Hearty Highlands Moo-ving to Manitoba

The Highland cow, a Scottish breed popularized by travel videos and social media, is finding its way to the Canadian Prairies.

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The short, stocky cows, known as the "cutest" breed, are also extremely resilient, which bodes well for Manitoba's very cold winters and hot summers.

Shelden Van Den Bussche breeds cattle near Holland, Man. He bought his first animals in 2018 after discovering the value in Highland cows.

"We decided to go with Highlands because we have just a small acreage," he told CTV National News. "Highlands feed well off the sticks and scrub that's kicking around here."

The farm now has 25 animals, and even in the January cold, the herd seems satisfied.

"They have an undercoat of really soft fur, like downy, and then they have another coat, the top coat," Monique Van Den Bussche said explaining the benefit of the Highland cow's shaggy coat. "It is really long hair and that's where they keep oils. It's oily so the rain and the snow just drips off."

The fur acts as an insulator protecting them from the cold. The fringe, practically covering the cow's eyes, protects them from insects in summer, and their large horns ward off predators.

The Highland cow is shorter than other breeds – they are also very docile.

They have become popular on TikTok and other social media platforms.

The Van Den Bussche's have taken their herd online with the Instagram handle @bushy_acres. Nineteen-year-old Kaylynn loves showing off her two pets Snowball and Thunder.

"Thunder was born just as there was a thunder clap," she said. "We've just always brushed them and got them used to people around them. They are so quiet."

Across Canada, there are 339 registered Highland cattle farms, 17 of which are in Manitoba, and are a combination of both smaller hobby farms and larger producers. The cows are usually raised for their rich milk and lean meat.

Fran Wilkinson and Clarke Childs of Bullrush Highland Acres say more of their animals are being sold to the United States, as Canadian highland cattle grows in demand.

"People are looking for higher quality beef. Because of what they eat … the flavour of the beef is a lot better," Wilkinson told CTV.

The cattle breeders now have nearly 50 animals in Manitoba's Interlake region near Komarno, Man., where pasture is limited.

"Living here in the Interlake, the forage and all that kind of stuff is not fantastic. Most commercial cattle don't thrive as good as what the Highlands do," Wilkinson said.