Hi y'all, Katie Van Slyke here! Raising mini Highland cows has been the most surprising, rewarding, and humbling part of building Running Springs. Three years ago I brought home two tiny calves named Poppy and Petunia.
Today our mini Highland herd has grown to eight fluffy girls, each one with a personality as big as her coat.
This is the real story of how it happened, what each cow is actually like to live with, and everything this journey has taught me that a care guide never could.
Written from three-plus years of hands-on experience raising purebred miniature Highland cattle at Running Springs in Nolensville, Tennessee.
How Poppy and Petunia Started It All
I never planned on becoming "the mini cow girl." Running Springs was already a full-scale Quarter Horse and Simmental cattle operation when Poppy and Petunia arrived as tiny Highland calves.
They were supposed to be a fun addition to the mini farm. That is not what happened.
Within a week of bringing them home, I posted a short video of the two of them exploring the barn for the first time. That first barn exploration clip hit over 3.7 million likes on TikTok.
My phone did not stop buzzing for days. Suddenly, millions of people wanted to know who these fluffy little cows were, what breed they were, and how they could get one too.
The viral moment was surreal, but what happened after was the part that actually changed my life. People came for the cute video. They stayed because they connected with Poppy and Petunia as real animals with real stories.
You can read Poppy and Petunia's full story here, but the short version is that those two girls opened a door I never expected. They showed me that raising mini Highland cows could be more than just a hobby. It could be a meaningful part of what we do at Running Springs.
Building the "P" Crew: How Our Herd Grew to Eight
After Poppy and Petunia, I was hooked. But I also learned pretty quickly that you cannot rush building a mini Highland herd. These animals are expensive, hard to find from reputable breeders, and every addition needs to fit the group you already have.
Pumpkin and Posie came next as our second pair. Then the yearlings, Peanut, Pearl, and Pepper. And most recently, Pippa joined as a Christmas gift from me to my mom. Every single one was chosen carefully for temperament, health, and genetics.
Yes, all eight names start with "P." That was completely intentional from day one. When Poppy and Petunia set the pattern, I committed to it, and now it is a Running Springs tradition that the audience loves. The naming suggestions I get in my comments are endless and always creative.
If you are curious about how big mini Highland cows actually get at maturity, or you want a full breakdown of how much a mini cow costs from purchase price through annual upkeep, I cover both of those in dedicated guides.
Here, I want to focus on the part nobody else can tell you: what it is really like to live with these animals every day.
Every Mini Cow Has a Personality (Here Are Theirs)
This is my favorite thing to talk about. People see "mini cow" and think they are all the same fluffy, docile, Instagram-ready sweethearts. They are not.
Every single one of our girls is a completely different animal, and learning their individual personalities has been one of the best parts of raising them.
| Cow | The Personality |
|---|---|
| Poppy | The calm one. She will stand for brushing, chin scratches, and photos all day. If our herd had a CEO, it would be Poppy. She sets the tone for the whole group. |
| Petunia | Poppy's partner in everything. Where Poppy goes, Petunia follows. She is slightly more independent but just as gentle. These two are rarely more than a few feet apart. |
| Pumpkin | Extra spicy. That is the kindest way to describe her. She has opinions about everything and is not shy about expressing them. She keeps me on my toes. |
| Posie | Also extra spicy. She and Pumpkin travel as a pair and feed off each other's energy. If something chaotic is happening in the pasture, these two are at the center of it. |
| Peanut | Our smallest yearling with the sweetest disposition. She is curious about everything and will cautiously approach anything new. |
| Pearl | Quiet and observant. Pearl watches everything from a distance before deciding if she is interested. She takes her time warming up, but once she does, she is a lovebug. |
| Pepper | The adventurer of the yearling trio. She is always the first to investigate a new section of pasture or a piece of equipment we are setting up. |
| Pippa | The newest addition. She arrived as a gift to my mom and has settled into the herd beautifully. She has already figured out where all the best scratching spots on the fence are. |
The personalities are exactly why I tell people that raising mini Highland cows is nothing like watching them on a screen. You cannot get a sense of who these animals are from a 60-second video.
You have to spend time with them, learn what makes each one tick, and respect the fact that they are individuals. Some want constant affection. Others want you to earn it first.
Love the "P" crew? Poppy, Petunia, and the rest of the girls have their own mini cow merch collection with tees, hoodies, and more.
What Raising Mini Highland Cows Actually Taught Me
I have learned more from our mini Highland cows in three years than I expected to learn in a decade. Some of it was practical, some of it was humbling, and a lot of it was the kind of thing you just cannot pick up from a book or a blog post.
They Are Still Livestock
This is the lesson that hits hardest and earliest.
