Meet the Highland Cows
I’d like to introduce to each 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.
Avon would like to say hello from the pasture. LiTerra Avon is our lead cow. She keeps watch over all the other cows, and during calving season, she greets every calf that is born here at Elm Hollow Farm.
LiTerra Avon, our lead cow.
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LiTerra Nadia, our previous lead cow.
- Calmly watch over all cows and calves.
- Follow the directions of the shepherd in moving the herd.
- Sound the alarm if danger is present.
- Greet new babies and make sure mothers are ok.
- Keep the herd bull company when the shepherd allows it.
Avon is a beautiful brindle and her calf this year looks brindle coated in this photo, but don’t be fooled! Look at his nose. If his nose stays black, odds are he will be black as an adult. The lighting is very different in these photos, with the first taken inside a shelter with a flash and the second in a sunny pasture. Highland calves are known for changing coat colors as they mature. This calf seemed dark red at birth, two days later, he looked brindle. His nose was black but now seems lighter? It is a guessing game with calf colors unless you DNA test for color. Here, at 2 and a half months, Mackay’s nose is red and black. Maybe he’s a brindle just like mom and dad.
One thing that doesn’t change is the watchfulness of the lead cow. One of my favorite pictures of Avon is this one. She is teaching her baby, Mackay, how to calmly guard the herd. Mackay can often be seen mimicking his mama as he watches over the other calves.
Avon asked me to introduce all the girls she oversees and let you know that she welcomes visitors to come and meet the moos in person. Here’s a link to our tour information: https://elmhollowfarm.com/farm-tours/
The cows are introduced in order of their age, with the eldest first. Highland cows live to an average age of 20 years, with some living several years longer. Some may continue to have calves into their mid 20s, while most stop calving around age 15. We have some older girls that are amazing us with their seeming good health and longevity.
Double R Hunny Bunny, AHCA # 43542*
Hunny is our oldest cow. She is gentle, calm, and an ancestor to nine of our other cows and calves.
The * after her number indicates that she is an impact dam. That status is awarded to cows that begin calving by age three years and four months and produce four calves by the time they are seven years and four months.
Hunny has gone on to produce a total of at least 11 calves and we believe there was a 12th in 2018 that she was not credited with.
Although Hunny came to us just a couple of years ago, she is a favorite and will live out her years here simply because she has so much of her family still on our farm. I’d loved this girl from afar because of the beautiful cows we’d purchased from her line. When the opportunity came to bring her to Elm Hollow Farm I jumped at the chance. D.O.B. 5/25/2005
Muirneag of Locustbrae, AHCA # 48580
Muirneag presented us with twins when she was 14 years old! Muirneag came to Elm Hollow with Hunny Bunny during the summer of 2022. She brought with her a daughter, who will carry on her genetics.
The birth of twins was hard on Muirneag, so we really don’t expect her to give us any more calves. If someone wanted a pair of beautiful cows just to look at and pet, Hunny Bunny and Muirneag could go together to a loving retirement home. D.O.B. 10/3/2008
CCZ Janie, AHCA # 49837
Janie also arrived with Hunny Bunny during the summer of 2022. Because she is just a bit younger, Janie is still actively calving and gave us a beautiful little heifer in January of 2024. Janie will be a part of our AI program for calving in 2024. D.O.B. 4/21/2010
CCZ Bristol, AHCA # 49838
One of the most stunning girls we have is Bristol, the fourth of the five cows that joined us in 2022 from Legacy Cattle Company. Bristol became a favorite of mine the day she arrived. She’s already given us two sweet calves that have the temperament of cuddle cows. Bristol is Hunny Bunny’s daughter. D.O.B. 4/25/2010
CGH Angel’s Grace, AHCA #51,328
Angel to us, but Gracie to her former owner, is a wonderful mother. The calf in this photo was awarded reserve champion in his division at the Southeast Highland Cattle Show in 2022. Levi stayed on to sire some calves here at Elm Hollow. This year, Angel presented us with a beautiful little yellow heifer, so her genetics will live on.
Muirneag 3rd of VH, AHCA #52636
I can’t say enough good things about this girl. Muirneag is easy going and loves for visitors to comb her out. She is a super mother with a great udder and she has given us wonderful calves every year since coming to Elm Hollow Farm from Big Ridge in 2018.
Big Ridge Callie, AHCA #54244*
Callie is a cow to make you proud! She is an impact dam and she likes to tell the world when there is a new calf born on Elm Hollow Farm. You can be sure that when the loudest mooing you’ve ever heard begins, someone has had a baby. Occasionally, she will sound the alarm if something is amiss, like the hay feeder is empty or someone’s calf sneaked out under the fence to get to the grass in the driveway. Callie has had seven calves in her 9.5 years. An amazing record for any cow.
Loc Moire NicAodhan AHCA # 54796
Pictured here with her most recent calf, Moire just makes me hear bagpipes every time I look at her. We are happy to have Moire join us in December of 2023. She was just in time to be one of the cows in our very first attempt at AI. Moire is due to have a calf for us in late December of 2024 and I can hardly wait for that big event!
Cridhe of Legacy, AHCA # 55000
Cridhe is the daughter of Muirneag of Locustbrae. She is an outstanding example of correct Highland conformation. You might notice her Bus Dubh, the black ring around her nose that is present in only a few Highlands. Cridhe is also the great-great-grandaughter of our Hunny Bunny on her sire’s side. She holds a special place in our hearts because of that.
More coos (not in order of age)
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.”
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.
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!
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!
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.
