Highland cattle are one of the oldest breeds in the world, originating from Scotland as far back as the 6th century. The extremely harsh conditions of the rugged, remote Scottish Highlands created a process of natural selection, where only the fittest and most adaptable animals survived to carry on the breed. Originally there were two distinct classes; the slightly smaller and usually black Kyloe, whose primary domain was the islands off the west coast of northern Scotland. The other was a larger animal, generally reddish in color, whose territory was the Highlands. Today both of these strains are regarded as one breed – Highland. In addition to red and black, yellow, dun, white, brindle and silver are also traditional colors. The breed is characterized by traits of hardiness, self-sufficiency and longevity. They are excellent foragers and efficient at improving pastures and clearing woodlots. A testament of this ability was in an Oak Savanna Restoration Project in Wisconsin where the cattle and environment thrived. Their moderate frame is ideal for small and large farms alike in various climates and regions of the country. Highlands are found in all fifty states and acclimate well to the environment, yet it is best to buy cattle from a climate similar to your farm. The double hair coat is a tremendous asset in adverse weather and is believed to be the reason why they have limited external fat cover. This means less to trim from carcasses and more value retained. The horns not only give them their majestic looks but are helpful with predator control. These cattle have strong maternal instincts and protect their young. In addition, Highland genetics are quite diverse from other breeds, so they produce a highly productive cross.
The Dun carries the black gene. A Dun cow has to have a black nose, the thong is also black along with their hooves and the tips of their horns once they mature! The color Dun is the beautiful "brown" colored cows you see! A dun comes in several different shades of brown, some lighter some darker.
A sliver cow also carries the black gene and has to have a black nose, tongue, and hooves and the tips of their horns will be black once they matured.
(Picture credited to Blair Homestead LLC)
A white cow has a pink nose! If the nose is pink then you have a white cow...do not get this confused with a sliver.
(Picture credited to Blair Homestead LLC)
A brindle is known as a "Wild Card," they are black with red stripes or red with black stripes or they can also be yellow with black stripes. They normally have some black in their nose.
A black cow will always be all black! Black hair, black nose, black tongue, black hooves, and black tips on their horns.
A red cow can come in several different shades of reds. There are light reds and deep, dark reds. They will always have a pink nose.
A yellow cow is super light! They normally have yellow around their eyes and nose and they get lighter and lighter the more they mature.
Here is the concept for every living thing that reproduces with a sperm and an egg. The bulls sperm determine the sex of the calf through what are called the X and Y chromosome. All females have 2 X chromosome while all males have an X and a Y. If the sperm has an X chromosome then the calf will be a heifer. If the sperm has a Y chromosome then the calf will be male. The sperm with the X chromosome is heavier than the sperm with the Y chromosome. Therefore, it is beleived that the male sperm can swim faster and get to the site of fertilization sooner than the female sperm. However, the male sperm is also suppose to die sooner than the fermale sperm. This has led some producers, dairy in particular, to AI a little soon than recommended to try and shift the ratio in favour of heifers. I do not know if it works. If the above is true, logically it would follow that a cow who ovulates sooner in the heat cycle relative to standing heat would tend to have more bulls as compared to cows who ovulate later in the cycle.