A mini cow is smaller than a standard cow, but she is still a cow. She has horns. She weighs several hundred pounds. She needs proper fencing, shelter, pasture management, and a large-animal vet.
If you are not set up for livestock, you are not set up for a mini cow. I break down the full care requirements in the ultimate guide to mini cows, including feeding, space, and health basics.
Herd Dynamics Are Real
Watching eight mini cows figure out their social order taught me that cattle are far more emotionally complex than most people realize. There is a hierarchy. There are alliances (Poppy and Petunia, Pumpkin and Posie). There are occasional disagreements.
Introducing a new cow to the group is a process that requires patience. You cannot just drop a new animal into an established herd and expect everyone to get along immediately.
Patience Is Everything
Building trust with a mini cow takes time. Peanut took weeks before she let me scratch behind her ears.
Pumpkin still has days where she is not in the mood. And that is fine. These animals operate on their own timeline, and the more you respect that, the deeper the bond becomes.
The Viral Moment Fades
The TikTok views come and go. What stays is the 5 a.m. water check, the vet bills, the fence repair after a storm, and the daily responsibility of keeping eight animals healthy and happy.
If you are buying a mini cow because they are trending, I am asking you to reconsider. These are 15- to 20-year commitments, not a seasonal hobby.
Every farm has hard days. We have been through loss on this farm, and it never gets easier. The highs of raising mini cows are incredible, but the lows are real too. That is what it means to be responsible for living creatures.
A Year on the Farm With Mini Cows, Season by Season
One of the questions I get most is what daily life with mini Highland cows actually looks like across the year. The answer is that it changes with every season, and each one brings its own rhythms and challenges.
Spring
Spring is my favorite season with the minis. The pasture is coming back, the girls are shedding their heavy winter coats in big clumps, and the longer daylight gives them more grazing time. This is also the season when I do the most brushing, because the shed is significant and mats can form around the legs and belly if you do not stay on top of it. Spring is also calving season, which now means a whole new layer of excitement and responsibility since we started breeding.
Summer
Summers in Tennessee are hot and humid. Highland cows are built for cold Scottish weather, so summer management is about keeping them comfortable. Our girls have access to shade and fresh water at all times.
We also ramp up fly control with pour-on treatments and fly sprays. Even though Highlands shed their coat shorter in warm climates, the heat still requires extra attention.
Fall
Fall is transition season. The pasture starts slowing down, so we begin supplementing with more hay. The minis start growing their winter coat back, which is fun to watch because they go from looking sleek to looking fluffy again over a few weeks.
Fall is also when we evaluate the herd for the year, checking body condition and planning any vet visits before winter sets in.
Winter
This is where the Highland breed truly shines. That thick double coat means our girls handle Tennessee winters without any trouble. They honestly prefer being outside even on cold days, which still surprises me.
The main winter tasks are making sure water troughs are not frozen, keeping hay available free-choice, and checking on everyone during extreme cold snaps. For a deep dive on exactly how mini Highlands compare to standard Highlands in care and cold-hardiness, I break that down in a separate guide.
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The Moment We Decided to Start Breeding
For the first couple of years, raising mini Highland cows at Running Springs was all about building the herd and learning these animals inside and out. Breeding was always in the back of my mind, but I wanted to wait until I felt genuinely ready.
That moment came in the summer of 2025. We had three mature girls (Poppy, Petunia, and Pippa) who were healthy, well-socialized, and in great condition.
I had done the research on cycle synchronization using CIDRs (Controlled Internal Drug Release devices) and had my best friend Rebecca, who is AI-certified, ready to perform the inseminations. Everything lined up. I wrote about the whole process in the post that kicked off our breeding journey.
A few months later, we confirmed that both Poppy and Petunia tested positive for pregnancy. That was one of the most exciting days I have had at Running Springs. Watching these girls grow up and then seeing them start their own little families has been surreal.
Breeding minis is not something I recommend jumping into without preparation. It adds a whole new set of responsibilities: reproductive management, pregnancy monitoring, calving plans, and having a vet on standby. But for us, it was the natural next step, and it has deepened my connection to these animals in a way I did not expect.
What I Would Tell My Past Self Before Getting Mini Cows
If I could go back to the day before Poppy and Petunia arrived, here is what I would say:
Get your fencing right the first time. Mini cows are smaller, which means they can squeeze through gaps and under fences that would stop a full-size cow. Invest in proper livestock fencing from day one. Redoing it later costs double.
Find your large-animal vet before you need one. Not every vet works with cattle, and scrambling to find one during an emergency is the worst feeling. Lock that relationship in early.
Get at least two. Mini Highland cows are herd animals. A single mini cow without a companion will be stressed, vocal, and unhappy. If you can only afford one cow, wait until you can afford two, or make sure she has other animal companions like mini horses, goats, or donkeys.
