So you are thinking of buying a “house cow”. Well, there are a number of the traditional native breeds you might wish to consider, but we believe the Shetland cow has all the attributes you could want, and there are very good reasons for placing it at the top of your list. Firstly it is a breed that is at risk and which therefore needs our support. But apart from its rarity value – and many experienced farmers do not know what a Shetland cow looks like – this is an animal ideally suited to the smallholder. It is the original “house cow”.

Crofters in the Shetland Islands depended on this cow’s milk and beef for their very survival, and in the past it has worked in the field too. Due to the harsh environment of the Islands the Shetland cow has developed into a small, hardy animal, able to thrive on poor grazing, and with a high natural resistance to disease. For its owners to survive it had to be versatile – to produce a calf every year of its life, which often extended into its twenties. There is often a problem with versatility – “a jack of all trades and master of none” – but happily this does not apply to the Shetland.

The Shetland cow is extremely efficient at converting limited grazing into healthy milk. Indeed it was originally classed as a dairy breed. This means that it will produce a fast growing calf and still find that little bit extra for the family. A young heifer, sympathetically handled, will soon take to hand milking, although older and more experienced cows are available. The meat from the pure bred Shetland is truly exceptional. Owners have little difficulty in finding a premium market for their produce, assuming they are willing to let some go from their own freezer! When crossed with a continental beef bull, the Shetland will produce a calf that grows at the same rate as a pure bred continental animal, but at lower cost due to the more efficient food conversion of both itself and its dam. We hope, however, that the smallholder will be keen to breed pure, leaving such cross breeding to commercial enterprises.

The day to day management of a Shetland is very straightforward. It will live well on poor grazing supplemented by hay or silage in winter. For this reason it has proved extremely effective in conservation grazing. Click here for “Shetland Cattle in Conservation Grazing”. The typical Shetland has a temperament ideally suited to the role of “house cow”, quickly bonding with a new owner. They can be easily trained to come to the bucket and can be haltered in the field. In a smallholder environment there is therefore no need for expensive handling facilities and crushes. Calving difficulties in pure bred Shetlands are extremely rare, and their ease of calving is known to catch many breeders by surprise. They make excellent mothers. Smallholders may sometimes have problems finding a suitable bull, depending on their location, but the SCBA offers help when required, and semen is available for artificial insemination. Being a small cow the Shetland does not poach the ground in winter to the same extent as heavier breeds, and will happily live out when provided with some shelter.

Most Shetlands are black and white – a result of breeders’ preferences 60 or so years ago – but red and white is also now firmly established, with grey and brindled cattle reappearing in small numbers. The original Shetlands would have been seen in a variety of colours. The Shetland has delicately shaped inward and slightly upward curving horns (appropriately Viking style) but can be polled if preferred. It stands, on average, 48” high though the truly traditional type can be much smaller.

If you decide to become a Shetland owner, you will have access to the support and advice of an active breeders’ association, run by experienced, enthusiastic owners, many of whom are themselves smallholders. Membership is free for the first year of Shetland ownership, and very competitive thereafter. Click here for further details.

So, whether you are an experienced smallholder or a complete novice, we believe the Shetland is the ideal cow for you. It has been honed by generations of Shetland crofters, yesteryear’s smallholders, expressly to provide the qualities that today’s smallholders are seeking. What’s more, stock is readily available at very competitive prices.

You might like to complete our checklist to test whether Shetlands meet your own criteria – click here for checklist.

The Shetland Cow in Conservation Grazing

The Shetland Cow in Commercial Beef Farming