THE HIGHLAND STORY

The first meeting of the Australian Highland Cattle Society Inc. took place in Melbourne on the 7th of May 1988. From those humble beginnings, the Australian Highland cattle Society was formed. The Highland Society of Scotland was founded in 1894.

In Australia the first highland cattle landed at Port Albert, Victoria in1841, and several other importations occurred in the 1800's and 1900's hundreds. In 1954, a Mr. A. Wood of Tooperang, imported three highlanders. These imports were earmarked for the abattoirs due to the sudden death of Mr. A. Wood until saved by an old Bullock Trainer named Percy Thorpe near Kingston SE in South Australia, Mr. Thorpe later sold his highlands to Mr Bob Hawkes of Salt Creek. Descendants of these cattle can be seen in some of today's cattle.

Mac-Ladanae Highland cattle Fold has utilised the benefits of modern breeding techniques to breed quality Highland Cattle. Making the use of the best Scottish, Canadian and American genetics, and joining those genetics with descendants of cattle imported in the 50s, bred up cattle, and full blooded cattle from Canadian, American and New Zealand imported lines.

WHY CHOOSE HIGHLAND CATTLE?

The highland breed, unlike many other breeds of cattle have had little interference from man in its development, because of this the breed has more incontestable features.

HARDINESS:-

The Highland breed is capable of being out wintered in the snow in the Northern Hemisphere adding an extra layer of warm hair ro fight off the freezing conditions.

EASY-CALVING:-

Heifers and cows calve easily as part of the daily routine, requiring the minimum of attention. Average pure bred birth weight at Mac-Ladanae 27kg, and cross-bred calves 30kg.

LONGEVITY:-

Many cows Breed to ages in excess of 20, having borne fifteen calves. This can reduce replacement calves by 25%.

FORAGING:-

Highland cattle make the most of whatever is offered to them, wasting nothing, and is the only breed in Europe to be used in National Parks to selectively graze and improve grazing land.

HEALTH:-

The highland cow rarely requires more than routine dosing, keeping vet bills to an absolute minimum.

MANAGEMENT:-

The health, ease of calving and foraging ability keep labour to the bare minimum.

ADAPTABILITY:-

The versatility of these animals has led to their importation in over twelve countries where their adaptability has made them much envied.

THE BEEF:-

Highland Cattle produced a high quality lean carcass. Because the meat is low fat, with the meat being ideally marbled to improve the taste and flavour.

BY-PRODUCTS:-

The hides of the Highland beast make beautiful floor rugs, and are eagerly sought after, the horns of some cattle are made into wall mounts after they have been polished, with the by-products bringing high prices equalling the prices paid for the beef.

COLOURS:-

Highland Cattle come in all colours being, Red, Yellow, Brindle, Dun, Black, White and Parti-colour.

TEMPERAMENT:-

The breed has a docile nature, which makes the breed easy to handle.

WHAT THE BUTCHERS SAY...

It was a very good clean carcass, compact, well covered and no waste fat. It was an ideal "butchers Beast" killing out at 60.35%.
They were carcasses of the type require today without surplus fat, but with good eye muscle through the loin and rise.
It was a grand carcass had a great eye meat in the lion, nicely marbled and a lovely flavoured. I would like to be able to get four a week, killing out 60% We were delighted with the steer, the dead weight was 635lbs and the beef was excellent, we have never been disappointed with a highland steer.

Table 1. Productivity of Dams - 5 Year average

Breed

Calves Weaned

Weaning Weight Kgs

Total Weight Kgs

Highland 
X Hereford

82

177.12

14524.06

Highland (Purebred)

79

162.63

12847.53

Hereford (Purebred)

71

168.06

11932.47

TABLE 2.PRODUCTION OF DAMS -5 YR. AVE.

