Blackford Farms has been breeding Highlanders for a long time now and are members of the Highland Cattle society. The Highland Cattle registry was established in 1885. One of Britain's oldest, most distinctive and best known breeds.
Groups of cattle are called herds but a group of Highlanders are known as a fold.
Highland Cattle are a Scottish breed of beef cattle, with long horns and long coats. They are an extremely hardy breed, their hair provides protection during the cold winters. The breed was developed from 2 sets of stock originally black and the other red, today they come in various colors. They thrive in outdoor conditions that would defeat most other breeds of domestic beef cattle. Highlanders can be found foraging 10,000 feet up in the Andes! They are remarkable for their longevity, many Highland cows continue to breed to ages in the excess of 18 years, having borne 15 calves. They are amazing mothers!
Their meat tends to be leaner than most beef because Highlanders get most of their insulation from their thick shaggy coats rather than subcutaneous fat. Their meat is well marbled, tender and succulent. The beef is healthy and nutritious with lower levels of fat and cholesterol and a higher protein and iron content than other beef. Many Highland beef producers are crossing Highland cows with Shorthorn or Limousin bulls to produce a crossbreed beef calf. Highland Wagyu have covered some of the Highland femals with a Wagyu bull to see what kind of carcass this will produce.
At the end of 2011 Two new stock bulls were brought into the fold to bring in fresh lines, and we look forwards to seeing what they produce.