Q: Do you need to trim or brush their hair?

A: No. Their body hair is actually a very clever 2-layer coat. The outer layer is longer and thicker, with natural oils secreted from their skin that coats this hair, meaning water runs off it and doesn’t penetrate their coat. The under layer of hair is much shorter, finer and fluffier. In the summer, these soft hair fibres can lift to allow heat to leave the cow’s body. In the winter, when the coat is thicker, these fluffy fibres will trap heat in. Highland Cows will naturally shed some of their thick coat in the Spring (which the birds collect for their nests), leaving them with a thinner coat. In warm weather they will sometimes seek out shade or will head to the peaks of the hills where the air is cooler. In Autumn, as the days get shorter, they will start to grow a thicker coat, ready for the cold winter months. We don’t need to brush their hair – in fact, our Highland Cows spend much of their time walking between or scratching themselves on spiky bushes, which makes acts as nature’s hairbrush!