Scottish Highland Cows: What to Know Before Bringing One Home

Photos by Monica McGhee

 

Americans are crazy about their pets. According to Forbes, nearly 7 in 10 U.S. households own a pet, led by millennials and Gen Xers as the largest pet-owning populations at 33 percent and 25 percent, respectively. They also lead the economic charge that goes with it — $136.8 billion spent on pets in 2022, up nearly 11 percent from 2021.

 

Dogs, cats and fish make up the bulk of those adopted family members, but an industry does not achieve market penetration into 87 million American households without some outliers thrown in there. Every year, it seems, a new pet of the moment comes along that — not unlike bangs and acid wash jeans — represents the hot new trend of the moment.

 

The list of such alternative animal companions is a long one. Pot-bellied pigs, monkeys, squirrels, miniature horses, fiddler crabs, guinea pigs, rats and various reptiles have all enjoyed their 15 minutes of widespread fame through the years. Now a new pet star appears to be emerging — the Scottish Highland cow, those lovable pasture fluffs that have been described as teddy bears on four legs.

 

What to Know About Scottish Highland Cows

 

Scottish Highland cows are known for their long, shaggy coats, distinctive horns and generally calm temperament, but bringing one home is very different from adopting a traditional household pet. Highland cattle are livestock and require appropriate land, fencing, food and veterinary care. Full-size Highland cattle can also grow considerably larger than the fluffy calves often seen on social media.

Miniature Highland cows have become increasingly popular, but buyers should understand what “miniature” means and research breeders carefully. Size, temperament and care requirements can vary, making it important to know what to expect before adding Highland cattle to your property.

 

The breed is far from ubiquitous; though there is no official head count, Animalia estimates there are only about 15,000 head in the United Kingdom and 11,000 in the U.S. Nevertheless, the Scottish Highland breed has enjoyed a lot of traction in the states over the past decade, both with producers and with the public.

 

 

Ranchers favor the breed not only for temperament but for ease of calving and their tender, lean meat, crows the American Highland Cattle Association, as its membership spread attests. AHCA numbers nearly 1,900 producers, spread out across all 50 U.S. states, including a handful from the U.K., Chile, Brazil, Canada and Australia.

 

Domestically, Colorado has the most AHCA members at 116, followed by Missouri at 111 and Ohio at 88. Arkansas lists 38 members, putting it squarely mid- to lower-herd among other states.

 

But does all that make the Scottish Highland cow a good pet? Well, yes and no. As with any animal, the beast has certain needs and requirements that owners must be willing to meet in order to keep it vital and healthy.

 

Mature standard Scottish Highlands cows can reach a full-grown height up to 52 inches (measured at the shoulder) and can tip the scales at 1,100 to north of 1,700 pounds. Adults can put away 150 pounds of grass a day, reports Animalia. Because of that, experts suggest providing at least two acres of ground per animal.

 

Scottish Highland cows also take some regular maintenance, starting with the iconic shaggy coats that benefit from brushing. The cows grow long horns that complicate handling, even given the animals’ generally docile demeanor. Socialization plays a key role in ownership, especially when the animals are younger, since it helps cement a strong emotional bond between owner and animal.

 

 

Full-sized animals are not the only or even the primary thing that is driving the pet craze, however. Miniature Scottish Highlands have become the darlings of social media. Here again, the cute factor which is so undeniable can blind the owner as to the expense and work involved in owning one. Miniature Scottish Highlands are just 30 to 50 pounds at birth, but that picture will change well past what many people expect.

 

Chris Andrews, owner of CMA Farms, has been working Scottish Highland cattle on his spread outside of Ward for five years. As an operator, he is delighted with the breed’s attributes, but he chuckles at the thought of people buying them as pets, especially those who think their miniature version is going to top out at about the size of a Saint Bernard.

 

“They’re very sweet and docile. In fact, it’s real easy to walk out to them and milk them and brush them and handle them,” he said, “but a lot of folks are unaware of what these cattle are.”

 

Andrews said part of the issue is unscrupulous breeders who take advantage of uninformed consumers’ infatuation with the cow’s appearance and use that to sell them a standard calf that will grow into something they did not bargain for.

