Cattle Care and Ownership Tips!
If you are new to cattle that is okay! Check out some of our tips and cattle facts!
Why should I choose a Highland cow• I can tell you why we prefer Highlands and our Highland crosses!! Our Highlands are very docile/gentle and just overall gorgeous animals. In addition to having a gentle nature they are also naturally smaller than most other breeds of cows. We can graze a larger number of Highlands on less acreage than we would be able to do with our larger commercial cows. It takes 1.5 to 2 acres to feed a pair of calves for one full year. This means that a Mini Cow would need 1.5-2 acres per pair of cows or .75-1 acre per mini cow. There is a formula for which you can use that goes like this” (animals) X (average animal weight) x (.04) x (Grazing days)/ (Average Yield Per Acre in Pounds). This Formula would give you the absolute number of acres needed for the number of mini cows.
Grazing/Feeding Hay/Minerals/Protein/Salt
• Make sure that the area you are planning on for grazing cattle is sufficient with the proper nutrients for your cattle needs. Higher quality forages are fermented more rapidly in the rumen leaving a void that the animal can re-fill with additional forage. Consequently, forage intake increases. For example, low quality forages (below about 6% crude protein) will be consumed at about 1.5% of body weight (on a dry matter basis) per day. Higher quality grass hays (above 8% crude protein) may be consumed at about 2.0% of body weight. If feeding hay make sure to buy the highest quality of hay, and plan on supplementing lower quality hay with protein tubs or liquid feed. If you have a local feed store, see if they have an animal nutritionist that can help with any questions you may have, or just getting your program started. Work with your local ag extension office for best practices in your geographical area as each geographical area is different in what they need as far as minerals and protein are concerned. We use chelated loose minerals for our breeding program and hard cake tubs as our protein supplement. In addition to lose minerals you will also need loose salt or a salt block for your cattle.
Handling and vet care• Facilities- no, they don’t have to be fancy, but you should have a way to restrain a cow. Depending on size this can be a gate that swings back against a fence (this works great for calves until they get too big), a wooden chute that ends with a headgate will work pretty good even for cows, although it doesn’t completely restrain them, but it will work for injections. A vet or someone knowledgeable that you can contact if you are having issues. A vet is important, because they should have the skills to diagnose health problems you may run into, help with major calving issues, etc. you cannot buy ANY antibiotics without a prescription from a vet, and in fact most farm supply stores do not even carry antibiotics any longer. A vet kit, this is the basically the cheapest and most useful thing you will buy. From bottle calves to feeders to cow, you don’t need anything fancy. Some of the basics include a thermometer, gauze, syringes and needles, iodine, saline and some vet wrap. A halter, rope cattle halter, horse halter with lead, nylon cow halter with lead…doesn’t matter. This is so you can restrain their head so you can work around them safely. Think about trying to dig a grass seed out of an eye without having the head restrained or lancing an abscess. This will save you a broken nose or banged up face.
Formula for Calculating Winter Hay Needs for Beef Cattle
• Before you can calculate your winter hay needs, you need to gather some information first. Make sure you have the below information first:The # of cattle you are feedingThe average weight of those cattleThe weight of one hay baleThe # of days you will feed hayTake your best estimate if you are unsure of any of the above values. Better to estimate for more days than less and/or to overshoot cow weight, just to be safe. Probably want to do the opposite when estimating bale weight, though, if you are unsure of their weight.
Step 1: Average weight of cow x 2% (% of body weight eaten in hay daily) = lbs per day of hay per headStep 2: lbs/day of hay per head x total # of cows = total cowherd lbs of hay /dayStep 3: total cowherd lbs of hay /day x # of days feeding hay = total lbs of hay needed for winterStep 4: total lbs of hay for winter / weight of bale = # of bales need for winterStep 5: Add anywhere from 20%-30% extra bales to this number, depending on your hay availability during the winter.
