very strong indeed and can do a lot of harm without trying.)

However, until they are used to being handled they will find grooming highly stressful, and if they are well matted, I suspect they're not used to being groomed.  They may even kick and struggle, fall over and perhaps even knock off a horn or two.  So take it gently to start with.  Tie them up for an hour or so every day, leaving a headcollar on all the time.  Visit them a lot, pat them as you walk past, then try feeding them on the ground and reaching over the food from the front to stroke their necks.  Eventually (perhaps weeks) work up to scratching their flanks and around the tops of their legs.  Eventually they will understand that you are trying to groom them, and then progress will be rapid.

Don't be afraid to clip off the fur -- in fact my own view is that Highlands should be clipped anyway in climates warmer than Scottish highlands.  It may take a while to grow back though (I'm not sure if Highlands grow the whole coat twice a year like other cattle, or if it just grows all the time).

When tying them up never let them understand that you are not as strong as them.  Tie them to something solid, and don't try to lead them about until they are used to that.  Some people use a vehicle to teach them to lead, but I've found patience works best, together with a pair of bull-dogs (nose clips on a string).

(continued)

[New Forester]

...continued.

So yes, groom them regularly.  Incidentally, in Britain we'd call them Highlands -- Highlanders are the chaps in kilts...

But I'm a bit worried about "pets"...  Do you know what you're taking on?  Have you got facilities to keep cattle?  For example, a crush -- for Highlands you may need a special crush with space for the horns.  Are your fences up to cattle?  They will not respect an odd bit of string as horses often do -- it has to be built solidly.  Have you got someone nearby who knows about cattle and is prepared to come and help regularly?  Do you know what cattle diseases look like?  What are you doing about calves?  (Non-breeding heifers will get very fat very easily).  Do you realise they might live twenty years?  Have you got enough land?  This is a big commitment, and could easily end in tears...

Having said all that, if you understand and appreciate cattle, keeping them is tremendously rewarding and you will have many years of fulfilment and pleasure -- good luck!

Richard

[FP]

Nice to see you Richard. 

[minckler]

Richard..Thanks for all your input, if possible I would like to chat more with you...My "pet" was for my birthday but really the idea is beef cattle, so we will be only keeping them long enough to produce a calf then when it is weened we butcher the mom.  My father in law is an insemenator so he will insemenate her.  Is a crush a place where the cow goes when the vet comes or the cow is to be insemated?  The horns are my husbands only concern but I am adimant that they are not to be taken off.  Any other input you have will be apreacheated..

Thanks,  Molly

[New Forester]

Molly -

Yes, a crush is a cage thing to put the animal in when examining or treating it, trimming feet or indeed inseminating it.  Is it called a "press" in America?  You can have a mobile metal one, or build something out of heavy post-and-rail, with a race to get them in.

I've seen special Highland crushes, low and with no top so they can get the horn span through -- horns are quite brittle and break if constrained in a struggle.

Horns aren't so bad as you'd think -- the very long ones of full-grown Highlands actually give you a good pair of handles to help hold the head still -- but it's still easy to get one in the midriff...  Hold the end in your fist if you have to work in range -- a fist in the eye in this situation is preferable!

Highlands are long-lived animals and it seems a waste to eat her after one calf -- a good cow ought to give you one a year for ten years or more.  Eat the calves instead!  Or are these old cows?  (In the UK we can't eat those at the moment).

Richard

[New Forester]

FP -  Yes, nowadays most often golden (dun), but can be any solid colour.  Black, red, cream, or white all over or I believe also white with black ears and nose like a White Park or British White.

Richard

[FP]

Thanks Richard, I thought they were all golden.

I just couldn't eat anything I had known personally and looked after - not even a chicken!!  Would never make a farmer!

Hope to see you on here again soon. x

[woofgang]

nice to see you back newforester, whre have you been?

[smudge]

Hurrah, hurrah - New Forester's back today!

[FP]

Well all I did was whistle!  

[FP]

Smudge, you been going to poetry classes?!  I keep seeing your little rhymes :o)

[smudge]

FP - it's amazing what pops into your brain when you're a bit bored! 

It's been great looking at all the photo's on here. It's a good job I did loads of housework yesterday - cos I haven't been very industrious today! Rain, rain, rain - where is our English summer?

[FP]

I'ts been wonderful here today, Smudge!  No rain at all and really warm and sunny this afternoon.