Scottish Highland Cattle are a traditional breed from western Scotland. They have distinctive long, wide horns and shaggy, wavy coats. Most of them are reddish brown, but some are yellow, silver, black, or brindle/dun. One unique feature of Highland Cattle is their double coat. They have a long outer hair that protects them from rain and strong winds in the Scottish Highlands. Underneath, they have a soft, downy undercoat. This coat combination makes them well-suited to rainy and windy climates.

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Full-size adult Highland bulls can weigh over 2,200 pounds, while heifers can weigh over 1,100 pounds. They reach sexual maturity around eighteen months of age. Highland Cattle also have a longer lifespan compared to other cattle breeds, with some living up to 20 years.

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Miniature Scottish Highland Cattle are not recognized as a separate breed from full-size Scottish Highland Cattle. To achieve their smaller size, responsible breeders start with smaller, though still full-size, Highland Cattle. Over many generations, they select the smallest calves for continued breeding while introducing new bloodlines to avoid genetic abnormalities caused by irresponsible inbreeding.

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Once the desired size is achieved, the Highland Cattle are bred with Dexter cows that carry a genetic mutation known as achondroplasia. This mutation affects bone growth, resulting in smaller stature. These Highland Dexter hybrids are then carefully bred back to Highland cattle over several more generations until the majority of the genetic composition is Scottish Highland Cattle.

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At Hammerhead Farm, we have a small 100% Scottish Highland bull, called The Fonz, who is not a carrier of achondroplasia. Our three breeding cows, Petunia, Buttercup, and Hazel, are 96% Highland carriers of achondroplasia (I.e., they are chondro-positive). All our breeding stock comes from Lakeport Farm, which is known to operate one of the most responsible breeding program in the United States.

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Compared to full-size Highland Cattle, Miniature Highland Cattle are much smaller. For example, The Fonz weighs around 950 pounds, as opposed to a typical Highland bull that weighs about 1,800 pounds, and our chondro-positive heifers only weigh approximately 650 pounds.

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If you're interested in purchasing a Miniature Highland Cattle, please do your research and choose a breeder who practices proper husbandry and does not take shortcuts. When full-size Highlands are bred to chondro-positive highlands, there is a high likelihood of  arthritis and other complications later in life (because chondro-positive legs cannot carry the weight of a full size Highland). Similarly, when cattle are inbred to speed up the downsizing process, there is a much greater incidence of unwanted genetic mutations.