Fencing• We often get asked what type of fencing to use. We use 5-6 strand barbless wire, electric fences, and woven wire fencing in high pressure and calf areas. All of these will work depending on the temperament and size of cattle you are trying to contain. The smaller the animal the tighter the fencing needs to be to prevent escape into the neighbor’s pasture or the road.
Micro vs Miniature vs Midsize • Our programs primary focus is to produce small yet correct livestock for not only pet homes but other breeders as well! We do not breed for beef, so we prefer a smaller animal. We also prefer our Highlands to fall in the miniature range to mid miniature; topline height (across the top of the back hips) 38" to 44". We do occasionally raise larger cows that fall in the standard category, 48" or taller, but we prefer a little smaller animal so that will be the primary stock choice. We do not offer any guarantees on mature heights. We can accurately give you heights of parents and expect an average of the two, but genetics don't just come from the parents. They can pop up from anywhere down the line. We prefer our mini/midsize cows to be under 44" topline. Most of our cows fall into this category. Most of our registered girls are 45" or under. We love our registered stock even though they are a little bigger than the minis! We have spent a lot of time researching and finding the perfect cows, we sought not only bloodlines but most important conformation. See our size chart for example
Chondro Gene• I did lots of research and I just couldn't find anything conclusive as to why I should or should not use it in our breeding program. We bought our first chondro cow and fell in love with her. I absolutely love my chondro carriers!! The Chondro gene, short for CHONDRODYSPLASIA, is what gives some cattle their short legged stature. It is not a "bad" thing to be avoided. Kind of like the LWO in horses for those looking for loud frame overo colors, there is no risk if the gene is managed properly. In fact, it is quite useful to get the end result we are often looking for, smaller cattle. There is no risk if the gene is managed properly. But breeding “chondro” cattle can even be fatal for calves if two carriers breed. It is important to have genetic testing to confirm the presence or absence of the gene. You never want to breed a chondro positive cow with a chondro positive bull. The risks to the calf are just too high. The choice to use it is up to each individual, and my best advice is to seek out others who breed these carriers, and get their opinion versus someone who has no real knowledge of it, but has strong feelings regarding it.
More Facts:• Cows do best with friends, they are herd animals.• You should take the strings or wrap off your bales…cows will eat it and it can get balled up and cause problems in the future.• Bulls fight, cows fight, this is how they figure out the pecking order.• Good fences make good neighbors….sometimes this means that YOU have to be the one to keep the fences up. • Cows that make a habit of crawling or jumping fences are very rarely cured, and they love to teach all their friends how to do it too. You really should get rid of these ones.
Health Tips:
• The average temp of a cow is 101.7, this varies a little 100 to 102.5 for Cows and 101.5 to 103.5 for calves.• Cows…that is mature cows and yearlings, can have diarrhea without being ill. Especially when they are on fresh green grass, high quality hay, or if they are stressed about something!• You should vaccinate your cows. At least for the basics, Blackleg 8-way and BVD are my suggestions. For other suggestions talk to a vet and/or other cattle people in your area.• Cows can have snotty or runny noses and eyes without being sick.• Sick cows can be pretty good at hiding it. BUT, there’s usually a few signs, they will stand ‘hunched’ up, their ears will be droopy, they will drag their feet.• Not every runny or cloudy eye is pinkeye…be sure to check for a foreign object. • Itchy cows don’t always have lice. It’s probably lice, but not always. Cows are itchier in the spring when they are shedding out. Lice is pretty easy to treat and there are a lot of options out there. Cows like to scratch, its only a problem when they start scratching their hair off. Lice can be treated with pour on or injectable dewormer.• Keep loose salt or salt block and mineral available at all times
Vital Signs: • Temperature: 100 to 102.8 degrees F• Heart rate: 40 to 70 beats per minute• Beef cow respiration: 10 to 30 breaths per minute• Dairy cow respiration: 18 to 28 beats per minute• Rumen movements: 1 to 2½ per minute
Why should I choose a Highland cow• I can tell you why we prefer Highlands and our Highland crosses!! Our Highlands are very docile/gentle and just overall gorgeous animals. In addition to having a gentle nature they are also naturally smaller than most other breeds of cows. We can graze a larger number of Highlands on less acreage than we would be able to do with our larger commercial cows. It takes 1.5 to 2 acres to feed a pair of calves for one full year. This means that a Mini Cow would need 1.5-2 acres per pair of cows or .75-1 acre per mini cow. There is a formula for which you can use that goes like this” (animals) X (average animal weight) x (.04) x (Grazing days)/ (Average Yield Per Acre in Pounds). This Formula would give you the absolute number of acres needed for the number of mini cows.
