New Zealand Highland Cattle Society Welcome to our website. Explore and enjoy learning about highland cattle and the New Zealand Highland Cattle Society Apply to join The
Society Supporting breeders and owners of highland cattle in New Zealand for over 30 years Explore more The
Breed Highland cattle have had a rich and diverse history in New Zealand and around the world Explore more Our
Members and Folds Listing of members and profiles of their folds Explore more The
New Zealand Herd Book Search the pedigrees and details of over 8,000 New Zealand registered highland cattle Explore more Buy and Sell Cattle registered with the New Zealand Highland Cattle Society advertised for sale Explore more Shop Our online shop has an eclectic selection of highland products Explore more Resources Highland cattle and Society links, articles and forms Explore more The
Society Supporting breeders and owners of highland cattle in New Zealand for over 30 years Explore more

THE SOCIETY

Formed in 1993, the Society was formed to assist in the development of the Highland Cattle breed in New Zealand.

Members are offered advice in the form of information and Publications, can register their animals with the Society, where the information is collected, verified and published in the Herd book.

The Society also helps with the promotion of the Highland breed and Society activities along with the promotion of fellowship among the Highland Cattle breeders and members.

The Society is affiliated to the Royal Agricultural Society as a Highland breed society. It is also the only Society that is recognized by the other Highland Societies overseas.

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THE BREED

Highland Cattle originated in the Highlands and West Coastal Islands of Scotland. Capable of surviving in the harshest of environments. Ideal for the rugged hills and moors.

Through the long recorded history of Highlands, breeders have taken great care to retain the original characteristics of these cattle. Highlands are a moderate size which means that they have a 10% more carrying capacity than larger breeds.

They have a double coat of hair – a downy undercoat and a long outer coat which is well-oiled to shed rain and snow. They shed their long hair when exposed to hot dry climate and grow a new one in winter.

The colours include, red, white, black, brindle, yellow and dun.

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CATTLE FOR SALE

We advertise cattle for sale that are owned by members of the New Zealand Highland Cattle Society. These animals are offered by the owners themselves, and not the Society as a whole.

Members must log in to be able to list cattle for sale.

Please contact the owners direct for more information about the animals. You can also check the pedigrees of the registered cattle on our Online Herdbook.

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JOIN US TODAY

The New Zealand Highland Cattle Society was the first Society formed in New Zealand with the focus of the stewardship of the Highland Cattle breed.  As the oldest and largest Society in New Zealand, members can be assured of a depth of knowledge and a consistent approach to operations. The Herdbook was established in the early 1990’s, and has over 7,000 animals registered in it, forming the bulk of all Highlands in New Zealand.

This gives the Society unparalleled experience in the registration of Highlands.

This means members will enjoy a stable and long lasting society which has the future of the breed at heart.

To become a member of the New Zealand Highland Cattle Society, simply fill in a membership application form, and send it with a cheque or bank the money via Internet Banking to the NZHCS account.

You can find a copy of this form by clicking the Resources tab section to download & fill in a Membership Form online.

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About the Society and Types of membership

Constitution
Breed Standard
Registration and Herd Book Rules
Councillors and Management

The Society is an Incorporated Society registered with both the New Zealand Companies Office and the New Zealand Charities Register

Full Membership
Full Members are entitled to all Society publications and information, full participation of Society activities, the facility to register cattle in the Herd Book and voting rights.

Associate Membership
Associate Members receive all Society publications and information, have full participation of Society activities, do not have any voting rights or ability to register cattle. An associate membership is designed for people who own cattle but do not want to breed them or have an interest in the breed but don’t want to own any cattle.

Junior Membership
You must be under 18 years old to be eligible for a Junior Membership. Junior Members receive all Society publications and information, have full participation of Society activities, ability to register up to 5 cattle, do not have any voting rights.

Life Membership
Life membership is granted to members who have provided the Society with extraordinary outcomes and delivered considerable benefit to members. Life members have the same rights as Full members and their fees are waived for their lifetime.

Joint Membership
Two or more existing full members can apply to be joint members and can register a joint fold. This is often used for joint ownership of animals.

About Herds, Folds and their Registration

Constitution
Breed Standard
Registration and Herd Book Rules
Councillors and Management

What is a fold?

A little known fact about Highland breeders is that they don’t call their herd a herd. It is called a fold of Highland cattle because, in the olden days in winter the cattle were brought together at night in open shelters made of stone called folds to protect them from the weather and wolves.

Every Member wishing to register cattle is required to register a separate Fold, with a unique Herd Name. Each Herd Name will be allocated a letter prefix know as the Herd ID, and a three digit number known as a Herd Number.