Breeds You Need
Hundreds of varieties of livestock are suitable to raise on a hobby farm. This year, we’ll take a look at some of our favorites, starting with Highland Cattle and Idaho Pasture Pigs.
Highland Cattle, Idaho Pasture Pigs
Highland Cattle
Highland cattle are an old heritage breed known to have grazed the rugged Scottish landscape since the 6th century and played a significant part in the development and civilization of the Highlands of Scotland.
They are the oldest registered breed of cattle; the Highland Cattle Herd Book lists pedigrees since its first publication in 1885. The Scottish Highland Cattle Society was formed in 1884, and most of the cattle registered were black.
Originally, there were two subgroups of Highland cattle, which today are merged into one. The smaller, mostly black or brindles cattle were raised on the western island and were known as Kyloes, and the larger red animals were on the Scottish mainland. Today, there are seven colors: black, red, brindle, dun, silver, yellow and white.
Highlands are a smaller-framed breed and tend to be docile and calm. Their horns are used primarily for knocking down brush to graze on, predator control and scratching. They are excellent browsers, able to clear a brush lot with speed and efficiency, and they will eat what other cattle pass by.
The Highland breed contributed in a great way to the success of the American cattle industry. American cattlemen from the Western states recognized the natural qualities of this hardy breed and imported them to improve the bloodlines of their own herds.
The first recorded importation into the U.S. occurred in the late 1890s. Many were brought to North Dakota in the early 1920s, as other breeds couldn’t survive the cold winters.
Highlands have the adaptability to change with the area, such as putting on a thicker hair coat in colder climates in winter or growing a less heavy hair coat in warmer regions and shedding it in summer.
The breed is a low-maintenance; nevertheless, you must treat them like a bovine. With their thick hide and hair coat, they don’t need the extra grain to put on the back fat to help keep them warm in the wintertime.
Highlands can produce excellent beef and thrive with grass and hay, minerals and protein blocks to help balance their intake. They have a vein-type marbling in their meat, and their milk is higher in butterfat, too.
Idaho Pasture Pigs
Shelly Farris of Rigby, Idaho, saw a need for a good grazing pig. Her desire was to have a good-natured animal that would graze the grass instead of rooting and that would also mature out at a smaller size then traditionally grown pigs and yet be able to reach a butcher weight in a reasonable amount of time. She put her dream to reality by developing the Idaho Pasture Pig, offering breeding stock to the public in 2012.
IPPs are comprised of Old Berkshire, Duroc and Kunekune breeds. Many years of dedicated work went into creating a pig that is great for small family farms, as well as anyone interested in raising quality pork.
The pork from grass-fed pigs is higher in omega-3 fatty acids, is more marbleized than traditional grown pork and has a deep red color and a sweeter flavor. Idaho Pasture Pig boars mature to about 350 to 450 pounds; sows, about 250 to 350 pounds. With a diet consisting of primarily of grass, the pigs will mature to a butcher weight of about 230 to 250 pounds in approximately 10 months.
All pigs require lysine that is found in grains, so IPPs are unable to be 100% grass-fed, but they can be primarily grass-fed. Only 10% to 20% of their diet needs to consist of grains and minerals. It’s essential for the minerals to be mixed properly into the feed because due to their toxicity to salt, Idaho Pasture Pigs are unable to be fed free-choice minerals or mineral blocks. A mineral deficiency will result in the pigs digging in the ground to locate additional minerals instead of grazing the ground properly.
Its uniform head leads to a shorter up-turned snout, which allows Idaho Pasture Pigs to graze grass. Other breed-standard attributes include a long back, well-developed shoulders, rounded hams that extend all the way down to the hocks and a good personality.
The Idaho Pasture Pig has more hair on its body than other breeds, making it very cold-hardy. Sows make excellent mothers, and they don’t require heat lamps to farrow outside in A-frame shelters. The keys to a happy, healthy, grazing pig include minerals; water; grass, hay and fodder; shelter; and, of course, a nice wallow!