Grazing/Feeding Hay/Minerals/Protein/Salt
• Make sure that the area you are planning on for grazing cattle is sufficient with the proper nutrients for your cattle needs. Higher quality forages are fermented more rapidly in the rumen leaving a void that the animal can re-fill with additional forage. Consequently, forage intake increases. For example, low quality forages (below about 6% crude protein) will be consumed at about 1.5% of body weight (on a dry matter basis) per day. Higher quality grass hays (above 8% crude protein) may be consumed at about 2.0% of body weight. If feeding hay make sure to buy the highest quality of hay, and plan on supplementing lower quality hay with protein tubs or liquid feed. If you have a local feed store, see if they have an animal nutritionist that can help with any questions you may have, or just getting your program started. Work with your local ag extension office for best practices in your geographical area as each geographical area is different in what they need as far as minerals and protein are concerned. We use chelated loose minerals for our breeding program and hard cake tubs as our protein supplement. In addition to lose minerals you will also need loose salt or a salt block for your cattle.
Handling and vet care• Facilities- no, they don’t have to be fancy, but you should have a way to restrain a cow. Depending on size this can be a gate that swings back against a fence (this works great for calves until they get too big), a wooden chute that ends with a headgate will work pretty good even for cows, although it doesn’t completely restrain them, but it will work for injections. A vet or someone knowledgeable that you can contact if you are having issues. A vet is important, because they should have the skills to diagnose health problems you may run into, help with major calving issues, etc. you cannot buy ANY antibiotics without a prescription from a vet, and in fact most farm supply stores do not even carry antibiotics any longer. A vet kit, this is the basically the cheapest and most useful thing you will buy. From bottle calves to feeders to cow, you don’t need anything fancy. Some of the basics include a thermometer, gauze, syringes and needles, iodine, saline and some vet wrap. A halter, rope cattle halter, horse halter with lead, nylon cow halter with lead…doesn’t matter. This is so you can restrain their head so you can work around them safely. Think about trying to dig a grass seed out of an eye without having the head restrained or lancing an abscess. This will save you a broken nose or banged up face.
Formula for Calculating Winter Hay Needs for Beef Cattle
• Before you can calculate your winter hay needs, you need to gather some information first. Make sure you have the below information first:The # of cattle you are feedingThe average weight of those cattleThe weight of one hay baleThe # of days you will feed hayTake your best estimate if you are unsure of any of the above values. Better to estimate for more days than less and/or to overshoot cow weight, just to be safe. Probably want to do the opposite when estimating bale weight, though, if you are unsure of their weight.
Step 1: Average weight of cow x 2% (% of body weight eaten in hay daily) = lbs per day of hay per headStep 2: lbs/day of hay per head x total # of cows = total cowherd lbs of hay /dayStep 3: total cowherd lbs of hay /day x # of days feeding hay = total lbs of hay needed for winterStep 4: total lbs of hay for winter / weight of bale = # of bales need for winterStep 5: Add anywhere from 20%-30% extra bales to this number, depending on your hay availability during the winter.
