Meet the Highland Cows

I’ve been saying for a while that I wanted to have a brief bio on each of the cows. After all, the bulls have their pictures all over the webpage, and the cows are just taken for granted. Cows are people too!

We sell most of our calves as they get to weaning age, and occasionally sell breeding age Highlands as we refine our breeding program or other reasons arise.

Please sign up for our newsletter if you would like to get notifications when we have cattle available. We announce all sales here and in the newsletter and accept offers for 24 hours.

LiTerra Nadia, AHCA #55217

Meet LiTerra Nadia who serves as lead cow here at Elm Hollow Farm. The other coos follow her when we move to a new pasture. She can be a clown sometimes.

Taking the lead is an important role, but Nadia also needs to know that she has to do as we say. We’re almost to that place now.

Nadia presented us with our very first set of twin heifers at Elm Hollow. Although she is a great mother to a single calf, she was not impressed with having two. We were able to locate a surrogate for one of the little heifers. .. and that story is in Newsletter #11.

Big Ridge Abigail, AHCA #57492

Big Ridge Abigail is an easy-going girl who loves attention and dotes on her babies like they are the most precious things in the world.

Here she is with Elm Hollow’s Hattie her 2019 heifer calf and little Elm Hollow’s Jolene, her sweet little heifer from 2020.

Literra Adalida, AHCA #55421

Adalida became our first impact dam with the birth of Elm Hollow’s Jetta in 2020. I can’t praise this cow enough for the beautiful calves she has produced.

Her first daughter, EH Gracie still calls Elm Hollow home and Adalida has given us EH Adelida’s Hope as another “keeper.”

Big Ridge Callie, AHCA #54244

Callie is our trumpeter. She never fails to have a calf that loves to run and socialize with the other caves. It drives this good mama crazy and she has developed quite a loud call for those mischievous babies.

I think you can see the surprise in her eyes when this little tyke showed up only 10 ½ months after the one from the year before!

WKA Annie Get Your Gun, AHCA #56824

Annie has been a delight since she arrived here as a young heifer. She was so proud of her first calf, WB Hickock!

Annie’s maternal skills are impeccable and she allows us to take care of her babies as needed without a fuss. Here she is with Justice, her 2020 calf.

LiTerra Avon, AHCA #58147

Avon Joined us in October of 2018 as a 7-month-old calf and will be having her first Elm Hollow baby in October of 2021. She looks like a younger version of Nadia!

Ban Diuc of Legacy, AHCA #56155

One of my favorites! Ban Diuc of Legacy has given us some absolutely beautiful calves. Sold to us as an open heifer, we were delighted when she presented us with a strong, healthy bull calf shortly after her arrival.

She is a wonderful mother and her offspring are stunning. Pictured with her 2020 heifer calf Jaffa, you can see why I love this cow.

Big Ridge Dubh Darcy, AHCA #54688

Here is Darcy at 10 months old . . . Quite a looker! And then she is showing off her first born, Heather, who has become a permanent resident at Elm Hollow.  You’ll meet her next.

Darcy was a real learning experience for us here at Elm Hollow Farm. Darcy was the first heifer we’d had to completely refuse to nurse her calf. She was just not having that little thing near her udder! We were determined not to have a bottle baby here, so the work began.

We are fortunate to have a mama cow stall with a headgate just for such emergencies and were able to constrain Darcy, tie her foot (so she couldn’t kick baby) and get that sweet little heifer calf to nurse. Darcy, though, was stubborn and determined not to allow such behavior on her own, so for almost a month, we went through this battle three times a day.

One day, I was very late getting down to help Heather get her supper, and there they were: Darcy with her head stuck through the open headgate and Heather nursing away. I do believe this clever cow had figured out that because we used grain to lure her into the headgate, she would get fed 3 meals a day if she continued with her charade!

With her second beautiful calf, Darcy took motherhood in stride and she is now a dependable girl who produces beautiful calves. And she looks just like her daddy!

Elm Hollow’s Heather, AHCA #59800

As promised, it is time to meet Heather who almost became a bottle calf, but not quite. Heather became quite tame with all the handling and learned to love her hoomans who made sure her coo mama took care of her.

She believes that any two-legged creature in the pasture is there to pet her, brush her, give her treats and take pictures of her. She has become the greeter here at Elm Hollow and she’s never met a stranger. Heather is truly the doll of Elm Hollow and she wants to keep it that way!

