Gloucester cattle arrive in Caithness
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One of the rarest and oldest native pedigree cattle breeds has been introduced to Caithness with the arrival of three Gloucester cows and their youngstock.
Originally bred for the dual purpose of dairy and beef, the cattle have been taken on by Sam Wybrew at Oldhall House Farm, Watten.
Local agricultural technician Willie Mackay said: "Gloucester cattle are a stockman's delight with their lustrous black-brown coats, white swishing tails, and they are docile and amenable, responding well to individual care.
"Their milk is very good, generally producing around 3700 litres per lactation with some cows achieving 5000 litres which is rich and ideal for cheese-making."
Gloucesters have a distinctive white stripe along the back and underbelly, while their horns are fine, wide and inclined to turn up with black tips. They will thrive if out wintered, growing a good protective coat and their markings are very important for registration.
Mr Mackay added: "Today the fine-boned Gloucester cow, about the same size as a dairy Shorthorn, is a milk animal, happy not to try and compete in the beef market. It has become a handsome, elegant house cow or single-suckler, or a useful milk producer for the small-scale cheesemaker."
The three Gloucester cows at Oldhall have now entered an AI cattle breeding programme and have been inseminated this week by local technician Mr Mackay with semen from two Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) Gloucester bulls Noent Colour Sergeant and Newberry Perry.
Back in the 17th and 18th-century the Gloucester was deemed one of the best dairy cows, a useful draught ox covering an area extending from Worcestershire to Dorset. However, during the 18th-century it came into competition with the Longhorns and Shorthorns and by 1790 very few pure Gloucester herds remained.
By 1972 only one major herd remained and when this was dispersed a herd book was set up by the re-formed Gloucester Cattle Society, with the help of the RBST. Since then, the decline in numbers has been reversed and there are currently some 700 female cattle in the herd book.