Fencing• We often get asked what type of fencing to use. We use 5-6 strand barbless wire, electric fences, and woven wire fencing in high pressure and calf areas. All of these will work depending on the temperament and size of cattle you are trying to contain. The smaller the animal the tighter the fencing needs to be to prevent escape into the neighbor’s pasture or the road.
Micro vs Miniature vs Midsize • Our programs primary focus is to produce small yet correct livestock for not only pet homes but other breeders as well! We do not breed for beef, so we prefer a smaller animal. We also prefer our Highlands to fall in the miniature range to mid miniature; topline height (across the top of the back hips) 38" to 44". We do occasionally raise larger cows that fall in the standard category, 48" or taller, but we prefer a little smaller animal so that will be the primary stock choice. We do not offer any guarantees on mature heights. We can accurately give you heights of parents and expect an average of the two, but genetics don't just come from the parents. They can pop up from anywhere down the line. We prefer our mini/midsize cows to be under 44" topline. Most of our cows fall into this category. Most of our registered girls are 45" or under. We love our registered stock even though they are a little bigger than the minis! We have spent a lot of time researching and finding the perfect cows, we sought not only bloodlines but most important conformation. See our size chart for example
Chondro Gene• I did lots of research and I just couldn't find anything conclusive as to why I should or should not use it in our breeding program. We bought our first chondro cow and fell in love with her. I absolutely love my chondro carriers!! The Chondro gene, short for CHONDRODYSPLASIA, is what gives some cattle their short legged stature. It is not a "bad" thing to be avoided. Kind of like the LWO in horses for those looking for loud frame overo colors, there is no risk if the gene is managed properly. In fact, it is quite useful to get the end result we are often looking for, smaller cattle. There is no risk if the gene is managed properly. But breeding “chondro” cattle can even be fatal for calves if two carriers breed. It is important to have genetic testing to confirm the presence or absence of the gene. You never want to breed a chondro positive cow with a chondro positive bull. The risks to the calf are just too high. The choice to use it is up to each individual, and my best advice is to seek out others who breed these carriers, and get their opinion versus someone who has no real knowledge of it, but has strong feelings regarding it.
More Facts:• Cows do best with friends, they are herd animals.• You should take the strings or wrap off your bales…cows will eat it and it can get balled up and cause problems in the future.• Bulls fight, cows fight, this is how they figure out the pecking order.• Good fences make good neighbors….sometimes this means that YOU have to be the one to keep the fences up. • Cows that make a habit of crawling or jumping fences are very rarely cured, and they love to teach all their friends how to do it too. You really should get rid of these ones.
Health Tips:
• The average temp of a cow is 101.7, this varies a little 100 to 102.5 for Cows and 101.5 to 103.5 for calves.• Cows…that is mature cows and yearlings, can have diarrhea without being ill. Especially when they are on fresh green grass, high quality hay, or if they are stressed about something!• You should vaccinate your cows. At least for the basics, Blackleg 8-way and BVD are my suggestions. For other suggestions talk to a vet and/or other cattle people in your area.• Cows can have snotty or runny noses and eyes without being sick.• Sick cows can be pretty good at hiding it. BUT, there’s usually a few signs, they will stand ‘hunched’ up, their ears will be droopy, they will drag their feet.• Not every runny or cloudy eye is pinkeye…be sure to check for a foreign object. • Itchy cows don’t always have lice. It’s probably lice, but not always. Cows are itchier in the spring when they are shedding out. Lice is pretty easy to treat and there are a lot of options out there. Cows like to scratch, its only a problem when they start scratching their hair off. Lice can be treated with pour on or injectable dewormer.• Keep loose salt or salt block and mineral available at all times
Vital Signs: • Temperature: 100 to 102.8 degrees F• Heart rate: 40 to 70 beats per minute• Beef cow respiration: 10 to 30 breaths per minute• Dairy cow respiration: 18 to 28 beats per minute• Rumen movements: 1 to 2½ per minute