 

 

“A lot of people think they’re buying a mini cow,” he said. “They don’t realize these Highlands don’t get full grown until they’re, like, 4. People are getting hoodwinked because they’re coming out, buying a ‘mini cow,’ and they think they’ve got this cute little pet. Well, that’s great for the first two-and-a-half years, and all of a sudden, you walk out one day, and he’s 800 pounds.”

 

“They’re dense, they’re short legged, and they stay that way a long time. If you were to take a picture of one of ours right now, let’s say we’ve got one that’s about 8 months old. If I was dishonest, I could put him out there and say, ‘Hey, I’ve got a mini Highland for sale.’ You would be happy with him for a year, maybe even two. Then they hit this growth spurt, and all of a sudden, you walk out there to a 4-year-old animal that’s now 1,100 pounds, and you’re like, ‘Where’s my mini?’”

 

Even when breeders are on the level with people, consumers often do not have a proper concept of what lies ahead. As breed facts at highlandcowguide.com bear out, “mini” is a relative term when talking about a Scottish Highland. While they are about half the size of the standard breed, that still adds up to hefty proportions in adulthood. Full-grown miniatures typically stand taller than 3 feet tall at the shoulder, cows weigh between 500 and 800 pounds at maturity, and bulls typically weigh in at 700 to 1,000 pounds.

 

Owners do save money at the chow line, since miniatures eat between half to two-thirds what their full-sized relatives consume, but that still equates to 12 to 18 pounds of hay per day. The same equation applies to pasture ground, medicinal/supplements, shelter and equipment needs, all of which are less than for standard animals but still have to be provided at considerable cost to the owner, not to mention the coat maintenance and socialization time the creatures require, just like their bigger cousins. Multiply that by the not-uncommon life expectancy of 20 years or more, and keeping a Highland as a pet is an expensive and time-consuming proposition.

 

The problems with the miniature version extend beyond merely financial considerations and whether or not the animal can fit through a doggy door into the house. As with other breeds and species, miniaturization is increasingly being decried as unethical due to the complications that can result from it. The reason is mini cattle got that way in the first place due to mutation, a gene linked to a growth disorder known as chondrodysplasia, which can cause dwarfism.

 

If both parent animals carry the gene, calves are often stillborn, and even if they are not, miniature cattle can be more prone to health issues such as enlarged joints and arthritis. Critics thus call breeding minis unethical and even cruel, particularly for breeders who lack the knowledge or experience to mitigate risk.

 

As Dr. Rosemary Elliott, veterinarian and president of Sentient, the Veterinary Institute of Animal Ethics, told ABC Australia, breeding miniature animals prioritizes looks over quality of life.

 

 

“You can get lots of other genetic problems and health issues that come with [miniaturization],” she said.

 

So, again, does the Scottish Highland make sense? For the right family on the right patch of land with the right understanding of cost and care demands, the standard breed does in fact make for good livestock, Andrews said. Properly socialized, Scottish Highland cows are social, gentle, adaptable to climate and less-than-ideal pasture, and love to be petted and brushed.

 

“The first thing is Scottish Highlands can utilize less luscious fields than usual,” he said. “Ours have grass out there, don’t get me wrong. They’ll eat crab grass and Bermuda and all that stuff, but they also walk around eating poison ivy and poison oak. They’ll walk by and just eat down a pear tree.

 

“Another thing is [in hot Southern climes], they get regulated to blow their coat, they get rid of it, and they have a nice, sleek summer coat. To scratch off the heavy coat, they’ll rub on stuff. They’ll rub on every tree out there. When my wife walks in the field with a brush, she’ll get run over because they all want to be brushed first. Brushing to them is like throwing a bone for a dog, you know? It’s just something that these cattle enjoy.”

 

Andrews said he believes the breed’s good qualities mean continued growth in commercial cattle operations, but as far as the current pet craze is concerned, he just shakes his head.

 

“It’s like a novelty, like people drive by and think they’d like to have one,” he said. “It’s a fad.” 

 

AY Pet Section Sponsored by Dat Pooch Mobile Dog Grooming: 

Looking for more unique places, experiences and things to discover around the Natural State? Explore AY Magazine’s guide to things to do in Arkansas.