![]() Though classified as a beef animal, Highlands are also great milkers, making them a dual-purpose animal. The first recorded importation of Scottish Highlands into the U.S. Scottish Highlands are the oldest registered breed of cattle in the world. See more: Farm Facts: Beef An Ancient Highland Cattle Breed Her sire was imported from the United Kingdom, so her offspring will be worth more than your average cow because of her genetics.” One of my heifers was the first artificially inseminated Highland calf in the state. “I basically started over with a solid foundation with registration paperwork so I can go back and look at the lineages. “I’ve researched a lot about their genetics and bloodlines, and I bought semen imported from Scotland and Canada to implement those genetics in my breeding program,” he says. He has traveled to Wisconsin, Iowa and Vermont to buy desirable bloodlines. Over the last couple of years, Edwards has sold down his fold from 20 to nine Highland cows so he could purchase specific genetics. Once weaned, a registered Highland heifer calf sells for about $4,000, depending on color and bloodlines. “More people are buying them in the South because they are realizing you can actually have them here. “They were once an endangered species, but through breeding and promotion of the breed, they are now thriving and trending,” Edwards says. Once a rarity in the U.S., Highlands have grown in popularity over the last few decades. See more: Claiborne County Beef Cattle Farmer Advocates for Agriculture “I can halter break a Highland calf in two days, where a regular beef calf or cow can take weeks.” “I’ve never lost one or had an issue due to heat.” “As long as they have shade and water, they do totally fine here,” Edwards says. See more: Town Creek Farm’s Cattle Fit Mississippi Home is Where the Highland Cattle Are In Scotland, the weather can be brutal, so the Highlands’ long, thick hair protects them from the elements. They’ve been one of the greatest blessings in my life.” “We’ve met so many wonderful people through the cows. “Dad now adores them as much as I do,” Edwards says. In typical dad fashion, Chuck was soon won over by his new furry friends. The father and son team purchased three unregistered Scottish Highland cows from a farmer in Tupelo, which quickly grew to 20. “A lot of people told me it was too hot in Mississippi to have Highlands since they have so much hair.”įortunately, his dad agreed to give Highlands a try. “My dad asked me why in the heck I would want to raise long-haired cows in Mississippi heat,” Edwards recalls with a laugh. Ignoring the nay-sayers, Edwards asked his dad, Chuck, to help him buy the animals in 2013. Photo credit: Nathan Lambrecht Long Hair, Don’t Care Davis Edwards, right, and his father, Chuck, raise long-hair Scottish Highland cattle on their farm in Rankin County.
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