Bairnsley Highland Cattle

Bairnsley Highland Cattle Breeding Quality Highland Cattle since 1996.
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18/01/2026

Nano Dubh of Bairnsley - straws available in 2026 AHCA National Sale. This shows his fluid & stylish movement as a 2 year old. This is a bull with scale, capacity & fleshing. He is very correct through the legs & in his hip placement, and is out of a cow with a better udder at 16 than you will see on 99% of first-calf Highland cows. He is registered in the USA, and tested nt821 & crop ear free.

** 100% of the proceeds of the sale of these straws is going to the AHCA Juniors.

https://bairnsley.com/sires/nano-dubh-of-bairnsley-ai-8606/

Sassy - Ruaridh embryos (in 2026 Denver AHCA National Sale) - this pairing will give you access to some very traditional...
16/01/2026

Sassy - Ruaridh embryos (in 2026 Denver AHCA National Sale) - this pairing will give you access to some very traditional, Scottish genetics, with a modern & very showy body type. Registrable in USA, & nt821 free.

Sassenach Dubh of Bairnsley is that rare kind of stylish cow that stacks up in the paddock every time like she is being paraded around the show ring. She is correct, well fleshed & has a good udder.

Ruaridh 1st of Ubhaidh (aka Oobidy Doobidy) was Highland bull of the decade for the Royal Highland Show in Scotland. He has a very desirable muscle pattern, length & heaps of Highland character.

These are the last embryos that Bairnsley will be able to ship to the USA for the foreseeable future with the recent changes in quarantine requirements between Australia & USA.

https://bairnsley.com/cows/sassenach-dubh-of-bairnsley-ai-8607/

https://bairnsley.com/sires/ruaridh-1st-of-ubhaidh-uk-twu090078/

18/03/2025

Weaning Highland calves is simple with a biscuit of oaten hay, a Corona & 30 minutes to devote to starting the first BBB game, the "friendly game" (channelling my inner Bree).

This was day 2 of our fence-line weaning technique. Calves are left in the yards, & mums in a paddock that has access to the yards but they can't get in. It's noisy for 5-7 days, but certainly less stressful for both parties than the alternative, & no fence jumping!

Time spent now with establishing trust makes the next stage of training that much simpler. No expectations - just their appetite & natural curiosity to breakdown the inate prey animal barriers. Not to mention the funnest & most relaxing thing in my day by far.

A limited number of straws of this new AI sire is available. If you are looking for a sire to add some eye appeal and a ...
16/03/2025

A limited number of straws of this new AI sire is available. If you are looking for a sire to add some eye appeal and a muscle pattern that will see their calves perform equally well in the show ring and over the hooks? “Oobidy Doobidy” will do this and more. He will also improve leg structure, toplines and Highland character in his calves.

This is a super stylish bull - in fact he was voted "Highland Bull of the Decade" for the Royal Highland Show (Edinburgh), & reserve interbreed champion for the same period.

https://bairnsley.com/sires/ruaridh-1st-of-ubhaidh-uk-twu090078/

Email for more details - [email protected]

19/02/2025

DNA Samples with a TSU Applicator Gun:

We have recently switched from tail hair samples to TSU samples, & wished we had done it years ago. It's so simple & quick, & idiot proof, and the samples are preserved forever.

We use this for all of our DNA analysis - SNP profiles & parentage verification, black/red gene testing, nt821 testing & Pestivirus PI testing. We use Zoetis & the PI testing can not be done with hair samples any more, so was a no-brainer to switch.

The gorgeous girl in the video shows you how to do it, but do read the instructions to be sure (this is very clearly set out on the card that comes with the applicator - yes guys, sadly you need to read this!).

You can see by these little ET calves that there are no hard feelings afterwards, & you don't get shat on working at the tail end!

Of note Highland cattle breeders, this is an old crush, but has a bilateral squeeze, something that we can not do without now - it stops very small calves spinning around & damaging their very delicate little horn buds in the process.

25/10/2024

Roadworks hold up traffic everywhere. This was a Scottish Roadside Fertilisation Program on Mull, on our way to Glengorm Castle.

Down Under Highlanders - Day 9 (pm - Pollok Fold)The location of this fold is unique in the world of Highland cattle - i...
19/10/2024

Down Under Highlanders - Day 9 (pm - Pollok Fold)

The location of this fold is unique in the world of Highland cattle - in the middle of Pollok Country Park, in the middle of residential Glasgow. We felt like royalty being shown around the paddocks & getting in with the cattle while the public looked on from the other side of the fence. And, without a doubt, the quietest cows & calves you will lay eyes on - taking it in turn to go up to the fence to be scratched by members of the public.

