A view from the hides.

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A view from the hides.

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Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Sun Oct 30, 16 5:36 pm Post subject: A view from the hides.

Yesterday, Karen and I went to the Slimbridge Wetland Centre. We visited all the fantastic hides that they have there and put our binoculars to good use. There were hundreds and thousands of these of all shapes and sizes to see.

But just as interestingly, they had over sixty English Longhorn cattle doing some conservation ï¿½grazing. We use to keep this breed but not quite in the same numbers. They looked magnificent. The weather was a little misty, so apologies for the picture quality.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sun Oct 30, 16 6:14 pm Post subject:
I love to see longhorns. They have a herd at Calke Abbey, and the kids were super-impressed.

NorthernMonkeyGirl

Joined: 10 Apr 2011
Posts: 4630
Location: Peeping over your shoulder

Posted: Sun Oct 30, 16 7:34 pm Post subject:
Love longhorns

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46233
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Oct 30, 16 8:27 pm Post subject:
ace snaps , i have never visited the place but intend to if i am ever down that way. longhorns do look rather nice and the ones on the ings seem quite chilled but do they do the hook a knee thing that highlands find immensely funny in a tight space?

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15981

Posted: Mon Oct 31, 16 7:58 am Post subject:
Round here they tend to use Highlands for conservation grazing; don't know why. Any idea what the ducks/geese are in the top picture? If we see any birds in those numbers round here they are Brent geese. They are supposed to be rare, but the numbers we get here can destroy a pasture and what they don't eat they mess on, and how they mess!

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46233
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Oct 31, 16 11:18 am Post subject:

highlands are tough and can cope with nasty weather etc etc, they will eat stuff that other moos reject , fresh nettles, docks, small trees etc etc, they require little health intervention, they are fairly sensible and seem to avoid silly dangers although they will show considerable enthusiasm for getting to anything that looks edible, they are a bit frisky but most of them are not nasty, they taste good and can turn very poor grazing into top quality meat.
in many ways they are perfect conservation cattle.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Mon Oct 31, 16 11:40 am Post subject:
They used highlands in Bucks, too. You'd think they'd need the furrier varieties up north, wouldn't you?

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46233
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Oct 31, 16 10:00 pm Post subject:
in the western highlands they seem to do pretty well as a commercial breed living on the hills in semi wild herds. full grown ones are huge and a bit surprising if they decide to see if the stranger wants to say hello.

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