Unique Highlanders are Maryland crowd-pleasers
BY SHARON SCHUSTER
Staff Correspondent
It’s not unusual for cars to slow
down, .passersby hoping to catch a
■glimpse of Abigail, while trying to
keep one eye on the road. But
Percy is the real “looker,” with
her long blonde hair and deep blue
eyes. Motorists are taken with her
beauty. Even Dolly, who lives
across the road, spends a good part
of her day watching her neighbors.
So', who are these beauties?
Much like “Beauty and the Beast”
all rolled into one, Abigail and the
others are Scotch Highland cattle,
beautiful beasts owned by Mel and
Joann Goble. At first glance, the
unusual bo vines resemble the yak
found in the Tibetan Highlands.
They are characterized by “a
great profusion of hair, long and
gracefully waved,” according to
the American Scotch Highland
Breeders’ Association. “The
Highland is a deep, long-bodied,
low set animal, and has a double
coat of hair, with the outer coat as
long as 13 inches, in the usual
colors varying from silver to red,
and from black to brindle.”
At the Ho Dynasty in Frederick
County, Maryland, the Gobles, at
present, have four purebred
Highlanders. Abigail, with her long
reddish coat, is the oldest of the
herd. Her most eye-catching at
tribute is the set of long,
widespread horns that adorn her
great head. At feeding time, she
skillfully demonstrated their
usefulness by placing the three
foot-wide horns around Roger, a
very large ram who shares the
barnyard, to move him forcefully,
but gingerly, from a choice bale of
alfalfa hay.
Thyme, who is expected to calve
in about six weeks, resembles
Abigail with her long, upturned
horns, and displays the typical
docile disposition of Highland
cattle. Goble said, “They are
wonderful dispositioned animals
and easy to keep in.” Three
strands of smooth wire electric
fence keep the wooly creatures
within the bounds of the Ho
Dynasty.
Percy is the only blonde among
the herd, and Wimpy is the only
bull His horns turn downward,
which is typical of bulls. Suitably
named Wimpy, the smaller than
average bull is shorter and lighter
than the 1,300 to 2,000 pounds
typical of most Highland bulls in
breeding condition at three years.
In show condition, bulls average
between 1,600 and 2,200 pounds,
depending upon age. Cows
generally weigh from 900 to 1,400
pounds, depending upon whether
they are in show condition or under
Cattle watching has become a popular spectator sport in Frederick County, Maryland,
since theGobfe family acquired their eye-catching Scotch Highland cattle. One of the few
beef "wool breeds," the Highlander’? shaggy coat can be utilised by spinn^.. .
range management.
The Gobles raise the purebred
cattle for fun. “They’re pets.
Everything down there is a pet.”
The retired Navy officer said that
he raises crossbreds for meat. The
three steers that share the lot are
all one-quarter Limousin, one
quarter shorthorn and half
Highland. "It makes wonderful
meat,” said Joann Goble. Her
husband added that the meat has
nice marbling and a very good
flavor, preferable to purebred
'Highlander.
According to the VASHBA, both
crossbred and straightbred
Highlanders grading in the top
grades will show dressing per
centages ranging from 57 percent
to 69 percent on a cold carcass,
depending upon age and degree of
finish. Due to their heavy coats,
their fat is marbled throughout the
meat, giving flavor and ten
derness, end almost eliminating
outside waste fat. This may give
some people the mistaken idea that
they are not ready for slaughter
when in reality they are.
The Gobles sell the meat to in
dividuals through private sales
and also sell purebred bulls and
heifers. “There is a tremendous
market for Highlander calves,”
said Goble. A six-month-old
Highland heifer commands a price
of |5OO, while a bull brings $375.
The association claims that
Highland crossbred calves have
sold at top market prices con
sistently and have also topped the
fat cattle market on several oc
casions. “They are much more
rugged and grow and gain faster
and have a remarkable rate of
conversion.”
Goble said that bulls are desired
for crossbreeding in beef and dairy
needs. “You can more or less erase
calving problems. You can pick
them up (calves) and carry them
around pretty easily,” he said. The
ASHBA says that any yearling
heifer mated to a Highland bull
and calved as a two-year-old will
have little or no trouble calving
because of the small-headed,
short-necked character of the
Highland calf. Females of the
breed are early maturing and have
been known to calve at 14 months.
A “highly developed mothering
instinct” makes abandoned calves
an unknown problem.
