Miniature Highlands - What’s the Fuss?

We get messages all the time asking if we sell Miniature Highlands, and the short answer is …no.

I'm always very clear with people that while our Highlands are quite small, we don't breed our cattle to be miniature.

But - as you can see here, they aren't very tall at all. Hugh is an average height man and Brianne here is average size for our fold.

So - why don’t we call them ‘miniature’?

Scottish Highlands are a rare heritage breed, with one of the oldest running herdbooks (recording Scottish pedigrees since 1884). We are breeders registered with the Australian Highland Cattle Society, for traditional heritage Highlands.

There are many other important traits to select for aside from size, like sound structure, good feet, and temperament. Keeping only the smallest cattle to breed miniatures would have to be at the expense of the other traits at least some of the time. Most of the time it seems to result in stunted, unhealthy runts.
I've seen plenty of minis with poor conformation and I suspect they would have soundness issues long term. I've also heard of purposeful underfeeding to stunt bottle calves growth and sell them as miniatures. This is where my aversion to the term 'miniature highland' comes from. There must be ethical miniature breeders out there, but almost every one I've come across is essentially a scam! (Or completely a scam - most 'mini cows' advertised on Facebook are scams taking deposits stolen photos of animals from breeders in a different country).

I got curious and did a quick rough measurement of our cows as they came through the yards - they ranged from 116cm (Darla), through to 126cm (Moofie - by far our largest cow). The others were all within a couple of centimetres of 120cm at the hip. I did some reading and apparently 106-120cm is classed as 'mid-size miniature' ... So most of our girls could be called 'mid-size miniature' by that standard.

But is it ethical to market a cow that's within normal range for a “standard'“, heritage-bred Scottish Highland as a "Mini Highland", just to jump on the miniature cow craze?

Small cattle breeds certainly have a place - they are ideal for smaller acreages and hobby farms, consume less feed and cause less compaction damage to the land than large commercial breeds. Not everyone wants to produce beef or run cattle on a commercial scale - although Highlands are certainly up to that role! There is a big demand for breeds like Dexters, mini Galloways or Highlands for hobby farms as pets, paddock ornaments or organic lawnmowers. “Standard" heritage-bred Highlands can be ideal for this situation - especially coupled with great quiet temperaments, good looks, and nonselective grazing habits. The size of a ‘standard’ Highland meets the needs of many people who are searching for ‘minis’ (in our experience).

It's worth mentioning that cattle ('small' or 'mini' included) are big, strong animals that will weigh close to half a ton at the very least. They still need to be treated with the appropriate care and respect.

If you are looking for Highlands of any size, be very, very cautious as there are many scams and we know of lots of people who have lost deposits for animals that didn't exist! We recommend only buying from registered breeders. Legitimate seller will want you to meet them and their animals. Don't give send any payment unless you have seen the animals in person, or done a video call and seen the animals and the seller’s face. You should also ask for identification of the seller and the PIC code of their property, and verify that everything matches up! We are happy to help you work out if a seller is legitimate or not. Click here for more information on protecting yourself from scams.

The Australian Highland Cattle Society website is a great way to find registered breeders in your area.

This is a much longer answer than most people that message us probably are looking for in response, but hopefully it sheds some light on where we stand with miniatures. Feel free to get in touch with any questions!