Heather loves to play dress up. As she matures she is beginning to look more like her mama every day.

Windemere Dare, AHCA #55236

When Dare arrived from her home in Wisconsin, it was love at first sight! She was easy going and loved to be brushed.

She would even “hug” you with her neck and head if you stood close. She still tries to do that sometimes, but her horns are too big for that to be comfortable now.

A little full of herself as a teenager, Dare jumped the fence to have a fling with one of the boys at a younger age that we would have planned, but she assured us she knew what she was doing and indeed she did.

She has grown into a beautiful gentle cow that produces wonderful calves for us every year. Because we were totally unaware of her sneaking out with her boyfriend, Dare surprised us with a beautiful, healthy heifer that was all dry and up nursing before we had time to worry!

Pae’s Quince’s Fozzie Girl, AHCA #59011

Fozzie is a silly girl. One day she wants attention, and the next she acts like I’m a two headed monster. As with most Highlands, grain is a wonderful bribe and I really expect her to be much more settled after the birth of her first calf this winter.

Fozzie came to TN from PA and I think she likes it here. She hangs around with her half sister Raisinette who shares a sire and a famous grandsire, Shat Acres Cinnamon Bear. I hope Fozzie grows into her horns soon, right now she just seems a bit overwhelmed with her head ornaments.

Fozzie became a mother for the first time on Oct. 30 of 2021. She did everything right! When the rain started, she even took baby to shelter and covered him with hay so he would be warm and dry.

GAM Emma Jane, AHCA #58573

Our tiniest cow, little Miss Emma, came to Elm Hollow farm as a yearling heifer. Since we were halter training some other calves, she joined right in to be halter trained.

Imagine my surprise when she showed up to class one morning with a tiny calf at her side! This untimely birth has stunted Emma’s growth, but not her spirit.

She is a farm favorite because of her small size. Her calves are popular too since they tend to be smaller than most – under 40 pounds at birth, but hardy and playful.

EH Adelida’s Hope, AHCA #59790

Hope is the one who almost got away! At one point I foolishly thought Elm Hollow had too many cows! (When you stop laughing, I’ll finish the story.) I sold one of my really wonderful cows, LiTerra Adelida, as a bred cow to someone new to the breed.

They decided that horned cows were not for them and I gladly hitched up the trailer and headed out to buy her back. Meantime, Adelida had calved and Hope was the calf at her side. I’d already kept Adelida’s first heifer calf, Gracie, and Hope is another outstanding little heifer! Since she and Heather are such good friends, Hope is sticking around here too.

LEA Nocturne, AHCA #56653

What a joy to have this beautiful LEA girl! I fell in love as soon as I saw her at the Southeast auction in 2018. I know Pat didn’t really want to give her up, she was a stand in for another LEA girl and I just had to have her. She is one of our friendliest coos and she loves to lick your hand, your arm, your hair, she just thinks everyone is her baby and probably needs a bath.

Nocturn has a habit of calving right out in the open no matter what the weather. With her first, Elm Hollow’s Jerry Lee, we had to take him inside and warm him up a bit. I worried that as a new mama, Nocturn might be hesitant to take him back after he’d been away from her, but that was wasted worry. She was eager to get her little boy to nursing and he grew into a beautiful bull! Her second was born in the snow! Nocturn gladly followed us to a barn when we took baby to shelter and was once again a stellar mother.

Pae’s Ashas Raisinette, AHCA #59009

Raisinette has really made a great adjustment to Elm Hollow Farm. She seems to have suddenly realized that the comb feels really good and she is now one of those coos that will push others out of the way to get to mama and her grooming comb.

Raisinette is due to have her very first calf sometime in early November 2021 and she is in great condition for the big event. Hoping that Fozzie will show her how to care for a baby.

PHF Chocolate Pudding, AHCA #58165

I can’t possibly say enough good things about Puddin’. This is one of those cows that since she was a little calf at mama’s side, everyone who came to Elm Hollow Farm has fallen in love with and wanted to take her home. Puddin’ will never leave Elm Hollow as long as I am here.

She is the sweetest, most cooperative cow I’ve ever met. She is one of those girls that will do what ever it takes to please her hoomans. This girl knows where the hay and grain comes from and she wants to be first in line. Her mama was the same way. The only two cows I could walk up to in the pasture and clean their eyes, do pour on or wash their dirty ears with no complaint.

And she is a beautiful girl! Puddin’ was an excellent first time mama when her little boy, Kelly, was born on 11/15/21.

