These cattle tended to be smaller, to have black coats and, due to their more rugged environment, to have long hair. One was the West Highland, or Kyloe, originating and living mostly on the Western Islands, which had harsher conditions. The 1885 herd book describes two distinct types of Highland cattle. Highland cattle have a history that dates back to at least the 6th century AD, with the first written evidence dating back to the 12th century AD. The original cattle, the Hamitic Longhorn, were brought to Britain by Neolithic farmers in the second millennium BC as the cattle migrated northwards through Africa and Europe. Playfighting, licking and mounting were seen as friendly contact.īreeding occurred in May and June, with heifers first giving birth at 2–3 years old. Calves from the top ranking cow were given higher social status, despite minimal intervention from their mother. Young bulls would dominate adult cows when they reached around 2 years of age. Social standing depended on age and sex, with older cattle being dominant to calves and younger ones and males dominant to females. It was found that the cattle have a clear structure and hierarchy of dominance, which reduced aggression. Social behaviourĪ fold of semi-wild Highland cattle was studied, over a period of 4 years. Highland cattle have been successfully established in countries where winters are substantially colder than Scotland such as Norway and Canada. Cold toleranceĪll European cattle cope relatively well with low temperatures but Highland cattle have been described as ".almost as cold-tolerant as the arctic-dwelling caribou and reindeer." Conversely they are much less tolerant of heat than zebu cattle, which originated in South Asia and are adapted for hot climates. They are generally good-natured animals but very protective of their young. ![]() They have a docile temperament and the milk has a high butterfat content, so have traditionally been used as house cows. The coat colors are caused by alleles at the MC1R gene (E locus) and the PMEL or SILV gene (D locus). The hair color of Highland cattle can vary from black, brindled, red, yellow and dun. Highland cattle also have a longer expected lifespan than most other breeds of cattle, up to 20 years. Sexual maturity is reached at about eighteen months. ![]() Most commonly a single calf is born, but twins are not unknown. Mating occurs throughout the year with a gestation period of approximately 277–290 days. Cows typically have a height of 90–106 centimeters (3–3.5 ft), and bulls are typically in the range of 106–120 centimeters (3.5–4 ft). Mature bulls can weigh up to 800 kilograms (1,800 pounds) and cows can weigh up to 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds). They can dig through the snow with their horns to find buried plants. Their skill in foraging for food allows them to survive in steep mountain areas where they both graze and eat plants that many other cattle avoid. This makes them well suited to conditions in the Highlands, which have a high annual rainfall and sometimes very strong winds. On the outside is the oily outer hair-the longest of any cattle breed-covering a downy undercoat. They have an unusual double coat of hair.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |