The day started with “We don’t have to worry about when Caylea is going to calve. Look out the window.” It was 5:45 am, and a small brown bundle lay curled and wet in the calving pen. Grabbing the iodine and the Vitamin E shot we rushed up to the barn. Scooping up the calf, Ray quickly carried it to the barn with momma Caylea in hot pursuit. Nothing wrong with that calf’s lungs! He blatted loudly and profusely all the way to the barn. Not all of our cows would let her calf be removed and carried to the barn without being aggressive to the baby thief, but Caylea is not your ordinary cow.

The snow-covered Highlands shows how well their double layer of hair insulates their bodies, keeping them warm and toasty inside. Although it might look like they are cold, the snow does not melt on their bodies because body heat is not being lost. Highlands need this double layer of hair to hold the heat in, with the only area of heat loss the bare skin on their nose. Highlands are unique among bovines, tolerating extreme weather due to this double layer of hair.

Five more 2023 weanling calves came into the barn this week. A question is sometimes asked if it is necessary to wean calves, or will the mommas wean the calves by themselves? For thousands of years Highlands have survived, much of that time without a lot human intervention. During that time the majority of weanings took place naturally--or the breed would not have endured. But not all. When natural weaning was not successful, momma might be weakened by not having a rest period to rebuild her strength before the arrival of a new calf.

Shat Acres Roy got cleaned off this evening with the big hair blower. Yesterday evening it was Rob’s turn with the blow dryer. Rob and Roy are 4-year-old twin steers and big hits with our Farm Stay visitors, gently eating apples from guests’ hands.