The Exotic Cattle Mascot

Zeus.Highland and Watusi. Heritage cattle.

Zeus is our homozygous true white Highland bull and the anchor of the Highland program. Ferdinand, his black counterpart, partners with him to drive color diversity through the herd.

Homer anchors the Watusi side — two breeds from opposite ends of the earth, on the same Ohio pasture.

Highland Anchor Zeus
Watusi Anchor Homer
Status Active Breeding
Zeus MD cartoon mascot
Zeus, MD

Heritage Cattle on Ohio Pasture.

Zeus is the mascot for our exotic cattle program — a deliberately built mix of Highland (the long-horned, long-haired Scottish breed) and Ankole-Watusi (the African long-horn breed). Different animals, different stories, same Ohio pasture. Homegrown — bred and raised on our own land.

The Highland herd at S&S Acres carries 9 breeding cows + 3 bulls (one being Theo, our bull calf) + Chuck (a steer raised for jerky growout).

The Watusi herd carries 1 bull (Homer) + 4 cows + 3 calves. Both programs are growing.

Zeus Weight
1,525 lbWhite Highland bull
Highland Herd
12 + Chuck9 cows / 3 bulls / 1 steer
Watusi Herd
81 bull / 4 cows / 3 calves
Inquiries
By RequestNo public pricing
Named Bulls

Zeus, Ferdinand & Homer.

Three named breeding bulls run the cattle programs. Zeus is our Highland anchor, paired with Ferdinand for color genetics. Homer anchors the Watusi.

Highland Anchor
Zeus
Homozygous true white Highland bull. Genetically white — not dilute — meaning every calf he sires carries one copy of the white gene. Anchor of the Highland program at S&S Acres. A gentle giant — patient with calves, easy with people, and more interested in leaning in for a scratch than starting anything. Slow to anger, but dominant when it counts.
Purchase Zeus Semen →
Highland Color Partner
Ferdinand
Black Highland bull. The deliberate opposite of Zeus — the color contrast that lets us breed for a wide spread across red, dun, black, and white in the calf crop. All teddy bear under the horns — always ready to eat, never in a hurry, not a care in the world.
Watusi Anchor
Homer
Ankole-Watusi breeding bull. The dramatic horn span of the African breed. Foundation of the S&S Acres Watusi line. The horns of a king, the appetite of a thief, and the attitude of a bull who inherited the job before he was quite ready for it.
Highland Steer
Chuck
Highland animal raised for the future jerky line. The story behind the Zeus Highland Beef Jerky pouch when it eventually launches.
Highland Bull Calf
Theo
Spunky, friendly, and a sucker for a good scratch. Our named Highland bull calf coming up through the color program — tagged and documented from day one.
Highland Calf
Tobias
Still timid but curious — friendly once he warms up, and loves a scratch, especially at bottle time. The newest Highland calf on the ranch, bottle-raised and handled early.
Two Breeds · Two Continents

Scotland & East Africa.

Highland and Watusi cattle come from opposite ends of the world. Different climates, different histories, different builds — running on the same Ohio pasture.

Highland
Watusi
Origin
Scottish Highlands
East Africa (Ankole)
Heritage
Royal herd at Balmoral — Queen Elizabeth II's Highlands
Ancient sacred cattle of the Tutsi people
Coat
Double coat — long, shaggy outer hair over dense undercoat
Short, sleek tropical coat
Horns
Long, wide-spreading, upturned
Massive — among the largest horn spans of any cattle breed
Built For
Cold, wet, mountainous pasture
Heat, drought, sparse grass
At S&S Acres
Anchored by Zeus (white) and Ferdinand (black)
Anchored by Homer
The Color Program

The Colors of Highland.

Zeus is homozygous white. Ferdinand is black. That deliberate pairing — with cows that bring red and dun into the line — gives the program a wider range of calf colors than most Highland operations.