CSF Honeysuckle, AHCA #54184

I’ve learned a valuable lesson . . . do not get a number if you don’t want to get a cow at a Highland auction. When Honeysuckle strutted into the ring, my hand just kept raising when the auctioneer looked my way.

Suddenly I realized I owned a beautiful cow, but since we’d flown to the stock show, I had to find a way to get her home. Highland breeders are the best. A local breeder agreed to take Honey to her farm until I could arrange transportation from Colorado to Tennessee.

I love this girl with the captivating eyes. She has given us some beautiful calves and always allows us to check them over carefully when they are born. Her last calf, Kickoff was outstanding!

Elm Hollow’s Jonquil, AHCA #60254

Jonquil was born on the day that our first Jonquil’s began blooming in the spring of 2020. With her calm mother in charge, Jonquil was easy to get to know as a calf and is proving to be just as gentle as mama, Denali, as she matures.

Jonquil will be a big girl and I’m confident that she will be one of those cows that continues to calve into her late teens or early 20s. Looking forward to seeing what she will produce when she meets up with Voodoo Magic in the spring.

GAM Grace Suk, AHCA #58654
(AKA TuTu)

TuTu came to Elm Hollow with her baby sister Emma and they continue to be close friends in the pasture. You met Emma earlier if you’ve been following “Meet the Coos.”

TuTu and her last calf really pulled a fast one on us! I was unable to get into the pasture when the baby was first born, so relied on others to tell me about it. The report was a little bull. We named him Jupiter. He was a wild little guy and wouldn’t let any of us near him. Finally, when it came time to wean and halter train him, we managed to trap him for tattooing and tagging. That’s when we found out why mama and baby had been laughing at us all winter. That is also why we changed her name to Juniper.

TuTu is a nurturing mom and gives us such nice calves each year. If you look really closely at her picture, you might see how she got her nickname!

Muirneag 3rd of VH, AHCA #52636

Pronounced “morn’ egg” this was our first dun colored cow and I fell in love with her color. Since that time we have added 4 more beautiful duns to the fold. Muirneag produces some of our most outstanding calves here, not the least of which is our second in command, Big Ridge Fergus (also dun) and Big Ridge Callie who is one of our favorite coos.

She is one of our more protective mama cows when her babies are young, but once they are a couple of months old, she relaxes and allows us to get to know her wee ones. She has learned to trust us and loves to be brushed. She is not too patient about waiting her turn to be pampered now. At the right she is with her heifer calf, Elm Hollow’s Kyawanna.

CGH Angel’s Grace, AHCA #51,328

With no intention of adding any more cows, Angel appeared, and her very gentle disposition and beautiful conformation made her a must have for Elm Hollow Farm.

I can barely wait for her first calf to be born here. The calf she came in with was delightful and I wish we’d had room for another little bull, but alas he has moved on to another Tennessee farm. HTW Kurly Mo was a favorite here too.

Schon Boden’s Isabel , AHCA #56721

Isabel Joined us in April of 2021 as part of an estate sale. She was a bit rough looking when she arrived, but quickly warmed up to us when we started brushing her out.

She is now one of our prettiest girls and loves to meet visitors. Isabel was only here a few weeks when she gave us a beautiful bull calf, Elm Hollow’s Keegan, who quickly became a favorite here.

Schon Boden’s Nakita, AHCA #56716

If Nakita looks a lot like Isabel to you, it is with good reason. These girls have the same sire and were born just days apart on the same farm, and they have been together since they were calves. Nakita spent some time in the show ring and she loves to be brushed and even likes a good bath now and then.

We are looking forward to having a calf from Nakita since her breeder tells me that her dam is an excellent impact dam. So far though, Nakita has no recorded offspring.

LEA Never Enough, AHCA #57377

Never came to Elm Hollow with a beautiful heifer calf, Kinley. Tragically, Kinley developed an infection that, in spite of intensive intervention, took her from us. Never knew we were trying to help and even though she didn’t know us, she allowed us free access to Kinley as we worked to try to save her.

We are all looking forward to meeting her next calf. Never is one of those cows who really want to be brushed, but just can’t quite bring herself to let us touch her yet. She will come around, I’m sure.

Keaira of Legacy, AHCA #53960

Keaira moved from New York to Elm Hollow farm in November of 2021. She brought with her an adult daughter, a granddaughter and daughter! Cherry Rose was just ready for halter training!

