– A Bull Year Means Steers –
– Some Nice Young Bull Calves –
– Heifer Calves to Watch –
– A New Bull in Our Semen Tank –
Calves Everywhere
What an exciting calving season! If you’re looking for pasture pets and not interested in breeding, or if you need a very calm companion for another young Highland, we will have what you need beginning in June.
This was a bull year here at Elm Hollow Farm and when we have this many bulls, it means we will be making steers of most of them. After halter training, those sweet steers make wonderful 4-H projects, pasture pets, and companion animals for young heifers that must be kept away from bulls until they are 3 years old.
We choose steers for these purposes because they are: 1. Less expensive than heifers. 2. They don’t have the hormonal swings of heifers and likewise bulls if there are cows or heifers around that can make a bull moody. 3. They can be harvested after they have served their purpose as companion.
We will also have some nice young bull calves this year. This little fella is Elm Hollow’s Murdoc. He is promising, and we will keep an eye on his development and a few others to see how they would work as herd sires.
Every time a heifer is born, I get excited and say, “Oh, she is a keeper!!” Then reality hits and I realize that this is exactly how I got into this overpopulation dilemma that made me have to sell some of our tried and true cows. So, here are a few of our little heifers that will be coming up this summer for sale.
Every single one one is a keeper, but I must let them go! Here are a couple of the heifers to watch for this season.
Please forgive the mud stockings, but it is just that time of year.
How much are our Highlands?
When people ask how much we charge for our Highlands I reply, “That is almost like asking a car dealer how much is a car?”. Price varies greatly with the make, model, and features of a car, just as each calf is different. The calves are evaluated during halter training and establish a minimum bid price. Calves and cows are evaluated on their conformation to standards, their temperament, genetic background, and calving history.
When calves are weaned, we sell them through an informal, modified auction. You can see the results of all our sales for the past two years by scrolling down through the Highlands for Sale page.
All heifers and bulls will be sold by our sale process. Steer calves may also be sold as a companion to a heifer or bull calf.
Announcing a New Bull in our Semen Tank!
I recently was offered the opportunity to purchase a significant inventory of a beautiful bull with genetics that will do any Highland fold proud.
Take a look for yourself at his outstanding background!
Because Joc is new to our inventory and we have yet to get him added to our semen page, we decided to run a brief special! If you find his straws for sale on other sites, you will see prices of $100-$150 per straw for his genetics. From Elm Hollow Farm however, until the 4th of July, we are offering Joc at $50 per straw. After July 4th, when he is established on our website, Joc will be available at our regular price of $75 per straw.
Are there available cows or calves???
When I’m asked about the availability of calves or cows, I respond with dozens of questions. Please understand that I cannot consider sales to people who will not share this information with me. Important questions include:
- Do you have other cattle so a calf would have an age-appropriate companion? Highlands are herd animals and must have a companion. A steer is the perfect companion for a heifer, bull, or another steer.
- Do you have a facility where you and your veterinarian can safely work on a coo when that is needed (and it will be needed)? Facilities vary in complexity and price. An effective squeeze need not be extremely expensive.
- Do you have a large-animal vet in your area?
- What is your pasture like? Is shade and fresh water readily available?
- What will be the purpose of Highlands for you? Breeding, beefing, pasture ornament/pet?
I need all this information to be sure that the calf or cow and buyer are well matched. Although I ask about your experience with cattle, I understand the learning curve. When we bought our first Highland, neither of us had ever owned a cow! Highlands are a really wonderful breed for a beginner in the bovine world.
It is important that I know a bit about your farm. Where are you located? If you are nearby, you might want to schedule a farm tour to meet our new calves! Since our calves from this season will be born between November 11 and the end of March, they will not be weaned and ready for sale until June 2023.
We do not begin halter training and vetting until a calf is weaned at about six months old. There will be calves available throughout the summer as they reach weaning age.
I’m often asked how much we charge for our Highlands. That is almost like asking a car dealer how much he sells his cars for. It varies greatly with the make, model, and features. Each calf is an individual. The calves are evaluated during halter training and establish a minimum bid price. Cows are evaluated on their conformation to standards, their temperament, genetic background, and calving history. When they are ready, we sell them through an informal, modified auction. You can see the results of all our sales for the past two years by scrolling down through this page:
Watch for Calf Sales Beginning in June
Since our calves from this season will be born between November 11 and the end of March, they will not be weaned and ready for sale until June of 2023. We do not begin halter training and vetting until a calf is weaned at about 6 months old. There will be calves available throughout the summer as they reach weaning age. The sale of each calf is announced through our newsletter and is done through modified auction.