

In their native Scotland, the fundamental purpose of Highland cattle throughout
the past seven centuries has been that of a beef producing animal. However, in
recent years, Highlands have maintained their popularity primarily due to their
unique looks and distinctive personalities. Still, the versatility of Highland
cattle has been well-known by their breeders for years. Their adaptability to
adverse grazing conditions has made them an attractive beef animal to raise in
harsh environments around the world.
Over the past thirty years, it has been the “hobby farmer” that has been the
primary driving force behind the proliferation of Highland cattle in the United
States. Now that there are over a thousand folds of Highlands in the United
States alone, this breed must be redirected towards the beef industry in order
to experience continued growth of market share.
The American Highland Cattle Association has established the Quality Highland
Beef program as a service to its members and the consuming public. The intention
of the program is to provide a natural product, and to assure quality and
uniformity of the Highland products which its members produce and market under
this label. The Association assumes no responsibility for the quality or other
characteristics of any meat, carcass or other product. This responsibility is
that of the individual producer. Compliance of this program is voluntary and
AHCA will not audit QHB members to determine if the information provided in the
contract is correct.
The Quality Highland Beef program (QHB) is designed to support this market
share growth by assisting producers in developing local beef markets which in
turn, underpin demand for the purebred animal.
The QHB is a national promotional campaign that is available to individual
breeders who market their beef on a local basis. We have combined this promotion
with guidelines that create a natural
product that is
consistent and high quality beef product. The advantages for the individual breeder go
far beyond selling beef; they also include reducing the number of marginal bulls
and demonstrating to other potential breeders that Highland cattle are beef
animals with more than just a “pretty face”.
The most important aspect of the QHB is the contract agreement that breeders
are required to sign, guaranteeing their desire to follow the product quality
guidelines that will ensure a certain consistency of Highland beef produced from
California to Maine.
The producer certifies that any beef marketed by him or her under the Quality
Highland Beef program (QHB) has been raised and finished in accordance with the
recommendations and guidelines provided by the American Highland Cattle
Association and as outlined below. The producer maintains full responsibility
for the product and for the interpretation and application of the Association’s
recommendations.
The producer certifies that any beef marketed by him or her and which uses the
QHB logos, etc. has been raised and prepared as set forth below. A producer’s
right to use QHB materials is dependent upon paying the annual dues when due.
The QHB logo is a registered trademark of AHCA.
A.
Basic Requirements of Quality Highland Beef:
1.
The animals are purebred
or at least one-half Highland: steers, spayed heifers, heifers, cows, bulls or
AHCA Board approved.
2. The animals have been
raised and handled in a humane manner and in accordance with Beef Quality
Assurance (BQA) or similar guidelines.
3. No added hormones,
anabolic steroids or sub-therapeutic feed antibiotics have been applied/fed to
the animals.
4. Complete health records
including vaccinations, inoculations, brands, anti-parasitic and all other
treatments will be kept on all animals marketed as QHB.
5. The minimum carcass
weight of all processed animals is 450 pounds.
6. QHB qualified beef may be
used for beef products, subject to the following conditions: The products
shall not contain any artificial flavor or flavoring, coloring ingredient, or
chemical preservative, or any other artificial or synthetic ingredients; and,
that the product and its ingredients are not more than minimally
processed,(minimal processing may include: (a)those traditional processes used
to make food edible or to preserve it or make it safe for human consumption,
e.g. smoking, roasting, freezing, drying, and fermenting, or (b) those physical
processes which do not fundamentally alter the raw product and/or which only
separate a whole, intact food into component parts, e.g. grinding meat.
B.
Product Categories of QHB Beef
1.
Cuts:
Only steers and unbred heifers, raised in a beef finishing program, slaughtered
between 14 and 36 months of age may be sold for cuts under the QHB program.
2.
All
other animals, including cows, bulls, and animals over 36 months of age must
meet all other standards set forth in Section A; and, are only eligible
for sale as ground or processed (hotdogs, sausage, etc.) products, except the
tenderloins.
3.
Carcasses will be aged a minimum of 10 days or otherwise in accordance with
buyer guidelines or requests. The 10 day minimum aging requirement shall not be
required for animals butchered for ground or processed products.
AHCA has delegated the management of the QHB to the Highland Beef Marketing
Committee to direct, along with the AHCA Board, the allocation of funds raised
for further development of the QHB program and its promotional materials.
There are a variety of feeding programs that will allow breeders to meet the
conditions of the QHB agreement. A great deal will depend on where the Highland
cattle are being raised and under what conditions. It is not the intention of
the QHB to micro-manage the feeding programs of Highland breeders. It is assumed
that producers will use the most economical and readily available feed resources
in their program.
PRODUCING QUALITY HIGHLAND BEEF
The most important link in the QHB is the producer. The producer’s management
and production skills will determine the quality and wholesomeness of the beef
raised. AHCA has provided a set of guidelines, an outline, within which a
producer will produce Quality Highland Beef (QHB). It is the producer’s job to
uphold these guidelines and produce the finest beef available.
Beef production can sometimes be more of an art than a science. Knowing which
management practices to utilize or when an animal is finished just right is
often a skill that cannot be taught. However, there are certain practices you
can follow to help ensure an excellent well-finished product. Below is a short
list of tips and suggestions to help you in producing QHB.
