Angus/Highland cross

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HanknCali

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Trying to get some better growth out of our Highland cows so we crossed with an angus bull. This is our first calf out of the cross,,, what do ya think?




 
How old is the calf? From what I see in Angus x highland crosses they do ok but most still lacks of growth. Someone did a Brangus x Highland cross on here and these calves were best looking I ever seen. Charolais x Highland and Belgian blue x highland crosses were pretty good with better growth rate than Angus or Hereford.
 
This heifer calf was born Sept 1. We have two Highland cows that eat everything almost like a goat. That's why we keep em around to keep the vegetation down and they seem to be good protection for the other angus cows with the horns they have. Have not had a problem with coyotes with them around. The calf we get from them is kinda an added bonus. The slow growth rate is what kills my enthusiasm for the breed. They are gentle and good browsers so that's what's keeping them around,,, at least for now.
 
to young to tell much about it right now..the one and only highland I've laid eyes on in person. Was a bull a man got from a petting zoo. had to be miserable in this Alabama heat...long way out of his element...he sheared him off,,pretty impressive carcass when he was slicked off...I've read they have less external fat "cover"""..because of the hair...
 
Highlands as well as galloways have a double hair coat so have less external fat. Yet lots of people on here have had belteds in Texas so I was wondering if the heat caused them to shed more? Friends had several Highlands in Conn. and said they had great dispositions and yes, they were great at browsing. Supposed to be the favorite beef of the royal family in England .
 
Supposed to be the favorite beef of the royal family in England .[/quote]

We have a highland steer hangin at the butcher shop now. Hoping it's as good as we have herd it is.
 
HanknCali":aass3bbu said:
This heifer calf was born Sept 1. We have two Highland cows that eat everything almost like a goat. That's why we keep em around to keep the vegetation down and they seem to be good protection for the other angus cows with the horns they have. Have not had a problem with coyotes with them around. The calf we get from them is kinda an added bonus. The slow growth rate is what kills my enthusiasm for the breed. They are gentle and good browsers so that's what's keeping them around,,, at least for now.
These highlands are good foragers in unmanaged or wooded pastures but their diet makes their beef more gamey if you butchered one coming off a wooded or a weedy pasture. If I want replacements, I would cross them to a red Angus or a Hereford to get a good commercial momma cow.
 
farmerjan":nptryyen said:
Highlands as well as galloways have a double hair coat so have less external fat. Yet lots of people on here have had belteds in Texas so I was wondering if the heat caused them to shed more? Friends had several Highlands in Conn. and said they had great dispositions and yes, they were great at browsing. Supposed to be the favorite beef of the royal family in England .
Some bloodlines do slicked off during summers.
 
I have 2 year old highland shorthorn hairy heifer in central Oklahoma. The negatives are that in the heat she likes to stand in the shade in a pool of water as she gets hot. She does have much shorter hair in the summer than in the winter. She also has a strong personality. She loves my daughter and tolerates me. Doeant care for strangers. She was shown and did ok. She could get pissy by the end of the day so not a good one for showmanship. Positives-easy keeper, gets along in a group. Best part of her is as a cow. She did have the misfortune that her calf caught a bug at 6 days old and did not respond to treatment and died in 24 hours. But she is very milky and cooperative. She is doing a great job as a nurse cow. She was nursing 2 calves. We brought home an Angus Brangus 3 day old heifer that we planned to put on a jersey. She saw that baby coming and pushed everybody out of the way to get to her. Started licking her like she had just birthed her. She adopted her right there. She kept nursing her steer but she kicked the brangus bull calf off. He just went to the jersey. The steer went away so for a couple if months she was just nursing the heifer. Heifer is huge. Now she is letting whatever calf wants to steal can. She is bred back due in march again. I am going to keep using her as a nurse cow as she has so much milk. She is not very tall but has good length and great depth. I've been around other highlands that don't have her volume. I think crossing them is a great idea. I would go for something bigger than an Angus. I'm using shorthorn but next year I'm going to breed her to either a brangus or gelbvieh or a Maine. Her first calf was a 78 pound bull.
 
changing breeds a lil but I have been 3 years breeding my jersey with a beef bull either mix breed or something purebred. I have been great success with it. last year's bull dressed 410 lbs at exactly 10 months. so I think your going to do fine with these guys.
 
Depends on the line of highland you use . But calves from our 3/8 to 1/2 highland angus cross will gain and sell identical price to our commercial angus calves
 
Trying to get some better growth out of our Highland cows so we crossed with an angus bull. This is our first calf out of the cross,,, what do ya think?




Hey bud I got a few highland heifers 2 years old. If I put a small red angus bull with low birth weight on these highland heifers should be ok ? Would his calves not have horns ? Trying to get away from the horns
 
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