We are thrilled that our first highland calf has been born, and it is a boy - Douglas.
True to Willowbrook form, cow #1 gave birth first. Two more to go.
She chose a good break in the weather to give birth too.
Showing posts with label Scotland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scotland. Show all posts
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Our Hairy Coos Have Arrived...
Our Highland Cattle arrived after work today. Light was fading quickly on a mid-winter's day, but still managed to get a few pics. Now we just have to think of nine Scottish names. Any suggestions...
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Balmorality....
Balmorality: Abstract noun; an enthusiasm for a stereotyped Scottish aesthetic.
I was prompted to do this post after being given several well chosen gifts from my mother for the Balmoral / Billiard room at Willowbrook - A large set of pewter deer antlers, a pair of pewter stag book ends, and a pewter sculpture of a stag and a doe.
They reminded me of a documentary I had seen about Balmoral Castle, and the Victorian aesthetic movement known as Balmorality. Victoria and Albert were enamoured with a very romantic ideal of Scotland, the sort portrayed by the Scottish poets and novelists, such as Sir Walter Scot. They made their castle a concentrated pastiche of this stereotyped 'scottishness'.
Photo: Stuart Yeates
Above and Below: Balmoral Castle
Balmoral Castle was first leased by Prince Albert in 1848 and subsequently purchased in November 1851. The 15th-century house was soon regarded as inadequate and was replaced by an entirely new, larger building. Prince Albert helped with the design, and Queen Victoria wrote proudly, ‘all has become my dearest Albert’s own creation, own work, own building, own laying out’.
The interiors of Balmoral were given a strong Scottish flavour. The carpets, curtains and upholstery were in a range of tartans, including ‘Hunting Stuart’ and ‘Balmoral’, designed by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Wallpaper incorporated patterns of thistle and heather, and the walls were hung with drawings by Edwin Landseer and prints of his paintings, mostly Highland scenes. In the Drawing Room there was a remarkable set of 12 candelabra in the form of Highlander figures holding deerstalking trophies, a collaboration between two British manufacturers, Minton and Winfield. Furniture was made by the London firm of Holland & Sons to simple but high-quality designs, mostly in light woods, such as satin birch or pine. Pieces for the most important rooms were embellished with silvered mounts, decorated with the royal couple’s ciphers or Scottish symbols.
Every year the Queen and the Prince travelled north for their autumn Highland holiday, enjoying the home of their own making and the freedom they found there. Prince Albert made his final visit to Balmoral in 1861, just months before he died. The Queen continued the tradition of the annual Highland stay following Prince Albert’s death, making her last visit to the Castle in 1900.
Stag heads and tartan abounded. Unsurprisingly, this style has continued to be popular periodically, with ever changing contemporary twists.
Taxidermy in general has a sort of Baronial style about it, though not always tasteful...
I very much like the stag wallpaper. No animals harmed in the making thereof...
Tartan of course figures heavily in the Balmorality movement. Tartan was briefly outlawed with the 1746 Dress Act after the Jacobite Rebellions (with the exception of the black watch Regiment).
Here is the vintage documentary about Balmoral, including a good explanation of Balmorality...
For those interested in tartan decor and scottish themed style, you might like to check out Tartanscot's blog.
For those interested in Taxidermy, see our previous posting.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
The Willowbrook Highland Cattle Fold...
We have finally settled on the type of cattle we are going to breed at Willowbrook. It was a close competition between Highland Cattle and Belted Galloways, but in the end the large horns and the extra long shaggy coats of the Highlands tipped them into pole position. This will bring to a close our stocking of the rare breeds farm, as we will then be at full capacity and will have only rare breeds on site, having sold on our Herefords.
The breed was developed in the Scottish Highlands and Western Isles. The breed was developed from two sets of stock,one originally black, and the other reddish. Breeding stock have been exported to the rest of the world, and once an 'extremely rare' breed, they are now only considered 'rare'.
Highlands are known as a hardy breed due to the rugged nature of their native Scottish Highlands, with high rainfall and strong winds.Highland cattle have been successfully established in many temperate countries and indeed in countries where winters are substantially colder than Scotland's such as central Europe and Canada. Their hair provides protection during the cold winters and their skill in browsing for food enables them to survive in steep mountain areas. They both graze and browse and eat plants which many other cattle avoid. The meat tends to be leaner than most beef because Highlands get most of their insulation from their thick shaggy hair rather than subcutaneous fat. The coat makes them a good breed for cold northern climates and they are able to thrive in outdoor conditions that would defeat most other breeds of domestic beef cattle. As such, Highland cattle are able to produce beef at a reasonable gross margin from inhospitable land that would otherwise normally be incapable of rendering a profit agriculturally.Whilst the UK domestic and worldwide popularity of Highland cattle has made trade in pedigree beasts occasionally the most lucrative - mainly on account of their handsome appearance - they are at their best agriculturally when used to produce beef in a cold climate from poor pasture and forage.
Whilst the beef produced by pure-bred Highland cattle is exceptionally tender and of high flavour, modern butchery and shopping trends tend to demand a carcass and a cut of meat of a different character. In order to address this market, Highland beef producers commonly run commercial Highland suckler cows with a 'terminal' sire such as a Shorthorn or Limousin bull. This allows the hardy Highland cow, grazed upon the rough hillsides of her natural environment, to produce across-bred beef calf featuring the tender beef of its mother on a more modern carcass of high commercial value at slaughter, thus rendering a gross margin from her grazing that would have been impossible from other breeds in that environment. There is also a healthy demand from fellow producers of outdoor-reared beef who farm on more forgiving terrain, for Highland cross-bred bulling heifers: most often Highland cows crossed with the Shorthorn bull, for use as suckler cows. These cross-bred beef suckler cows inherit the hardiness,thrift and mothering capabilities of their Highland dams and the improved carcass configuration or their sires. Such cross-bred sucklers, further crossed with a modern beef bull such as a Limousin or Charolaisto produce the finest quality beef are one of the mainstays of Scottish commercial beef production. It is this ability to pass on thrift and gross margin down the beef-breeding cascade that has secured this breed's place as a modern commercial beef breed.
There are many international societies for Highland cattle. The British Highland Cattle Society, whose patron is Her Majesty, The Queen, is a registered charity. There are at least two Highland Societies in New Zealand. We shall join the New Zealand Highland Cattle Society.
The hairy calves are adorable...
Below: A prize Highland at Dumfries House...
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