Keaira was part of beef herd and I didn’t expect her to be hands on, but once she realized I was trustworthy, she has become one of most friendly coos in the pasture.

Keaira2nd of Legacy , AHCA #58750 (AKA Twisty)

Twisty, Keaira’s daughter, had a minor accident with her right horn as a youngster that caused her horn to grow askew but it doesn’t affect her ability to have a beautiful calf! Shamrock is certainly proof of that.

We are on watch to see if she was bred back before she left her former home, but if not, well look forward to her first calf with Big Ridge Fergus.

Seamrag of Legacy, AHCA #62449 (AKA Shamrock)

When Shamrock arrived with her mother, and grandmother we were so delighted! What a beautiful girl she is. I’d made the decision to not keep any heifers this year and had already sold all suitable companion heifers. Sometimes there is just a serendipitous event that makes everything right.

While attending the national Highland show and sale in Denver this year, we met another must have heifer: CSF Cokato was not at the show, but I’d seen a picture of her and was able to talk to her breeder at the show. Transport was so easy to arrange that she almost beat us home!

CSF Cokato, AHCA #62577

CSF Cokato was not at the show, but I’d seen this picture of her and was able to talk to her breeder at the show.

Although Cokato was still on her farm in northern Minnesota, transport for another calf from there had already been arranged to West Virginia, so it was easy to arrange for Cokato to ride along. She almost beat us home!

Cokato just naturally has that show pose going on and she loves to be brushed and pampered. As a yearling, Shamrock and Coko have their own separate pasture while the bulls are romancing the older girls.

Double R Hunny Bunny, AHCA # 43542

Hunny is an outstanding example of correct conformation. She has been producing superb calves at Legacy Livestock Company for the past ten.

When Hunny arrived at Elm Hollow Farm in August of 2022, she had her 12th calf at her side. She has truly earned her title of “Impact Dam” having produced eight daughters and four sons so far in her lifetime. At 17 years old, Hunny is the oldest cow here on the farm.

New breeders always seem to want heifers or young cows, but Hunny is a valued and welcome addition to our fold. She is still strong and will likely continue calving for at least three more years when we will retire her to live out her life with dignity.

CCZ Bristol, AHCA # 49838

Bristol is one of Hunny Bunny’s beautiful daughters and she might be my dream cow. Bristol is the grand dam to our most beautiful cow, Ban Duic of Legacy. I’ve always wanted bring more of Ban Diuc’s genetics to Elm Hollow Farm, and finally, that wish has been granted!! Bristol is a gentle lass and allowed me to build a trust bond with her after less than 24 hours!

Bristol, at age twelve, arrived at Elm Hollow farm with her mother in August of 2022. She just took my breath away. Bristol’s very first calf was so outstanding that he served as the herd sire at Legacy Livestock Company for many years. She is expecting a calf from LiTerra Durango in the next few weeks!

CCZ Janie, AHCA # 49837

Janie is half sister to Bristol and is only four days older. The two have been together since they were born and will stay together always. Janie just might be the longest bodied cow at Elm Hollow! I think she will produce some calves that will make a beef breeder proud!

Janie’s first calf became an impact dam and she produced three more fine daughters. She comes to Elm Hollow expecting a calf with LiTerra Durango.

Muirneag of Locustbrae, AHCA # 48580

Muirneag is a beautiful example of a mature, strong, healthy cow and will be adding some very correct conformation to our breeding program. Her horns are classic and her genetics are outstanding, including both impact dams and impact sires.

Muirneag has some notable offspring, including Cridhea, who she brought with her to Elm Hollow. Since Muirneag is fourteen, I’m glad to have her daughter here to carry on that genetic line when Muirneag retires.

Cridhe of Legacy, AHCA # 55000

Cridhe, at age seven, is the youngest of the cows in this group. Her name means heart in Gaelic and she definitely has mine. She has so much potential with many productive calving years ahead of her.

Cridhe has a bus dubh! We have a few other cows that sport the black hair around their nose which is considered “wild type” coloration. Little is know about the genetic code that triggers the bus dubh other than it appears to be linked to the e/e locus. I just think her horns and her bus dubh make her look distinctive.

Cridhe’s granddam on her sire’s side is my favorite cow, Bristol, which means Hunny is her great granddam! Three generations of gorgeous girls. Looking forward to seeing her third calf who is also sired by LiTerra Durango. Who knows, if it is a heifer, we just might get a four generation photo one day!