A Scotsman walks onto a 35-acre ranch near Denver with a dog boarding business, no farming background, and a soft spot for the cattle he grew up watching through his parents' kitchen window back in Scotland. Four years later, Graeme Cowie of Cowie's Cows has Highland cattle, a Holstein Highland cross, 19 emus, fainting goats, Nigerian dwarfs, rare black chickens worth more than most people's cars, ducks, two Romanian Bukovina shepherd dogs, and a waiting list for ranch visits from people flying in from across the country.

This episode is pure joy - practical, funny, and packed with things you genuinely didn't know before you pressed play.

Key Takeaways

Emus make surprisingly effective livestock guardians - they'll chase off dogs, foxes and coyotes and their middle toe can do serious damage.

People with Alpha-Gal syndrome - a tick-borne meat allergy- can eat emu because it's a ratite, not a mammal.

Fencing is always the number one regret of new livestock owners - three strand is never enough.

Ayam Cemani chickens are one of the rarest breeds in the world with an estimated global population of just 3,500 and Graeme has 30.

Bull leases are a great income stream on a small operation if you have a bull with proven temperament and conformation.

Episode Highlights

Graeme explains what happens when you let emus free range near visitors wearing jewellery and why dangly earrings are a genuine biosecurity risk.

The story of Wallace the bull, who has never met a cow he doesn't like and has been on bull lease to happy customers across Colorado.

The Ayam Cemani chicken - all black including organs, bones, and meat, described as the Lamborghini of chickens.

Plus Graeme holding up an emu egg the size of a Nerf football live on camera while Lori completely loses her mind about it.

Timestamps

00:01 — Welcome & intro to Cowie's Cows
00:52 — How a dog boarding business led to a Highland fold
02:23 — Why Graeme chose Highlands — Scotland, his dad's paintings, a Celtic festival
03:39 — Getting started: Fiona, Wallace, and the first calves
05:19 — The Holstein Highland cross calf nobody expected
07:20 — Calving in the pasture with 12 head — what works on a small operation
08:44 — Feed costs, drought and hay going from $75 to $195 a bale
09:48 — Agritourism: how Cowie's Cows gets found nationwide
11:13 — Graduation certificates, themed visits and holiday events
13:35 — The emu deep dive: 19 emus, guardian instincts and that middle toe
15:31 — Vaccinating emus against eastern equine encephalitis — and surviving it
17:07 — Why jewellery is banned in the emu pen
18:20 — The Ayam Cemani: the Lamborghini of chickens with a worldwide population of 3,500
22:15 — Emu eggs, incubation and Colorado's humidity problem
24:08 — Fainting goats, Nigerian dwarfs, ducks and one black sheep
29:16 — Finding a vet for emus — why most won't come out
29:40 — Hoof trimming on a hydraulic squeeze chute — and Fiona's first reaction
35:26 — Fencing: the number one regret
37:04 — Electric fencing and Highland cattle — why it doesn't really work
38:14 — Calving season in Colorado: why end of September to November is the sweet spot
41:17 — ClariFly in protein tubs and fly control for the season
44:23 — Romanian Bukovina shepherd dogs and the live emu egg reveal

Book a ranch visit at www.cowiescows.com
Facebook: Cowie's Cows
Website: https://cowiescows.com/

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Production Credit: Edited and produced by @the32collective_ / https://www.the32collective.co/