Meet our animals...
Mudgee Highlands
Mudgee Highlands is our Highland cattle business. We run a breeding program that operates out of Owl Head Lodge and our other farm in Mudgee. We also offer a Highlands Meet & Greet at our Mudgee property (more details below).
At Mudgee Highlands we take great care of our cattle. We ensure they have a suitable environment, access to plenty of water, get health checks when necessary and have quality feed.
We have a Highland stud bull and eight cows. All going well, we will have eight calves each year. We sell the calves to other Highland breeders making sure they will be well looked after.
Archie is our stud bull. He is the traditional red colour with faint dark stripes in his coat. He has a placid, gentle nature. He weighs about 900kgs. Despite his enormous size and strength he is a bit timid and kangaroos make him a little nervous.
He was born in 2021 in Southern Highlands, NSW.
Stella is our beautiful old girl. She is a two-tone dark brown/traditional red colour. She is the mother of two other Highlands cows that we have (Bonnie and Elsie). She is a little bit cranky sometimes, especially when the other cows try and steal her food – but she is definitely the matriarch of the cows. She has long symmetrical curved horns and knows how to use them. Stella has a little bit of arthritis in her back legs but we care for her deeply and always make sure she’s comfortable.
She was born in 2014 in Cowra, NSW.
Bonnie is our big strong young cow. She is Stella’s oldest daughter but she is very respectful to her Mum. Bonnie has beautiful horns and is Dun in colour (grey/brown). Bonnie is Elsie’s older sister but she sometimes finds her younger sister annoying.
She was born in 2022 in Cowra, NSW.
Elsie is Stella’s younger daughter. She is another strong cow and is Dun in colour like her sister. She has wonky horns. She is full of sass and is very bossy. She loves being brushed on her neck and if she sees a brush in your hand will show you her neck so you can brush it for her.
Elsie was our first calf and was born in 2023 in Mudgee, NSW.
Faith came to our fold in 2024. She is a whitish/yellow in colour and has wonky horns too. She is quite timid and a little bit standoffish with people. She likes having tussles with the other Highlands.
Faith was born in 2018 near Taree, NSW.
Dulcie came to our fold with Faith. She is pure white in colour. She has two tone nicely shaped symmetrical horns and big black eyes. She had her first calf with us in 2026. Dulcie was conceived via artificial insemination.
Dulcie was born in 2022 in Ellenborough, NSW.
Opal is our all-black cow. She has nice symmetrical horns in a half-moon shape. Opal is placid and friendly but is fiercely protective of her calves, so we like to give her lots of space after birthing to make sure she is comfortable.
Opal was born in 2018 in Koolah Creek, NSW.
Penny is the smallest of our Highland cows. She has a big thick shaggy coat and is the traditional red colour. She is standoffish with people too. She has horns that are growing straight out but they should start curving upwards shortly.
Penny was born in 2024 in Ellenborough, NSW.
Macey is a distinct brown grey colour. She has dark eyes and nice half moon shaped horns. She is a very protective mother to her calves so we give her a lot of space after calving too.
Macey was born in 2019 near Taree, NSW.
Local wildlife
We have lots of different types of native wildlife on and around our property. Kangaroos are often seen hopping along our road at the front of the property. There is a huge mob numbering the hundreds in our local area.
You may see many native birds including huge Wedge-tailed eagles patrolling the farmland at the rear of our property. We also have kites, kestrels, rosellas, galahs, kookaburras and cockatoos.
Rabbits, hares and foxes will be out and about at night and in the early morning. We also have deer around the local area.
After rain you may hear thousands of frogs from the creek behind our property all singing out at night. There is also a few large resident blue tongue and shingleback lizards in our gardens too.
Mudgee Highlands Meet & Greet
We offer opportunities to get up close and personal with our Highland cattle. We are located on Saleyards Lane – a short drive from Mudgee town centre.
You can see a selection of our cows, calves and steers and possibly our stud bull (he moves between our two properties).
We halter train our calves so you can pat, brush, hand feed, take photos and generally interact with them.
The cost of $30 p/person goes directly back into looking after our Highland cattle with quality feed, health care, water, fencing, etc. Discounts are applied to Owl Head Lodge guests.
Mudgee Highlands staff will explain the process of management and care for our cattle, including moving them through yards, giving them needles and drench, feeding them, behaviour and relationships, etc.
Bookings must be made in advance. The sessions last about an hour. An electronic waiver is required to be signed before each session.
Further enquiries at 0473 742 744 or info@mudgeehighlands.com.au