1. Breeding – Here, the most important thing to
remember is to use high-quality Highland cattle.
2. Calving to weaning – This is a good time to
select prospects for the QHB. As a purebred producer, for example, plan to keep
the top 10-20% of your bull calves as herd sire prospects and market the
remainder as QHB animals. Remember, any animal that is to end up as QHB may not
be given any growth hormones or stimulants at any point during its life! At this
time, those bull calves that are not kept as breeding stock should be castrated.
While castration may be done to older cattle as well, increased stress and
weight loss may result. At weaning, calves should be wormed and vaccinated.
Check with your local veterinarian for an appropriate health care schedule
suitable for your area. Finally, be careful when giving injections to cattle,
only giving drugs that have been prescribed by your
veterinarian. Improper handling and administration of
injections can cause lesions and scarring that will affect quality of the meat.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has worked hard through its Beef
Quality Assurance program to develop and promote proper injection procedures.
Contact the Highland Quality Beef Committee, or state or local cattlemen
organizations for more information, including class schedules and certification.
3. Weaning to finishing – During this time, it is
important to first determine the desired age and weight of the animals at
finishing. Some animals will, of course, need to be heavier. A very
general rule of thumb is that a steer will be finished at its dam’s weight,
however, this can vary. Smaller framed cattle should finish in the 900-1000 lb.
range while larger frames will be heavier. The time frame will depend on your
philosophies, available feed and the animal’s ability to gain. Once you have
determined these factors, make sure the animal’s nutritional needs are met.
Extension agents and feed /mineral dealers are good sources to help you select
an economical, nutritionally balanced program. Also, maintain and thoroughly
document a proper herd health program to ensure performance.
4. Finishing – When an animal is within 100-200
lbs. of the desired slaughter weight, it is time to “finish” it. Finish is
to help ensure a degree of marbling and finish to the beef. Marbling adds flavor
and juiciness to the meat. A small amount of external finish is necessary to
enable the carcass to hang. Make sure you either weigh the cattle periodically
or have the feedstuffs tested to make sure the animals are able to gain the
required amount. In the end, the animal will appear fleshy and the brisket
should be filling out. Unfortunately, determining when cattle are finished is
one of the aforementioned arts. It is not the purpose of this program to dictate
how a producer finishes its cattle. Producers must decide what system works for
them based on available feeds, etc. Below are some methods already in use:
-High quality pasture. Cattle can gain over 2 lbs. per day on good quality
grass, legume, annual or a combination of such pasture systems. Some producers
and consumers prefer forage fed beef. External fat on grass fed carcasses can
have a yellowish tint which does not affect the flavor. In some areas of the
country this can be a seasonal product that coexists with the flush of fall and
spring vegetation.
-Pasture plus 1-10 lbs. grain. This system works well particularly with poorer
quality pasture. The supplemental grain changes the yellow fat to white. This
system requires more time and management.
-Free choice hay plus 1-20 lbs. of grain. Unless high quality hay is available
it may not be possible to achieve the necessary rate of gain desired, thus
supplementing with grain may be necessary.
-Free choice finishing on baleage (hay or sorghum) and/or
grain
may be another method.
5. Slaughtering and packing –Years of hard work
directed towards the production of a high-quality product can be wasted with
poor procedures from handling and hauling (and unloading) to the processor’s
handling and processing.
Make sure the loading and hauling process is as easy and stress free as
possible. If an animal is frightened, has been chased all over the pasture,
etc., the quality of the meat will suffer.
The
producer should become familiar with proper handling and hauling practices,
which are taught through Beef Quality Assurance programs. AHCA also periodically
publishes materials and articles in the Bagpipe on these issues.
The producer should also do due diligence concerning processing. Visiting
processors in advance is recommended. Determine processor availability. In some
areas there are long lead times for appointments due to limited processing
availability. The following are processor aspects to consider:
-
What
is the processor’s loading and unloading facility like?
-
Where
will the animals be housed? It is recommended that QHB animals be delivered to
the processor the day before slaughter to allow the animals to calm down and
relax from the trip from the farm, and to acclimate to their surroundings.
-
Determine if the processor is it state and/or federally inspected. This may
impact how the producer plans to market his/her beef.
-
Will
the processor hang your carcass for the required time?
-
Will
the processor cut, wrap and label the meat to the producer’s or the customer’s specifications? Vacuum packing is preferred.
When satisfied, the producer can make an appointment with the processor that
best meets his/her needs.
Knowledge is the key to good management. Good management is the key to
producing great beef. Utilize available resources, extension agents, feed
experts, other producers and cattle organizations to learn as much as possible.
MARKETING
There are a variety of ways in which Highland beef producers can sell their
product, ranging from carcass to boxed beef. The Highland Beef Marketing
Committee periodically provides marketing tools, which may include peel-off
sticker logos, meat cut posters, QHB logo bags, and brochures. These can be
purchased through AHCA when offered. Peel-off sticker logos are designed to be
used on individual meat packages and/or point of purchase displays. The posters
and brochures can also be used in displays or given to potential customers. The
only limitation in marketing is the producer’s creativity.
This policy was updated by the Board of Directors on August
6, 2017 and all changes are effective immediately.Click here for the QHB Contract