(Based on 100 cow herd)

All weight in Kg

Hereford

Highland

Highland
X
Hereford

Hereford 
X
Highland

Birth Weight

   31.35

   28.67

   33.20

   31.71

ADG to weaning

   0.661

    0.639

    0.711

    0.729

ADG Feedlot (kgs)

   0.838

    0.720

    0.838

    0.775

Weight gain per day of age

   0.788

    0.711

    0.824

    0.801

Dressing %

   56.90

   55.90

   56.40

   57.30

Rib-eye (sq.cm.)

   57.16

   60.91

   59.68

   60.26

Red Meat and Diet

-Red meat contains 'complete' protein, providing all the essential amino acids required by the body in the correct proportions.

-Red meat is an excellent source of iron which is essential requirement particularly for women. Iron in red meat is the ferrous form which is easily absorbed and used.

-Red meat is a first class source of the B Vitamins, including the difficult to obtain, though essential, Vitamin B12.

-Red meat is not necessarily high in kilojoules.

RED MEAT AND FAT

-Red meat is not high in fat content. Unfortunately, for years some dietary advisors used American grain-fed, Choice-grade beef to make their point. Australian beef is substantially leaner because it is younger and mostly grass fed.

Meat industry Authoriy test samples of rib steak (with the selvedge fat left on) were chemically analysed for fat content and the resuts:

A comparative test on chicken was 18.5% fat.

-The fat in red meat has a much lower proportion of saturated fat than most people think: 30 to 50% compared to chicken fat (67%) and butter (64%). In fact red meat fat is 50-70% polyunsaturated.

RED MEAT AND CHOLESTEROL

-Contrary to popular belief cholesterol in Australian beef is quite low.

Source: National heart foundation (Guide to losing weight)

 

BEEF BY-PRODUCTS

When a butcher buys a carcase, he buys far more than the cuts of meat yielded from the carcase. About 50-60% only of a meat animal carcase is meat

At one time the only by-products saved were, hides, tallow & tounge. It is estimated that 8.51% of a steer carcase & 15.1% of a calf carcase are redeemed from by-products. Hides usually are 2.5%.

MAIN GROUPS OF BY-PRODUCTS

Fats:

Used for soaps, animal feeds, lubricants, leather dressing, candles, fertilizers, margarine. Also glycerine for explosives.

Hides:

Used for shoes, harness & sadles, belting, bags, footballs. floor rugs (Especially suited to highland hides). Value of hides is lowered if badly damaged by brands and horns.

Variety Meats:

The heart, liver, brains, kidney, tounge, cheek meat, tail, sweetbreads (thymus & pancreatic glands), tripe (rumen).

Hair:

Artist & camel hair brushes are made from the fine hair inside the ears of cattle. Hair for mattresses, padding etc. is also recovered.

Hoofs & Horns:

Knife handles, combs, buttons, glues, gelitine. (Highland horns also make great wall mounts, and some taxidermists will preserve the heads for wall mounts).

Blood:

Blood sausage, buttons, shoe polish, stock feeds.

Bones:

Bones & cartilages are converted into stock feed fertilizer, glue, dice, knife handles, buttons, bone charcoal, bone china.

Meat,Scraps & Muscle Tissue:

Meat meal, meat extract.

Intestines & Bladder:

Suet, surgical needs, sausage & small goods casing, meat meal and rennet for cheese making.

Glands:Supply more than 100 drugs and hormones for medical use, such as insulin, pepsin, epinephine, cortisone, adrenaline, heparin, liver extract, parathyroid, pituitary extract, rennin, thyroid extract, thrombin, gelatin.

Collagen:

(Sinews, lips, connective tissues), is used for glue & gelatin.

Rumen Contents:

Used for making fertiliser.

"EVERYTHING BUT THE BELLOW IS USED".

 

CATTLE ARE NOT ALL MEAT

=435KG.= 250KG =187KG RETAIL CUTS

POPULAR CUTS.

1)Shin - Gravy Beef. 2)Round. 3)Silverside. 4)Topside. 5)Rump. 6)Sirloin. 7)Fillet. 8)T-Bone. 9)Thin Flank. 10)Set of Ribs. 11)Rib Eye. 12)Chuck. 13)Blade. 14)Brisket. 15)Shin - Gravy Beef.