With the heavy coat of feathery
hair, and their adaptable eating
habits, Goble said his cattle are
“extremely hardy.” Noted for
their “browsing ability,”
Highlands are unusually healthy
and hardy, being able to survive on
roughage and poor grazing, in
cluding brush, under climatic
Mel Goble offers a bite to eat to Abigail, the senior member of the herd. Horns on
female Highlanders typically turn up, while bulls’ horns turn downward.
conditions “where most of our
popular breeds wquld perish.” In
the winter, Goble said the cattle
“stand out in freezing rain with
icicles hanging on them.” But the
heat and humidity of Maryland
summers seem to affect them.
“They head for the barn.”
Mrs. Goble added, “Pinkeye is
unknown to this breed," perhap
due to the long strands of hair
hanging over the eyes. “They get
reasonably short hair in the
summer,” she said. This winter
they have shorter hair because of
the milder temperatures.
Drawn by their stunning
sheepdog*like coats, many people
have approached the Gobles with
inquiries about the hair. “Some
people spin it,” said Mrs. Goble.
Mel Goble said that the coat does
not require extra care, adding that
he has never had to brush, comb or
cuny his animals.
Proudly displaying an 8-by-10
photograph of their first bull,
Obidiah, Goble related the story of
how he first became interested in
the breed. “I used to subscribe the
Ymk—, and I saw an ad about them,
and I said if I ever get a place, I’m
going to get some of those cattle.”
That was 10 years ago, when they
first moved to the white stucco
covered stone farmhouse on the 21
acres they call the ‘Ho Dynasty.’
The name is a carryover from the
days when they bred Pekingese
dogs. The Gobles purchased five
Highlanders from a breeder in
Oakland, Maryland. “At that time,
they were the only highlanders in
the state,” said Joann Goble. County, Maryland, or contact the
The spring, 1965 issue of The American Scotch Highland
Cespse> the Scotch Highland Beef Breeders’ Association, P.O. Box
Cattle quarterly, featured 81, Remer, Minnesota, 56672.
crossbreds from the Ho Dynasty, So, who is Dolly? She is the
including “Apple Hill Sam.” dapple-gray mare across the road
Persons interested in seeing the who anxiously awaits an alfalfa
animals may drive by the Gobles’ treat from Mel Goble at feeding
farm on route 31 in Frederick time each afternoon.
■ llllll ■'' 1 1 ■ 1 » * a 1 1
mm
Chester D. Hughes
Extension Livestock Specialist
\ I
Upcoming Sheep Meetings
The sheep Industry in Penn- economics of raising sheep,
sylvania is experiencing a wave of Additionally, there will be an
enthusiasm, created by the start- important sheep industry meeting
up of Rocco Further Processing, held on April 10, 7:30 p.m. at the
Inc. at Timberville, Virginia, a Lancaster Farm and Home Center
lamb packing plant with a goal of featuring Dixon Hubbard, staff
processing 10,000 lambs per week, leader—Livestock and Veterinary
This new market for Ipmb has Sciences of USDA/Federal Ex
many rural residents asking tension who is very knowledgeable
questions about the profitability of in all aspects of sheep production,
a sheep enterprise. He will address the topic of the
To help in answering this “Future Outlook of the Northeast
common question, a meeting Sheep Industry.” The meeting will
sponsored by the Penn State also include a guest speaker Iran
Cooperative Extension Service is the Philadelphia area who will
being held at 7:90 p.m., Mar. 25, at demonstrate innovative ways to
the Lancaster Farm and Home retail lamb products.
Center. Finally, and perhaps most im-
Speakers include Penn State portantly, will be the kick-off of the
Extension sheep specialist Dr. new Lancaster County Sheep and
Clair Engle presenting the topic. Wool Growers Association. This
“Are There Profits With Sheep?”, will be initiated during the April 10
and Bill Reed, representing meeting with membership signup.
Wolgemuth Bros, in Mount Joy and Lancaster County ranks third in
Rocco Further Processing, Inc., the state in sheep production and
Timberville, Virginia, who will its producers should benefit from
highlight the goals of the Rocco the educational and promotional
program. programs of an organized Sheep
Here is the perfect opportunity association. We hope you will come
for you to have some of your out and support these sheep in
questions answered about the dustry meetings.
, Farmers to participate
in conservation survey
HARRISBURG Do you feel; association of conservation district
the government should be involved directors, the six-page survey was
in soil conservation programs? Dot designed to obtain feedback from
you think water pollution is a farmers concerning soil and
problem in the Susquehanna nutrient management programs,
watershed? Do you feel that pacdd president, Walter
erosion is a problem on your farm? Rossman, reminds farmers that
These are a few of the questions surV ey’s validity depends on
contained on a questionnaire that fuu participation. The survey is
was mailed to 1,200 landowners in confidential, and all participants
the Susquehannaßiver basin this will received summary of resets,
week. Distributed by the state
■ , rs.
Livestock Ledger