Stop comparing your farm to the internet. The highlight reel of mini cow ownership looks nothing like the daily reality. The adorable moments are real, but so are the vet bills, the muddy pastures, and the mornings where nothing goes according to plan. Embrace all of it.
Budget for surprises. Set aside money for emergencies. Something will go sideways at some point. A surprise vet visit, a fence that needs urgent repair, or a supplement you did not plan on needing. If the purchase price of the cow stretches your budget, you are not ready yet.
For everything you need to know before buying your first mini, including breed comparisons and what to look for in a breeder, start with my FAQ page. And to see what a multi-species farm actually looks like in practice, check out the full Running Springs animal count.
Meet the Herd at Running Springs
Running Springs is our family farm in Nolensville, Tennessee. We raise eight miniature Highland cows (Poppy, Petunia, Pippa, Pumpkin, Posie, Peanut, Pearl, and Pepper), alongside Quarter Horses, Simmental cattle, mini horses, mini donkeys, Nigerian Dwarf goats, barn cats, a pig named Winston, and two dogs. The farm is home to 176 animals total, and every single one of them is part of the family.
The mini Highland cows are the heart of our mini farm side. They share pasture near our horses, goats, and donkeys, and they all coexist beautifully. If you want to follow along with the daily adventures, you can find me on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram.
Three Years In, No Regrets
Raising mini Highland cows has changed how I think about farming, about animals, and about what Running Springs can be.
These girls brought an entirely new audience to our farm, but more importantly, they brought a kind of joy that is hard to put into words. Watching Poppy stand still for a chin scratch at sunset.
Hearing Pepper's little snort when she spots me coming with hay. Seeing Pumpkin and Posie tear across the pasture like two tiny, spicy tornadoes. That is the real story behind the fluffy faces on your phone screen.
If you are seriously thinking about raising mini Highland cows, do the work first. Read the guides, talk to breeders, visit farms, and make sure your heart and your property are both ready for a 15- to 20-year commitment. These girls will change your life, but only if you are willing to change yours for them.
Thanks for reading, y'all. If you have mini cow questions, drop them in the comments or find me on Facebook and Instagram. I love hearing from this community.
Frequently Asked Questions About Raising Mini Highland Cows
How did Katie Van Slyke get her first mini cows?
Poppy and Petunia were the first two mini Highland cows to arrive at Running Springs. They came as young calves, and their very first barn exploration video went viral on TikTok with over 3.7 million likes. That moment launched the mini cow side of the farm and eventually led to building the full eight-cow "P" crew.
Why do all of Katie's mini cows have names that start with "P"?
The tradition started with Poppy and Petunia. Once those two set the pattern, Katie committed to keeping every mini Highland name in the "P" family. The full roster is Poppy, Petunia, Pippa, Pumpkin, Posie, Peanut, Pearl, and Pepper. It has become a Running Springs signature that fans love to contribute naming suggestions to.
Do mini Highland cows get along with other farm animals?
At Running Springs, our mini Highlands share the property with Quarter Horses, mini horses, mini donkeys, and Nigerian Dwarf goats. They coexist peacefully and genuinely seem to enjoy having other species around. That said, introductions should always be gradual and supervised, and every farm is different. Making sure each species has enough space is the key to keeping everyone happy.
Can you train a mini Highland cow to lead on a halter?
Yes. Mini Highland cows respond well to halter training when you use patience and positive reinforcement.
At Running Springs, we work on handling and haltering regularly because it makes vet visits, hoof trims, and daily management so much easier. The key is starting early if possible, keeping sessions short, and rewarding calm behavior rather than forcing compliance.
What is the hardest part of raising mini Highland cows?
The hardest part is the long-term commitment and the emotional weight of being responsible for a living creature for 15 to 20 years. The daily care is manageable, but the vet emergencies, the occasional loss, and the reality that these are livestock (not house pets) can catch new owners off guard.
The cute TikTok moments are real, but so are the 5 a.m. water checks and the unexpected expenses. Going in with realistic expectations makes all the difference.
About the Author
Hi, I am Katie Van Slyke, and I share my daily life at Running Springs farm with millions of wonderful people online. I am best known for raising a huge variety of animals, from Quarter horses to famous mini Highland cows.
My true expertise lies in hands-on animal husbandry and living an authentic Tennessee outdoor lifestyle. I love bringing my everyday farm adventures and practical experience straight to you! You can read the full story of how it all started on my about page.
Sources
This article is written primarily from first-hand experience raising miniature Highland cattle at Running Springs. The breed lifespan and general Highland cattle traits referenced below are sourced from established breed and veterinary resources.
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