Common
Red · Dun · Black
Rare
White · Silver-dun · Brindle · Yellow
Highland Herd

The Cows & Calves.

Nine breeding cows run with Zeus and Ferdinand. Each cow is tagged with her name engraved, photo-documented from birth, and bred deliberately for the color program. Calves drop in spring. Theo is our named Highland bull calf coming up through the line.

Every Highland on the ranch is registered with the American Highland Cattle Association. Sales of breeding stock and calves are inquiry-only.

Calves come out in red, white, brindle, dun, silver, and black — the full color spread the Zeus × Ferdinand pairing produces. The one color we've never thrown is yellow. Most of our calves get pulled to bottle-feed, which gets them comfortable with human interaction early. Once they're past the nervousness, they jump, play, follow you around the pasture, and have no problem walking right out a gate if you let them. That makes our Highland calves a real fit for buyers who want a halter-friendly animal, not just a pasture ornament.

Highland Calves · On the milk · Tap to play
New on the Ground

Tobias — Newest Highland Calf.

Tobias is the latest Highland calf on the ranch — fresh off the ground, all fluff and legs, bedded down in the straw. Tagged, documented, and photographed from day one like every animal here.

Bottle-raised and handled early, the way we bring our Highland calves up — friendly, halter-ready, and used to people. Breeding-stock and calf inquiries are routed through the contact form.

Tobias · The new calf · Tap to play
Caught on Tape

Zeus vs. Oscar.

Zeus working out the pecking order with Oscar, our original Watusi bull. The day it happened, Zeus and his ladies had slipped the back gate and walked clear across the farm — grazing the long grass along the road until a neighbor pulled over to watch and called us. We herded everyone into the back pasture, figuring the docile Watusis wouldn't mind sharing it with the Highlands. They didn't — except Oscar, who picked a fight with big, slow, laid-back Zeus. It ended poorly for Oscar. No injuries on either side — the only thing hurt was Oscar's pride. 834,000+ views when it went up on TikTok — the kind of moment you only catch if the cameras are always running. Oscar has since sold on.

Zeus & Oscar · Sorting it out · Tap to play
Named Highland Cows

The Foundation Females.

Callie
Daphne
Gidget
Pumpkin
Bailey
Darla
Raven
Winnie
Ellie
Watusi · The herd on pasture · Tap to play
Watusi Herd

The Ankole-Watusi Long-Horn.

The Ankole-Watusi is the African long-horn breed with the dramatic horn span — smaller program than Highland today, but growing. Homer leads the breeding line, with cows and calves rounding out the operation.

Why Homer? Stephanie's dad used to joke he kept a Watusi cow in the backyard named Homer. He was a man full of jokes, and no one believed him. Years after he passed, we came across these animals online — turns out they were real. The first Watusi on the ranch got his name. The herd is small, but it carries sentimental weight.

Watusi are docile and steady — they don't care much what's happening around them. They stick together. They're a wonder to look at on Ohio pasture. Cow-and-calf inquiries are routed through the contact form.

New on the Ground

Watusi Calves.

The Watusi line is growing — three calves on the ground now carrying the long-horn genetics forward. Each one tagged, documented, photographed.

Breed Association

American Highland Cattle Association

American Highland Cattle Association
Current Member · Every Highland Registered
Calves & Breeding Stock

Highland or Watusi Inquiries?

Calf sales and breeding stock route through the Breeding Stock page. No public pricing. Highland and Watusi available; tell us which you're looking for.

The Jerky Line

Zeus Highland Beef Jerky.

The Zeus MD shelf-stable Highland beef jerky is on the long-term roadmap — we'll launch it after Tonka and Hurricane have time to establish. Chuck, our Highland steer, is on the growout track.

The Tonka bison line is in market now — the Zeus Highland beef jerky follows down the road.

Shop the Tonka Line
Byproduct

Highland Bull Skull.

Highland Bull Skull
$300 · 1 available