Running around 30 breeders, this fold is well known to Australia with several of there bulls having staws brought into Australia. The quality of the females runs deep & in fact one of them took out show cow of the year for 2024 (an outstandingfemale!). I'm sure this will be repeated going by some of the heifers we saw.

A highlight for me was to see their oldest cow, Susie (20 years old), come running up from the other side of the paddock when called. Her feet were natural & her movement free. What an exceptional demonstration of what our breed is all about.

A huge thank you to Matt, Mel & Sean for their time & allowing us to have tea with the in Pollok House. And special thanks to Matt's wife for the best (& home made) shortbread biscuits we had ever had.

Down Under Highlanders - Day 9 (Woodneuk Fold)Established in 1952, this is a multi-generational Highland fold, where the...
19/10/2024

Down Under Highlanders - Day 9 (Woodneuk Fold)

Established in 1952, this is a multi-generational Highland fold, where the selection criteria appear to have been pretty consistent over the decades, across each generation. Now run by Elizabeth Mitchel & her son, David, the farm is 240 acres, with a further 700 acres of leased council land that they graze. They run 400 head of Highlands & Shorthorns, surrounded by houses & golf courses.

Some of the Highlands here have some significant size about them, with an obvious focus on udders (small teat size in particular) & feet.

Joining us on our fold visit was this owner of Craigluscar Farm Fold, Hamish Irvine & Jo Fischbacher, who manages that fold.

As you can see by the spread that was laid out for lunch, hospitality appears to be a part of the Woodneuk way. We were extremely grateful for this generosity of delicacies & time.

Down Under Highlanders (Day 8) - Killochries FoldHere we got to see an extensive Highland cattle operation (170 breeding...
19/10/2024

Down Under Highlanders (Day 8) - Killochries Fold

Here we got to see an extensive Highland cattle operation (170 breeding cows across 3 properties) that is in involved in Moreland restoration (they get to graze 2,000 acres of it). The thought & research that Iain & Sheena put into their breeding & property are second to none. They collect & collate a lot of data of the cattle, utilising Igenity DNA testing on the whole herd to guide the selection process within their fold.

The cattle were all doing extremely well and with their emphasis on production traits & calving heifers down at 3 years as we do in Australia (not 4 like the rest of Scotland), we were impressed with the style of cattle - plenty of size & character, but sound as well. While there was a distinct black fold descended from Rigg lines, there was no great concern over colour, with all colours being represented.

Using DNA profiling for various traits, & a lack of focus on the show ring, or just horns, hair or colour, the cattle at Killochries have much more to offer than meets the eye.

Down Under Highlanders - Day 7 (Cnoc Na Sith fold - Torloisk Farm)This was as much an experience & education as a fold v...
18/10/2024

Down Under Highlanders - Day 7 (Cnoc Na Sith fold - Torloisk Farm)

This was as much an experience & education as a fold visit. Seeing this remarkable 8,000 acre property & hearing Angus & Claire's thoughts on the breed & farming was truly eye-opening. They strongly believe that the future of the breed belongs in the past & the future - they breed functional, maternal cattle, but utilise every modality available to them, like DNA performance testing in their selection. They quote scientific research papers more than old farmer's tales to support their beliefs in the breed.

Udders, feet & temperaments are of primary importance, as is body type - they look for animals with more volume / gut room than most of the modern types going around in the show ring. Flesh, strong toplines & easy doability are added to their selection criteria and allows their cows to easily breed until they are 20.

This country is harsh - natural pastures & hard winters, & there is no hard feeding. None. There's no foot trimming (they trim feet at the neck), no housing of cattle, no helping at calving time (the cows calve a couple of miles from the yards) & no assistance is given to calves that can't get on the teat or are slow to get going. Again, these cattle are natural, functional cattle that have a purpose & are without peers in the beef cattle world.

This was the best example of the point of difference that exemplifies the Highland breed as I have ever seen. A lesson & wake up call for us all. It was a privilege to be there.

Down Under Highlanders (Day 6) - Glengorm Fold (bonus fold)While driving on Mull to have a look at Glengorm castle, we ...
17/10/2024

Down Under Highlanders (Day 6) - Glengorm Fold (bonus fold)

While driving on Mull to have a look at Glengorm castle, we stumbled across their Highland cow fold. There were some very roomy, quiet cows in this fold. Udders & feet are obviously a focus.

What a gift for us, & we could really see why Glengorm has the reputation that it does.

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602 Couangalt Road
Gisborne South, VIC
3437

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